MQC Madness: Rounds 5-8
2021 MQC Fantasy Draft
Featuring: Andrew Steinberg, Grant Hillyer, Tess Kowalski, Jack Moseley, Mary Scott, Peter Lawrence and Brooke Smiley
Editors: Fiona Wisehart and Christian Barnes
The MQC Fantasy draft is being run in three separate sessions, beginning with the first session on March 30, 2020. All players who would have been rostered during the 2020-2021 season are eligible to be drafted. There are six GM’s, each tasked with building the best team possible over fourteen rounds.
Current Draft Board
Team Steinberg:
After rounds 5-8, my team is like a rose bush. On offense, we are a thing of beauty. On defense, we are a thing of thorns. James, Madi, Shayla, and I are some of MQC’s most punishing quaffle players on both ends. Combined with Henry Baer-Benson (HBB), I believe I have the best defensive lineup of any team. Even if we have no bludgers on defense, scoring on us will be difficult. All of the players I took in rounds 5-8 had the talent to go in the first four. By pairing myself with Shayla Ashley, my team has two of the five MQC players who were on an MLQ roster last summer. After Daniel Gottesman and Brooke Smiley, Justin Voelker is an extremely wise beater who is a great start to a second beating line. Top to bottom, my team has the versatility and talent to wear down others. With HBB seeking, time will never be on my opponent’s side.
James Devaney is the best point defender in MQC. He can tackle the most explosive players in the open field. However, he rarely has to do so because his immaculate positioning deters opponents from even trying to drive. On the offensive end, James is known as Mr. Transition. In a 2020 match against Tufts, he consistently blew by multiple defenders on coast-to-coast drives. James is also slippery in the halfcourt. Seriously, watch him get past three Tufts defenders for a dunk after catching the quaffle with his back to the hoops. After the first four rounds of the draft, people were shocked James was still available.. He is the Kawhi Leonard of MQC (and a chaser of the year nominee). Playing against his relentless style is both physically and mentally exhausting. This begs the question - if you’re not getting past James (the best perimeter defender in the league) and you’re not shooting on Henry Baer-Benson (one of the best shot blocking keepers in the league), how is the quaffle going through the hoops?
If you play against Madi Long, you better bring extra ice packs. She is the definition of a downhill player, with the powerful ability to drive through multiple defenders. How many players can be on the ground, get up, and drive through three defenders from a standing-ish start (put this clip to music!)? Not many. Her off-ball positioning is also amazing, making her the complete package on offense. Madi also isn’t afraid to stick someone up on the point or the wings. There are few players who are as dominant as Madi is at every facet of the game. My only explanation for why she fell to the sixth round is that she didn’t travel with UVM in the spring. This means that her tape is over a year old, which also means she is even stronger/faster than when we last saw her. HBB, Shayla, James, and Madi on defense? It’s getting unfair.
Let’s get some love for my Brown University captain: Justin Voelker! After going with two quaffle players in rounds 5 and 6, I wanted to take the best beater available. Although he might not be well known, Justin has the highest quidditch IQ of anyone I’ve met in the college game. He knows when and how to cause no bludger situations, which will allow chasers like James Devaney to run wild. He is confident leading an offense with one bludger, utilizing immunity to keep the quaffle moving. Justin always plays with confidence, which is great when you’re ahead and essential when you are behind. He knows the value of control and maximizes the chance we have it come snitch-release (giving HBB as much time as he needs). Justin is a Day 1 talent that fell to Day 2. Most teams would love to have him on their first line. I have him on my second.
Lastly: me (Andrew Steinberg). This pick goes beyond “I want to play for this team,” although it’s certainly part of it. Similar to James, I offer an explosive driving ability that can put the quaffle through the hoop at any angle. I can make the right pass as a ball carrier and play a dynamic off-ball game with hard screens and constant movement, tiring out my opponents. On defense, I can tackle any driver in the open field. Even if I don’t, I can stay with the best, buying time for a beat. Getting an MLQ-rostered chaser at the end of the eighth round is good value. I particularly look forward to working with Justin, who I have ball-carried behind the last two years. Above all, I will be hungry knowing that 47 players were drafted before me. That extra motivation will propel me to be more physical and hype up my teammates come game time.
