Fast Takes with Fast Break: Detroit v Minneapolis

Author: Nivash Jayaram

PC: Major League Quadball

This weekend, the Detroit Innovators will gear up as they travel to Minneapolis to take on the Monarchs. There are a ton of headlines coming into this series. Everyone is awaiting the Monarch’s return to be an elite seeking team. All eyes will turn for a first look at Detroit’s deep beating core. People want to see what the veteran Monarch beating lines will look like after they brought back some players from the 2021 roster. College scouts are awaiting Julien Theuerkauf’s MLQ debut after a breakout rookie college season. It would be a mistake to miss this must-watch matchup. 

The Monarchs will attempt to defend their crown as they fight off the new technology heading their way. On the surface, this might seem like a flight in the park for Minneapolis. They’ve been the unquestioned rulers of the North since 2021, and this 2023 team picked up some major missing pieces from last season, boosting the chemistry for a team that’s been playing together for years. Detroit, on the other hand, has struggled over the past few years. They’ve never taken a game off Minneapolis since the Monarchs’ inaugural season in 2019, they are extremely young with most of the core of their roster being in college or having graduated last month, and they have to drive a grueling 11 hours (one of the three double digit hour drives across the league) to compete. I’m sure most people expect the Monarchs to fly away with this one 3-0.

But to pencil in this series so quickly would be a huge mistake. While everything above is true, that narrative misses a large part of the story. This Innovators team has been knocking on the Monarchs’ door for the past two seasons. In 2021, they only lost to the Monarchs by 5 in Game 2 and in 2022, they fell to the Monarchs by a flag catch in Game 3. This Monarchs team is strong, but it is also missing some big names from this series specifically. First, USNT chaser and Minneapolis assistant coach Emma Persons is missing from this roster. Persons is a key player on this Monarchs team, and missing the first series of the year is a tough loss for them. Beaters Gracie Johnson and Nicole Nelson are also notable absences from the roster, dependable beaters who normally handle the free and engage beater role for the team. Johnson usually starts for Minneapolis and she played big minutes last season for the team. Nelson, who also plays a lot of minutes, is often her sub. Losing two beaters in their first two lines is a huge hit for this Monarchs team, especially against a Detroit team whose strength lies in beating. 

Despite these absences and Detroit’s competitiveness the past couple of years, the Monarchs are expected to take care of business as usual. Detroit being the young team they are, will likely struggle in high-pressure situations. As a result, Minneapolis will likely try to push the pace of their offense. The experience of their chasers is certainly an advantage the Monarchs bring to the series. If these games become high-scoring affairs, the Monarchs should have no problem soaring away with their home opener. In their six games before North championships last season, Detroit only had one game where they hit 100 points. In fact, that was the only game they had other than the Cleveland series at North Championships, where they hit 100 points. While Detroit added some new scoring threats this season, Minneapolis should look to capitalize, increasing the pace of play and keeping the game high scoring. In addition, the new no reset rule will add a level of complexity to planning by forcing the Innovators to move faster if they can press up higher with their beaters. Whether Detroit can use their new offensive options to penetrate the deep chemistry the Monarchs have will be a deciding factor of this match.

While the game plan might seem relatively simple for the Monarchs, that’s not the case for Detroit. The Innovators will need to do what they can to make this a low scoring series. If Detroit could slow the pace of play down, patiently look for those advantageous matchups to get their scorers to the hoops, and stop Minneapolis’ elite seekers from getting the flag, they might have a chance to take this series. The Innovators will also need their deep beating core to feel comfortable taking exchanges. We’ve seen the prowess of Rei Brodeur and Ryan Hsu, but after a long awaited return to MLQ, Dustin Minnick is surely to be seen catching dodgeballs left and right, holding down the pace of game since the Monarchs’ veteran beaters will look to speed up the games and will throw often. Marissa Wier, coming off a thrilling year with Boom Train and Brooke Smiley, the former Tufts University star with a BosNY season under her belt, are also taking the pitch for the first time in a teal jersey, and they will most certainly be able to slow these Monarch beaters down. The Innovators beaters will need to hang with Monarchs by taking these exchanges and helping their chasers score on offense. We can expect big beats from Monarchs' Ben Schlueter, since to the unsuspecting player, his plays can quickly blow up an offense. Not to mention Head Coach Cody Narveson, the 2022 North MVP, will be returning to show these young beaters why he holds the crown. Another quality needed for a Detroit victory is patience and smart decision-making from a quite young chasing core, so coaches Kaegan Maddelein and David Wier will need to temper when needed to keep pace. One thing is certain- in both scenarios, whether that be Monarchs winning exchanges and speeding up the pace, or the Innovators beating core helping their chasers and slowing it down, expect bludgers to be flying around the pitch in an exciting beater showdown.

After missing MLQ Championships last season and being so close to taking a game in this series for the past two seasons, a lot of these Innovators feel ready to take on Minneapolis. These young players are hungry, and unlike the Monarchs it's for more than just nectar. Just check out what Innovators’ beater, Ryan Hsu, wrote in the photo to the right. The Innovators have been so close to taking a game off the Monarchs and this year might just be the time they can take one, or even two. Expect this series to be intense, with the Monarchs fighting to protect their throne and the Innovators’ young but motivated core to do anything they can to steal it. 

Ultimately, the Monarchs will come out on top due to their depth at all positions. The seeking game is heavily favoured their way, and the usefulness of having chasers with experience with each other is helpful. They’ll have to make sure not to slip up or let up in the beating game or the doors of opportunity can open themselves to the Innovators chasers’ and yield quick fastbreak scenarios and transitionary control moments for the beaters.

Prediction: Minneapolis Monarchs 2-1

PC: Major League Quadball