Fast Takes with Fast Break: North Super Series - Cleveland

Author: Joseph Lombardi

PC: MLQ

Nearing the endpoint of the 2024 Major League Quadball season, only three playoff spots remain up for grabs in the North Division. Three teams are competing in the first SuperSeries in the North Division since 2019: the Cleveland Riff, the Minneapolis Monarchs, and the Detroit Innovators. Each team comes into this contest with a different mentality. Cleveland enters this SuperSeries on a must-win basis, having already started the season 0-6. While there are several scenarios that can play out in the remainder of the season, the Riff will need to win a minimum of two games to have any chance of qualifying for the Benepe Cup. Minneapolis comes into the series on an awkward footing. Having been swept in their only series played so far this season (versus the expected division favorites, the Chicago Prowl), the Monarchs will be thrown into another difficult matchup against the Innovators, as well as a battle against the Riff. Minneapolis will aim to regain their form and build momentum pushing into the latter part of the season. Detroit hops into this SuperSeries on a new high. Having never posted a winning record in Major League Quadball, this season’s dark horse will test their mettle against the perennial playoff contender, the Minneapolis Monarchs, and their North Division rival, the Cleveland Riff. In the SuperSeries, the Innovators will look to fully establish their new found prowess in the North Division, particularly against the Monarchs. The Minneapolis Monarchs versus the Detroit Innovators series will be a pivotal one in the division with the winner of the series likely placing second in the North Division.

Matchup History

Similar to their last series against the Prowl, the Riff will be facing the Monarchs for the first time in 3 years, after the dissolution of the I-90 and I-94 conferences in the North Division. In their last series matchup back in 2021, Cleveland landed a surprise victory against Minneapolis in what ended up being a decisive 2-1 series win for the Monarchs. Will the Cleveland Riff be able to repeat history against the Minneapolis Monarchs this time around?

In the 2nd matchup of the SuperSeries, the Cleveland Riff will face off against the Detroit Innovators. Last season, the two teams met in the third place matchup of the North Division Championship. In the most competitive series of the weekend, both teams earned a win before the Innovators secured the series victory on a dramatic next-goal-wins scenario. Since 2021, this series has been a highly contested one, with an average point difference in the matchup of only 45 points in favor of Detroit. Can this year’s Cleveland Riff hang with the revamped Detroit Innovators?

SuperSeries Rosters

For both matchups in the SuperSeries, the Cleveland Riff will be touting the same roster. In the beater game, Riff fans will breathe a sigh of relief to see the return of key beaters Rae Barnes, Rob Beaton, Aaron Oehler, and Claire Shuey. Barnes and Beaton will restore some consistency to a beater corps that had more downs-than-ups in their last series against the Chicago Prowl. The dynamic duo led all beater pairs with -4 +/- in the dodgeball game against the Toronto Raiders earlier in the season, and they will be called upon once again to keep the beater battle contested in the SuperSeries. The workhorse pair of Oehler and Shuey will continue to earn the lion’s share of playtime. The two played nearly half of Cleveland’s total drives against Toronto, and will be expected to do so again in the SuperSeries. Continuing to feature in the dodgeball game is the Riff’s surprising star beater, Pete Brechting. After joining the beater corps this season, Brechting has been a standout in the league, featuring in the top-10 for dodgeball stops per game. Brechting has been the key to the Riff’s dodgeball success this season and they will need to have a huge impact for Cleveland to earn a win in this SuperSeries. After a brief hiatus from the beater position, Lacey Hutchman returned to the black headband in a prominent way against the Chicago Prowl. Tying for the series lead in drives played, Hutchman led the team in average dodgeballs possessed and was on the field for 6 of the team’s 9 goals on the weekend. Hutchman’s beater intelligence and positioning were critical in creating opportunities for the Quadball game, and they will be relied on again at the SuperSeries.