(Left to Right) James Devaney-Junior-Harvard-Philosophy, Madi Long-Senior-UVM-Animal Science, Justin Voelker-Senior-Brown-Math and Mathematical Physics, Andrew Steinberg-Junior-Brown-International and Public Affairs
Team Kowalski:
I chose Donavon Brady as my first pick this week to begin putting together a dominant chaser lineup. I also wanted to pick Donavon because he is a huge value pick in the fifth round and easily could have been drafted last week. I was shocked that he had not already been taken. I am confident in the beating pair which I have drafted thus far, but I am also aware that my beating duo provides less raw physicality than other beating pairs drafted. Donavon Brady is an extremely athletic and fast player who can make game-saving tackles on defense as well as a talented driver and scorer on offense . Chasers such as Donavon Brady provide that important aspect of physicality that I need in my first line.
My 6th pick was Dawson McNamara-Bloom, who is a phenomenal teammate that I have been able to play with for 4 years now. I drafted Dawson to finish out my chaser line because just like Donavon Brady, Dawson Mcmara-Bloom is a player with lots of strength and physicality that can really create lots of open space on offense. Dawson is also a great leader and communicator which is a quality that will work well with the younger players I have drafted such as Katrina Mason and Leo Fried. One of Dawson’s best qualities as a player is his ability to make accurate longer shots and passes to teammates cutting around the hoops. The chaser line I have drafted will really excel when it comes to physical defensive plays (which Dawson and Donavon especially will excel in), strong quaffle passing, and communication.
Adrian Koretsky is a player I knew I wanted to draft from the very beginning. While they are a younger player who has sadly not gotten to play this year, they have impressed me every practice. Adrian is an exceptional smart and assertive beater with a wicked strong arm and a good understanding of field positioning. In addition to Adrian’s beating skills, they are also a strong seeker and even chaser when needed. As a seeker, Adrian excels due to their endurance and speed. Adrian leaves it all out on the field when they play and I wanted to draft a valuable utility player who is confident in their multiple roles and knows how to best support any team they are on. I think Adrian is a really unique pick because of their level of talent in three separate positions. Their versatility on the field provides many different first and second line options as well as an extremely strong seeker rotation between them and Leo Fried.
I picked Sabrina Sladich because I know she will provide great leadership and communication to the second line I will be drafting. Sabrina is a confident player who can successfully take the quaffle and run across the field to shoot by herself as keeper. She also is a great wing chaser who makes smart cuts and passes on offense. Her height and athleticism make her a strong defender who isn't afraid to be physical and block goal attempts. I have also been impressed with her confidence as a player, and her capability to lead plays on any line she’s in.
(Left to Right) Donovan Brady-Senior-Tufts (photo via Isabella Gong), Dawson McNamara-Bloom - Senior-Brandeis-Politics (photo via Zach Katz), Adrian Koretsky-Sophomore-Brandeis-Physics, Sabrina Sladich-Sophomore-BU-Film+TV
Team Hillyer:
My 5th round pick was Kit Powpour, a nominee for MQC Seeker of the Year in the 2019-2020 season. Kit is an excellent offensive seeker with an arsenal of different moves, as well as a great defensive seeker who has the stamina to stay on the field defending to keep his team in a game. At last year’s Northeast regionals, Kit defensive sought for 20 minutes before turning around to catch twice in two minutes to win the game between Boston University and RIT. He is also a very speedy and shifty chaser who can break tackles and use his speed to create offense. Pairing Kit with a strong chasing and beating line will allow him to fully showcase his talents and end games very quickly.
After that, I took Angela Song. Angela made the MQC All Rookie Team and was nominated as MQC’s Rookie of the Year. She is a very smart player who switches between playing free and engage beater, and is equally active at both spots. Without a bludger, she moves around a lot trying to make plays and often creates disruptions on the field for opposing beaters. Playing at engage beater, Angela is aggressive and pressures opposing players very effectively. On my team, I’ll be able to pair her with her primary beating partner from USQ, adding chemistry to her skillset and uniting the MQC Beater Pair of the Year nominees. Having her and her partner Nojus Ausra play together will create a very aggressive and field-smart pairing.
In the 7th round, I grabbed another beater with Boston University’s Meg Romine. A 2020 Boston Forge Practice Squad player, Meg is another beater who swaps between playing the engage and free positions. Their biggest strength, beyond their ability to communicate on the field, is their ability to take beater battles and win consistently. Having Meg play with Nojus or Angela will mean it will bring fierce opposition to all beater battles. Meg is also very active without a bludger in their hands, and is very good at creating chaos for opponents and stealing bludgers back. They have very good field vision and game-IQ, allowing them to be in the correct position throughout games.
