Fast Takes with Fast Break: North Championship- Detroit v Cleveland
Authors: Madeleine Fordham & Joseph Lombardi
PC: Major League Quadball
As we near the apex of the 2023 Major League Quadball season, two playoff spots remain up for grabs at the North Division Championship. The third place match-up between the I-90 and I-94 Conferences will feature the Cleveland Riff against the Detroit Innovators. In this win or go home scenario, the winner of this series will face the loser of the 2nd place bout between the Rochester Whiteout and the Minneapolis Monarchs, and continue to fight for the final playoff spot and a chance at the Benepe Cup.
Matchup History
This match-up will feel like déjà vu for MLQ fans, as these two teams met under the same circumstances last season. Both teams lie at the bottom of their respective conferences once again, with the only notable difference being that the Riff have earned one victory this season. If history repeats itself, this series will fall in favor of the Innovators. Last season, Detroit swept Cleveland in a tightly contested series with an average score differential of 70 points. The Innovators lead the match-up all-time with a record of 17-4 over the Riff, and the last time Cleveland beat Detroit was back in 2016. However, this series has added several new faces and play styles to its well-established history, and could make this one of the most enthralling match-ups of the year.
Series Rosters
Cleveland Riff fans will breathe a sigh of relief to see a replenished Riff squad return to action this weekend. In the beater game, the return of dynamic beaters Aaron Oehler, Rae Barnes, and Kyle Dawson will stabilize a severely depleted beater core, which managed to hold their own against a high-pressing Whiteout squad only two weeks ago. As mentioned in the previous Cleveland Fast Break article, Oehler’s 1.57 dodgeballs per possession average is the best among the team (for rostered players), and they’re the only Riff player with a non-negative +/- ratio. However, both Barnes and Dawson hold a 1.50 dodgeballs per possession average that cannot be overlooked. Sam Beeler and Lacey Hutchman are once again rostered after having a standout series against the Rochester Whiteout. Beeler particularly shined in the match-up, playing in 53 drives throughout the series, which was almost 20 more than any other player. And with a series-leading five stops on the weekend, the Riff will rely heavily on Beeler to contend with the superstar beater quality that the Detroit Innovators possess.
In the quadball game, the Cleveland Riff will present a similar look as they did against the Rochester Whiteout. The return of rookie breakout star Dominik Twarowski and the ever-constant threat of Carrie Cowden, will be welcomed in a quadball core that had mixed success in their last series. Twarowski brings a driving ability that was noticeably lacking against the Whiteout, and will provide a solid alternative look on offense. Cowden is an all-around threat, and brings physicality to a Riff squad that was also surprisingly scarce versus Rochester. For the Detroit match-up, star chasers Joseph Lombardi and Melinda Staup, and keeper Peter Brechting, are once again rostered. Lombardi is coming off an outstanding eight-goal performance against the Whiteout, and their continued offensive production is going to be vital against the high-scoring Innovators. Brechting led the way defensively against Rochester, leading the team with six defensive stops on the weekend. Their defensive prowess will be put to the test against a drive happy Detroit offense. Despite both having solid offensive performances, Lombardi and Brechting both had double-digit turnover numbers against the Whiteout, a trend that must change if the Riff hope to have any success against the Innovators. Staup had a notably quiet series against Rochester, having only two stops to their name despite hitting the game-winner to earn Cleveland their first win since 2021. However, Staup is hardly to blame for this stat line, as they didn’t see nearly enough of the ball for a player of their quality. Expect Staup to be a stat sheet stuffer this series and lead the Riff offensive line against the Detroit Innovators.
The Innovators are always an exciting team to watch at North Division Championships because of their reliance on talented rookies and young players. The next generation of top-tier beaters can always be spotted in teal in August. Last year it was the breakout beater pair of Ryan Hsu and Rei Brodeur. The two of them were relatively unknown until they tore up the pitch last season against the Riff and the Raiders, and the pair will certainly look to replicate their success. Unlike last season, the star pair is surrounded by more than just three beaters. The Innovators started Marissa Wier and Ryan Swanson over Hsu and Brodeur against Chicago. Wier is coming off a stellar USQ season with Boom Train and playing in her first ever North Division Championship this weekend. Swanson, on the other hand, is a lesser-known rookie, but don’t let that fool you; he’ll be looking to make a splash this weekend. Another rookie joining Swanson is Brooke Smiley, a far more well-known player after her successful USQ final four run with Tufts back in 2021. Smiley will certainly have an impact in Indiana, and has already played a key role in the beater rotation this season. Expect this beater core to rely on both its stars and rookies to dominate dodgeball control.