The Cleveland Riff will feature a relatively unchanged chasing corps for the SuperSeries. Rookie sensation Adam Thompson returns to the lineup coming off a solid outing against the Prowl. Leading the team in Quadball stops on the season, Thompson has already shown their development in positioning and Quadball IQ. Also featuring as the team’s second best scorer and second best assister, their versatility makes them a difficult matchup for any player in the league. Leading scorer Joseph Lombardi continues to feature in the Quadball game. Lombardi has played a vital role in Cleveland’s offensive scoring success, scoring nearly a third of the team's goals this season. As one of the team’s best ball handlers, they will need to limit their turnovers in the SuperSeries, as they currently lead the Riff in turnovers on the season. Fiona Gaffney maintains their role on Cleveland’s top Quadball line entering the SuperSeries. Gaffney’s passing and vision has paired well with Lombardi’s scoring on the top line, as Gaffney leads the team in assists on the season. Expect to see Gaffney break their goal drought in the SuperSeries. Perhaps one of the most anticipated debuts for the Cleveland Riff this season, Evalien Duyvesteyn will finally start in the SuperSeries lineup. After missing out in the Chicago series due to injury, Duyvesteyn will plug a major gap in the Riff’s offensive game; a confident, at-hoop scorer. Duyvesteyn exhibits intelligent off-ball chaser positioning and timing, giving Cleveland another sturdy option on offense. Despite a smaller stature, they have remarkable tackling form and strength, making them a valuable asset on the defensive end. Expect Duyvesteyn to stand out this SuperSeries. Jack Moseley will return to the white headband this SuperSeries after a stint in black against Prowl. Moseley will provide more stability and relief at the ball handling role, which had a rough outing against Chicago. Moseley will look to use their vision and experience to capitalize on individual player matchups for both himself and his teammates.

Players to Watch For

While many of the names mentioned in the previous two articles can be repeated as ‘Players to Watch For’ in the SuperSeries, these three individuals will play crucial roles: Jack Moseley, Evalien Duyvesteyn, and Joseph Lombardi. Only receiving Quadball minutes in the Toronto Raiders series, Moseley was thrust into a lead beater role against the Chicago Prowl, tying for the team-lead in drives played. They will look to hit the ground running as they return to the Quadball game. Moseley has the proven track record and ability to be a big difference maker on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they have the vision to be an elite playmaker and shooter. Defensively, they combine smart positioning and tackling form to lock down the league's largest offensive threats. Moseley will need to come up big in the SuperSeries to give the Riff a real shot at winning at the SuperSeries. As mentioned previously, Evalien Duyvesteyn can be an absolute stud for the Cleveland Riff. They have all of the assets and traits to become a real talent in the sport. Compared to their first 2 seasons of Major League Quadball, they will be expected to play significantly more minutes in the SuperSeries than they have previously with the Rochester Whiteout. If they can handle the heavy workload, Duyvesteyn will feature heavily throughout the SuperSeries. As said earlier, Lombardi is the main scoring threat that the Cleveland Riff has to offer. Compared to the USQ season, they have notably struggled at shooting from range this MLQ season, something that has limited their offensive effectiveness greatly. To improve on their offense, Lombardi must improve their positioning and confidence to provide the spark the Cleveland Riff need to win in the SuperSeries.

Concluding Statement

Against both the Minneapolis Monarchs and the Detroit Innovators, it would be unexpected if either matchup went in favor of the Cleveland Riff. The Monarchs boast an experienced, well-rounded team. Players are competent at all positions and should generally handle a younger, more inexperienced Cleveland team. The Innovators possess a dominant beater corps, one that gave the Riff serious problems last year. With the additions of stars and depth in the Quadball game, the team has improved all-around and should be able to go toe-to-toe with even the best teams in the league. At the end of the day, expect both the Minneapolis Monarchs and Detroit Innovators to come up with series sweeps over the Cleveland Riff.

SuperSeries Prediction

Minneapolis 3 - 0 Cleveland

Detroit 3 - 0 Cleveland