I ended this round of drafting by taking Sierra Delk, a keeper and chaser out of Emerson. Sierra has a variety of skills, and has shown the ability to handle the ball as a ball carrier and wing chaser. She knows how to cut to get open for goals and has shown a strong propensity for reading the field correctly to set herself up in the right places for receiving passes that turn into goals. Sierra is also very good at setting her teammates up for success on top of being a great cutter in her own right. Playing alongside Xander, Leanna, Ellie, and Kit, Sierra will be a key part of an offense that should rely heavily on passing and cutting.
(Left to Right) Kit Powpour-Senior-BU-Engineering, Angela Song-Sophomore-BU-International Relations, Meg Romine-Junior-BU-Film+TV, Sierra Delk-Junior-Emerson-Publishing
Team Moseley:
Two thirds through the draft I think I have a really solid team, and the analysts on the livestreams agree. My team was described by Tessa Mullins as “the most compelling team” and Carsen Olazaba is on the record saying “I think Jack’s team kinda has it”. With an elite beating core and several of the best quaffle players in the draft, my team is shaping up to be an all star roster.
Francisco Matos Jr. (aka “Frank the Tank”) is an absolute beast. A nominee for MQC’s chaser of the year award last season, Matos brings a physicality to the quaffle game matched by only a couple players in our conference. Matos has a very unique defensive skillset. Although he doesn’t have the height of a typical keeper, Harvard primarily used him at the hoops in their 2-2 zone last season, a role he thrived in. Matos has the instincts and hops to turn the hoops into a no-fly zone, and the physicality to blitz quafflers behind the hoops. The man is a brick wall. Offensively Matos’ greatest strength is his devastating drives. None were more devastating than this one against RPI at regionals 2019, he drove through four defenders like a 1000 degree knife through butter to seal a crucial win. In addition to his driving, Matos also excels as a passer and an offball cutter.
Danny Green makes up the second half of my starting beater line. Nobody is a bigger fan of this pick than his new beater partner Tessa Mullins: “Danny is a hold down the fort kind of player while I’m very chaotic and mobile, that dynamic would be really interesting to play with.” My thoughts exactly! Danny is perhaps the most physically dominant beater in the MQC, basically immune to contact from other beaters. Take this play for example, Michael Chenevey is an all star and he doesn’t even think about fighting for the bludger once Danny gets it back. Very few collegiate beaters can lock down the middle of the field like Danny. Green’s greatest strength is his cannon arm, allowing him to beat anybody who enters his range without having to sprint all around the field. Don’t be mistaken though, when Tessa wants to press and blow up the other team’s play Danny will be right there with her wreaking havoc (volume up on the last one, Danny’s commanding voice is impossible to miss). Having an exceptional, high IQ beater for snitch-on-pitch also greatly increases my teams chances of winning close games.
I decided to double down on the chaser position this session with Jacob Lintner. Lintner is the quintessential “do everything” player on offense. His offensive game starts with strong finishing around the hoops. He can take the quaffle all the way to the rack himself or uncork a shot while driving. Litner is constantly moving while offball and frequently scores off passes from his teammates. He’s also a willing passer who keeps the ball moving. Even when he’s not making highlight reel plays, he still does all the little things it takes for a team to win. Defensively Lintner is a big hitter (Katrina was ok after this) and an opportunist who can turn turnovers into easy buckets.
Marissa Rizzi flew under the radar because she plays for one of the smaller programs in the MQC, but she’s an excellent beater and a terrific value pick in the 8th round. A captain for UMass, Rizzi’s greatest strengths are her ability to catch beats and take on pressure from opposing beaters. She’s skilled at dueling other beaters and plays with a high IQ to elevate the play of her beater partner. In the quaffle game, Rizzi is great on defense at beating any quafflers that enter the keeper zone. She can also make big plays on offense, clearing lanes for her teammates. Rizzi was only a sophomore the last time we saw her, I’m willing to bet the next time we see her she’ll be even better and I’m thrilled to have her on my team.
(Left to Right) Fracisco Matos Jr.-Post Graduate-Harvard, Danny Green-Junior-RPI-Biomedical Engineering, Jacob Lintner-Senior-BU-Communications, Marissa Rizzi-Junior-UMass Amherst-Chemistry/Food Science
Team Scawrence:
These past four rounds we continued creating the most dominating, physical lineup in the entire draft, and who knows we might even run a 2-2 zone with some of the longest wingspans in the game! Our goal this weekend was to finalize our starting line and set our team up for success with depth in key areas. Also of note, we plan on running a 3-3 gender split in both our first and second lines.
