Fast Takes from Fast Break:
East SuperSeries Preview- Charlotte vs New York
This matchup will be the first official quidditch game that we’ll see in over a year. What a great way to kick off the 2021 MLQ season! This is a fascinating matchup as a storied franchise in NYC will play host to the new kids on the block, Charlotte Aviators. Charlotte’s journey this season won’t just decide if they earn a bid at championships, it could also decide whether they join MLQ permanently. As the new team in the East Division, opinions have ranged from “a new 2nd in the region” to “will barely qualify for champs and then be eliminated on day 1”. IF there is any schedule that puts these theories to the test, it’s the SuperSeries this weekend.
They’ll have to fight the strong, experienced Titans quaffle player core and a vastly underrated set of beaters, both new and returning. The Titans’ core consists of the Warriors while the Aviators’ is of Terminus, both club USQ teams. The last time the Warriors and Terminus teams faced off (Oktoberfest 2019), Terminus walked away with an auto-bid to Nationals. With experience against the familiar faces, they will see this Saturday, the Aviators have the momentum. While this team hasn’t had much time to practice, Charlotte's roster includes key chunks of current and former UNC, USC, App State, and Terminus rosters. Finding a chaser match for Erin Smekrud could prove a problem for Titan’s quaffle game while Perry Wang is always dangerous in the beating game. The X-factor will be how Tony Bonadio fares in his first year in MLQ play, especially against a veteran beater core and experienced snitch. He leaves behind a legendary legacy in the South region- being considered the top beater and seeker on any pitch that he was on. Yet, learning how to mesh with new teammates and creating new strategies on the fly can be tricky, especially after a long hiatus and limited practice. But the strong leadership from Lee Hodge, Hanna Reese, and Ryan Davis could fuse these strong pieces into competitive contenders during opening weekend.
The narrative of the 2021 Titans has centered around the “loss” of the male beaters, suggesting that the turnover in roster will have difficulty in executing the same way they did in the 2019 season. However, the Titans have brought back Rachel Ayella-Silver and Fiona Wisehart from the 2019 season and added Kerri Donnelly. While there might be initial bumps, I think this Titans team is positioned to fight for the 2nd spot in the East Division.
For this matchup— mostly because I love a good underdog story and I really believe Charlotte is good— I predict that Charlotte will upset New York one game this weekend. The series will be close, but Titans will use their experience and chemistry to pull off wins. During their last MLQ season, the Titans consistently struggled to gain the additional points from the snitch catch. Titans suffered only 4 losses—2 during the regular season, 2 in bracket play at champs. 3 of those losses were in-range and Titans struggled to close the gap and make the catch. In those close games, being unable to pull the snitch gave their opponents the edge necessary to topple the Titans. Their overall season record was 6-6 at catching the snitch. Coming into the new season, questions about Titans’ SOP performance remain. Without noted SOP talent Steven Belitizky on the roster— Are there any new beaters ready for a breakout SOP performance? Is there a seeker poised to make that quick pull?
While these questions remain for the Titans, the Aviators will have a vaunted seeking line of Tony Bonadio, Trey Pressley, and Ryan Davis attacking snitches. Unless the above-mentioned players can catch quickly with their diverse styles, Aviators will also need to adapt on the fly. With their rotating roster of potential seekers, how will they fill the hole left when any of these players switch to a yellow headband? Losing either the beaters, Davis or Bonadio, or the keeper, Pressley, for prolonged snitch on pitch minutes to seek, creates a hole in the offense and defense. The loss of any one of them gives Titans a chance to take advantage of easier matchups on offense and defense.
Overall, I expect this to be a great series with the addition of new talent on both sides appearing in MLQ for the first time. I believe if there is any team that can prevent Titans from going perfect this weekend it will be Charlotte- but I think that experience that the Titans' chaser core brings will be too much for a young Charlotte squad.
Final record: 2-1 Titans
