Fast Takes from Fast Break: Toronto vs Cleveland

Authors: Ittaana Krow, Madeleine Fordham & Joseph Lombardi

PC: Major League Quidditch

What happened last time?

The road to the first North Division Championship begins this Saturday, June 4th, with the Cleveland Riff set to make the trip to Canada to take on the Toronto Raiders. In their last matchup in 2019, the Raiders took a commanding series sweep where they averaged a blistering 201.6 points per game, with the closest of the three games ending in a score of 180-95. A lot has changed for both programs since that matchup, with Cleveland picking up their first win in 2 seasons in 2021, and Toronto having a change in leadership and only 9 returning players.

Head-Coaching Matchup 

For the Raiders, Michael Howard brings a wealth of experience to the Raiders, even with this being his first coaching appearance in MLQ. His coaching resume includes: Head Coach for Canadian National Team (2017-present ), Assistant Coach for Valhalla Quidditch (2017-19), and Head Coach for the University of Ottawa (2015-16). As an offensive oriented coach, it will be interesting to see how Howard prepares the Raiders for this season on the scoring side of the quaffle.  “We are going to see a different pace of play compared to Canadian quidditch,” says Howard. “The pace in the US game is much slower and methodical on the offensive side of the ball. We are looking to not rush possessions and establish a patient pace of play.” 

When asked what he thinks will be the most important facet of the game for the Raiders this weekend, Howard notes that managing the nerves and energy of a team who hasn’t played in two years will be key to their success. “I think the first 5 to10 minutes of the first game are going to be extremely important to maintain our composure,” he says. “The key difference maker will be our beating game. I have the utmost confidence in our quaffle players to get quality shots, it’ll just be the coordination of our beaters and quaffle players that can really turn the tide for us.” 

The Cleveland Riff will be featuring a new head coaching duo of Gabe Boris and Austin Howe. Boris will be spearheading the quaffle game and Howe will operate the beater system. After interviewing Boris, I learned about his unique sporting background. Prior to playing quidditch, Boris was a gymnast for eight years growing up, and was a diver for another four. These sports shaped his flexible and fluid quaffle style, as well as his dominant seeker presence. While this season is his first experience coaching at the MLQ level, Boris has a combined six years of quidditch experience with Miami University (OH), the Ohio Apollos, and the Cleveland Riff. He also was the seeker coach for two years at Miami University.

When questioned about the Riff’s style of play for their matchup with the Raiders, Boris said that he plans for the team to play with a more patient and measured system on both sides of the ball. The Riff are projected to be carrying a minimal roster for this series because of the logistics around acquiring the proper international documentation, and are looking to prevent this series from becoming a track meet. This expected slower style of play can also be attributed to how little they know about the current Toronto Raiders team. While the Riff know the tendencies of some individual players on the current roster, how the Raiders will attack the quaffle and bludger game will largely remain a mystery until they go head-to-head this Saturday.

Key Players to Watch

When asked which players Howard expects high production from this series, he highlights two key quaffle players: Jeremy Burrows-Balka and Joanne Lam. Burrows-Balka, a former University of Guelph veteran, will be playing both as a quaffle player and seeker. According to Howard, spectators can expect to see “a large number of goals, defensive stops, and a snitch catch,” from him in this series. We haven’t seen Burrows-Balka play in a game since 2019, but based on what we’ve seen from him as a first line chaser and quality seeker on Guelph, it’ll be great to see if he still brings the same tenacity and grit to the Raiders. Lam, who played for Valhalla Quidditch this past season, already has a few highlight plays in her short time playing on Canadian soil, and is quickly becoming known as someone who executes with speed and creativity in the open field. Howard hopes that Lam’s experience playing on Emerson and the Lost Boys many years back will bring  “a wealth of experience” that Toronto’s newest recruits can hopefully benefit from.

In the absence of Ben Strauss beating dominance, Austin Howe’s beater ability and coaching skills will be put to the test this weekend. The patient tempo that the Cleveland Riff expect to play with against Toronto will rely on the Riff’s beating core to create scoring opportunities and maintain defensive posture, which will immediately put Howe’s coaching experience to work. On the other side of the game, Carrie Brittson will need to have a great series. Brittson was featured in the North Division Roster Reaction, and for good reason. Coming off of their 1st MLQ season, Brittson contributed an impressive 5 goals and 2 assists. Boris explained that Brittson’s versatility, endurance, and confidence makes them an invaluable quaffle player for the Riff, both on and off the pitch. With the departure of senior chasers Harry Daniel, Matt Dwyer, and Nathan Severance from the Riff, Brittson will be expected to take on a heavier workload than last season. For this type of player, the sky's the limit and expect to see their abilities featured in the series against the Toronto Raiders.

X-Factor Player

Having not seen a game yet this season, it’s hard to know which player can provide surprise production on a quidditch roster. According to Howard, spectators should pay close attention to chaser/seeker Matthew Bunn. “[He] might not be renowned internationally, but he has played a large role in the Canadian quidditch scene,” says Howard. “He brings this relentless positive energy and drive on the field to do well. As he goes, the team goes, because he will bring that energy.”

Considering the slower style of play expected from the Cleveland Riff, goals are going to be much harder to come by than what we’ve seen in the Riff’s most recent history versus Toronto. If this series comes down to narrow score margins, Gabe Boris’s seeking prowess will be the deciding factor in the Riff’s success this weekend. Boris accounted for 1 of the 3 catches made by Cleveland last year, and his considerable experience at the position will make him a dangerous threat against any snitch. Another dynamic player to watch out for is chaser Melinda Staup. Boris explained that “in a lot of ways, Melinda is the heart of our team, always out there giving it her all.” The smaller Cleveland Riff roster will rely on players like Staup to feed off their energy as they look to maintain their endurance over a long, 3-game series.

Will the Raiders continue their dominance in the short history of this matchup? Will Cleveland build on the upward trajectory of their 2021 season? With the return of MLQ to Canada, all will be answered this weekend.

Prediction: 3-0 Raiders