Forge Sweeps Admirals 3-0 in an Increasingly Difficult Series
By: Isabel Roseth
An old adage claims that loose lips sink ships, but following Boston’s 3-0 series win over the Washington Admirals on Saturday, one might add: So does the Boston Forge. While D.C. didn't go down without a fight, they ultimately faltered against Forge’s well-oiled machinery. The series, which took place in Boston at 6 p.m. on Saturday, showcased both Washington’s ability to adapt and Forge’s increasing proficiency on the pitch. The series was officiated by Head Referee Toby March, with Taylor Crawford as flag runner.
The first game was by far the roughest for the Admirals, who came out of it losing 205-70. Boston dominated in both the chaser and the beater game, but unlike past matches, that success cannot be attributed to only a handful of players. Passing around Washington’s defense and strategically waiting for openings allowed the Forge chasers to consistently score, and when on defense, the team stayed in sync with one another, allowing their chasers and beaters to work together to effectively end Washington’s offenses. In one seamless exchange, Peter Lawrence (BOS)’s characteristic physicality stopped a Washington chaser’s attempt to drive, and a beat from Leeanne Dillman (BOS) ended the possession.
Washington’s beater corps had a few shining stars, but their pairs struggled to compete against any duo from Boston. Assistant coach Adrian Koretsky (WAS), who in June set the Major League Quadball record for the highest plus/minus in a single series, was a notable threat, but Admirals lacked a pair as strong as those from Forge. Max Havlin and Lulu Xu (BOS), both on the most recent iteration of the US National Team’s standing roster, played a familiar game and dominated the pitch. No matter the beater pair, Boston’s consistently ended many attempts by the Admirals to score.
Good pressure from chaser Zan Siddiqui (WAS), a current student at the University of Virginia, whose team recently made it to the semifinals at the US Quadball Cup collegiate level, caused Boston’s offense to falter slightly, and Shane McConaghie (WAS) made a fast break attempt. However, their goal attempt was foiled by chaser Emily Hickmott (BOS), who then received a yellow card for reckless play. After the penalty, the quadball was given back to Siddiqui, who proceeded to score. However, Hickmott made up for lost time with a goal shortly after, and continued to score throughout the series.
Forge put out a line of newer chasers before the 20 minute mark, featuring Ethan Dillon, Sam Magner, Andrew Steinberg and Luiza Nicolae (BOS), all of whom are either in or freshly emerging from the collegiate level. In one play, Dillon made a longshot pass over the hoops and the hands of Washington’s defense that Steinberg then caught, and a shot at a hoop earned Boston a goal. Magner made an assist to Dillon for another point shortly after.
On defense, chaser Liz Stone (WAS) put the pressure on Forge up top. They made a hit on Sena Morimoto (BOS), although Morimoto still managed to score. Morimoto, who made his Boston debut on Saturday, graduated from Creighton University in 2022, when the Creighton team advanced to the USQ collegiate finals.
At the 20 minute mark, Boston was ahead 140-40, and a quick catch by William Richardson (BOS) brought the score to 175-40. While the flag runner was on the pitch, Koretsky cleared paths to hoops for Washington’s chasers, but Forge took advantage of any fumbles made by the Admirals to prevent them from scoring.
As Boston strived to rack up the last few points needed to win the game, Washington began to slow their opponents down by shutting down more and more of their offenses, but attempts to break through Boston’s defense by players such as keeper John Sheridan (WAS) only earned three more goals for the Admirals before Forge scored the game point.
After rallying at the end of the first game, the Admirals continued to do so in the second but lost 175-60. While the score differential was still sizable, both teams’ strategies resembled those of a much closer competition. D.C.’s newfound aggression forced Forge to adapt in turn. Washington coordinated their defense well to prevent Boston from quickly racking up points, but good, consistent ball movement between Boston chasers helped Forge break through the Admirals’ defense. Athena Mayor (BOS), who was also rostered by the USNT, started to fast break and then passed to Carsen Olazaba (BOS) mid-tackle, leading to a score. However, the Admirals refused to crumble under Boston’s offensive pressure; chaser Bryan Mulcahy and keeper Riley Starrs (WAS) blocked shot attempts by Forge chasers, and the defense as a whole continued to put the breaks on Boston’s drive to win.
Forge continued to put their younger chasers on the pitch, and while they struggled on defense, they worked together to earn a few more goals for Boston. Magner played a strong shift, both scoring and ending a Washington offense by falling on and protecting the quadball. On a high-flung throwback, chaser Zach Doyle (BOS) leaped into the air and hit the dodgeball towards his team’s beaters in a legal swat, and while Doyle was subsequently called beat, the move allowed Forge to win control.
When the last possession of the first 20 minutes ended, the score was 110-50 in favor of Boston. Stephen Trempel (BOS) defensively sought against the Admirals’ seeker Siddiqui until Forge’s beaters could send him back to hoops and allow Trempel a one-on-one look at the flag runner. While the flag runner was on the pitch, Washington’s beaters played hard, but their chasers began to lose their scrappiness. The game as a whole grew increasingly physical, including a number of chaser pile-ups at hoops, and overall, the Admirals slowed Boston’s scoring during the seeker floor. The game’s physicality led to Stone (WAS) taking a hard hit and an injury sub, and Stone did not re-enter the pitch following the injury.
Trempel eventually caught, bringing the score to 165-50 — Forge’s next goal, if scored, would be the game point. Washington beat out Morimoto to prevent him from scoring, but shortly after, Ian Scura (BOS) made the game’s final goal. This move won the series for Forge, but one game remained, giving the Admirals one last shot at bringing the heat and taking down Forge.
While the Admirals lost the third and final matchup, the score was notably closer. Boston won 155-100, and because they caught, Forge beat D.C. by only two goals. Washington scored first, and their high-press defense kept Boston’s offense at bay. For the first few minutes, the Admirals were ahead 2-1, but Boston took the lead around the eight minute mark.
Forge stayed in the lead for the remainder of the game, though the Admirals kept it close. Boston’s first line was wavering, but their second line entered the pitch reinvigorated. Chasers Scura and Emily Frollo (BOS) contributed to the high energy that allowed Boston to forge further ahead, but the entire line maintained good coordination and communication. Beater David Littleton (WAS) caught the dodgeball in a battle with Forge’s beaters, and the Admirals passed around the defense to score.
Once the whistle blew to signify the 20-minute mark, the score was 90-40 in favor of Forge. Both teams’ playing appeared sloppier than the previous two games, but Washington continued to score while the flag runner was on. Trempel’s first catch was ruled no good, while the rest of the game delved into what can only be described as chaos. Offenses and defenses were less defined and rougher than before, and dodgeballs were going wild.
Washington stayed close behind Boston. If Forge scored, the Admirals would follow up with a goal shortly after, not allowing Forge to stay more than two points ahead. After a ten minute seeker floor, Trempel caught, and Forge officially took the third and final game in the series. Boston’s players, however, appeared to be in lower spirits after their third win than they were following the first two.
With three more wins under their belt, Boston is one step closer to clinching second place in the East Division and a bye into the quarter finals if they beat Ottawa on Aug. 3, their first game not on their home turf. Meanwhile, Washington must bring their all at the championship to play-in to quarter finals. MLQ Championships will take place in Howard County, Maryland, from Aug. 17 to Aug. 19.