How Jack Moseley made it this far in the draft without being picked we don’t know, but we are exceptionally happy to have him be part of our team. Jack is a defensive wall, making stops all over the field, but also able to position himself well to intercept passes when he’s playing off-ball defense. Jack can drive and shoot on the hoops like the best of them, but also isn’t selfish; he led RPI in assists in Spring 2020. Jack is also one of RPI’s top seekers, and the possibility of having Peter and him switching off seeking should have the other GMs shaking in their boots.
We went back to RPI for the second beater for our starting line, which is no surprise given some of the fantastic beaters the program has produced in the past, like Fiona Wisehart and Mario Nasta, and Kat Stochel's no different. Kat’s soccer background gives her the ability to close the distance between herself and others and move around the pitch with ease. Kat does a fantastic job of switching between playing as a free and engaged beater, stopping drives on the hoops, and creating quaffle turnovers allowing for fast break goals!
We got Grant Hillyer before he could get himself! No, but seriously it’s an extreme value pick to get BU’s starting beater in the 7th round. Grant does a fantastic job of switching between playing as a free and engaged beater, protecting the hoops, and winning beater battles. Grant also has excellent speed on the pitch, recovering bludgers, closing distances, and dominating snitch-on-pitch. Like the Peter/Jack duo, Grant and Carsen beating together during snitch on pitch is something to get excited about!
Felix Bulwa is the other end of the spectrum from CJ when it comes to keeper styles. This flexibility will allow us to adapt to specific in-game matchups and situations. At hoops, Felix is a fantastic shot blocker and was a crucial part of Harvard's 2-2 zone that bamboozled MQC. On offense, Felix is comfortable taking shots from all over the pitch and getting the quaffle to his teammates. He’s also crazy fast which is ideal for the fast breaks our team will be generating.
(Left to Right) Jack Moseley-Senior-RPI-Computer & Systems Engineering, Kat Stochel-Junior-RPI-Mechanical Engineering, Grant Hillyer-Senior-BU-Political Science, Felix Bulwa-Junior-Harvard-Social Studies
Team Smiley:
We are done with night two of the draft and I like the way my team is shaping up. With the addition of two amazing beaters, a keeper who also can seek tremendously well, and a powerful chaser, I am on track to make a strong, well-rounded team that really knows how to play quidditch.
This week, I started off with Caroline Merkle, the talented beater from UVM. If you watch Merkle play, she makes beating look easy. She always knows what she is doing, as can be seen by this amazing play that got her team bludger control. She can play as both a free and engage beater. She is not afraid to attack an opposing beater or to force quaffle players to make decisions. Together, I believe Merkle and Emun will make a powerful duo that is versatile and adaptable, as they both can play as free or engage beaters and make critical plays on both defense and offense.
Next, I wanted to pick a player who could seek well, as that was a current gap in my team, and also wanted a player who could be a tremendous help in the quaffle game. As a keeper/seeker from Emerson, Rob McPherson was the perfect pick. He is fast and tremendously difficult to slow down, and even if someone gets a body on him he just runs straight through the defense to score. Additionally, he can shoot on hoops well, and can identify good scoring options. He is also a talented keeper. He is a good shot-blocker and overall a great secondary keeping option. Not to mention, he is an amazing seeker who can make great catches at crucial moments in the game, securing that end-game win for my team.
I continued to build my team with a fellow Tufts teammate, the amazing and powerful chaser Sophie Coburn. Not only is she absolutely the nicest person I have ever met, but she is a powerhouse on the pitch. She has excellent hustle and athleticism (see her constant movement here), and is amazing at grabbing up loose quaffles. She is also a good communicator. If she is on the field, you will always hear her shouting to her teammates. This communication helps her work well with other players, making her a great pick for a fantasy team like this. Even more, Coburn is excellent at using her field positioning to make amazing goals , utilizing the way other players underestimate her to her advantage. She also has excellent defensive skills, making her a wonderful addition to my team.
My last pick for draft day two was Rebecca Hyman, a talented beater from Brandeis. Hyman is an amazing player who knows how to play as both a free and engage beater. Not only is she good at winning beater battles, but she also knows how to take smart risks on defense and force the other team to lose quaffle control. Her skills will allow my quaffle players to get fastbreaks, especially with players like Coburn and McPherson who know how to hustle. With the addition of Hyman, my beater core is looking strong and adaptable to a variety of situations.
(Left to Right) Caroline Merkle-Senior-UVM-Exercise Science, Rob McPherson-Senior-Emerson-Comedic Arts, Sophie Coburn-Senior-Tufts-Sociology (photo via Isabella Gong), Rebecca Hyman-Senior-Brandeis-Politics (photo via Zach Katz)
Tune in next week for the final six rounds!