The chaser game is where more questions lay for the Innovators. Last year in South Bend, Detroit had trouble scoring despite their beater dominance. In their eleven games last season, the chasers only hit above 100 points four times. It just so happens that three of those games were against Cleveland. Just like the beaters, expect to see breakout chaser rookies from Detroit hit the field. All eyes were turned to see this year’s breakout rookie Julien Theuerkauf make his MLQ debut, but an injury has kept him off the roster for North Division Championships. Despite his absence, Detroit still has a lot of young talented chasers who will have big weekends. There are a handful of second and third year college players looking to make an impact. Gwen Pratt has always played a large role for the team, and they are returning to South Bend to follow up their success from last season. Luc Marklin, who has played a much larger part on the team this season, is coming off a Derek Parker flag catch against Chicago. While these two certainly had their roles increase this year, no player has taken as big of a step as Ethan Wanous. Wanous was a third or even fourth line chaser for Detroit in previous seasons who has turned into a consistent and reliable starter. He leads the team in stops, and is tied for one of the team’s leading scorers. Like last year, expect some youngsters in teal to have an impact in South Bend, and some players you might never heard of to be the highlight of MLQ replay on Tuesday.
Players to Watch For
The first player to watch out for from the Cleveland Riff is Rae Barnes. While the Riff’s beater statline shows Barnes having a relatively average season in comparison to their teammates, it’s the non-statistical aspects of the game that Barnes excels at. Barnes has deadly accuracy and arm strength from all ranges, intelligent positioning, and vocal communication. However, their greatest ability is their physicality. Barnes can and will tackle players of all sizes to defend the quadball, earn dodgeball control, and often to simply distract aggressive beater lines. If the Riff aim to play even against the Innovators beater core, Barnes will need to shine in a lead beater role. Barnes is highly underrated in the MLQ scene, and this series will be the perfect opportunity for them to stand out against Innovator’s beaters with international pedigree.
The X-factor player for the Cleveland Riff against the Detroit Innovators is going to be Melinda Staup. Staup can play all aspects of the game at the highest level—scoring, driving, passing, defending, and tackling. As well, they hold veteran experience and leadership that can often drive the mentality of the Cleveland squad. Despite this, Staup was sorely undervalued against the Whiteout after their return from a pre-season hand injury. In order to succeed against Detroit, the Riff need to make more use of not only Staup, but all of their wing chasers.
On the Innovators-side, all eyes will turn to the rookie chasers that need to fill the holes of Detroit’s leading scorers. Neither Theuerkauf, Detroit’s leading scorer against Minneapolis, nor Jack Levy, Detroit’s leading scorer against Chicago, are on the active roster for the first game against Cleveland. Detroit will need players to step up and fill this hole. One player to watch out for is number three in teal, Lyndsey Smeyers. Most people haven’t heard of Smeyers since they play for an unofficial GVSU team during the college season, but they could be a household name after this weeknd. It’s tough on a rookie to stand out when their first and only regular season games are against the best two teams in the division, but this weekend is where things can change. They have been playing big minutes for the Innovators this season and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a breakout weekend in Indiana.
Another rookie chaser that stands out on this roster is Nicholas Love. The University of Michigan chaser is coming off his rookie season after playing a big role in their USQ final four run at nationals this past season. After missing the first series against the Monarchs, Love is back in action after a stellar series against the Prowl, where he led the team in the stops and was second in goals for the season. Putting up numbers like this as a rookie against arguably the greatest team to ever come out of the North division is no easy task. Look for Love to play a big role for the Innovators in this series.
Series Decider
In this tightly-contested affair, the winner of the series will be determined by two aspects; the Innovator’s beater game and the Riff’s defensive identity. In the dodgeball game, the Innovators have all of the star quality to take charge against the Riff. Leading in the dodgeball game will enable the Innovators to play their desired drive-heavy offensive style. However, the Riff are coming off a match-up where they had adapted to defending against a driving style with less bludgers. As they situated into a triangle-and-one defense, they were able to limit the top scoring threats of the Whiteout, particularly in Game 2 of the series. Now with multiple defensive formations at their disposal, Cleveland will have the option to shift formations based on dodgeball control. Whether or not the Innovators manage to break through the improved Riff defense with their dodgeball dominance, will determine who comes out victorious in this knockout series.
Conclusion
On paper, this series looks as even as it gets. The Detroit Innovators appear to have an edge in the beater game, but the Cleveland Riff seem to have the lead in the quadball game. If the Riff manage to hang around in the beater game, expect Cleveland to come away with their first series win since 2016. If the Innovators have their way in the offensive half, anticipate Detroit running away with the series. This battle shows all signs of being a nailbiter, so tune in this Saturday as the Cleveland Riff take on the Detroit Innovators for a chance at the Benepe Cup.
Best Case Scenario
For Cleveland, winning this series is the necessary step they need. After taking a game off Rochester when the Riff had a short roster, a replenished Riff would be in prime position to beat a short-rostered Whiteout if they were to meet them on day two. A MLQ championship bid is very much on the table for Cleveland if they can get past the Innovators.
For Detroit, the best case scenario is the exact same. They need to get past Cleveland, and if they do so, they will play a short-handed Whiteout. A win over a fully rostered Riff, means the Innovators should be able to handle Rochester with only two beaters on the roster on Sunday.
Lombardi Day 1 Prediction: 2-1 Cleveland
Fordham Day 1 Prediction: 2-1 Detroit
Lombardi Day 2 Prediction: 2-1 Cleveland over Rochester
Fordham Day 2 Prediction: 3-0 Detroit over Rochester
