Boston knocks off three-time defending champions

Boston Forge keeper Ian Scura drives against Austin Outlaws keeper Sammy Garza in the Benepe Cup quarterfinals.

The Boston Forge knocked off the three-time defending champion Austin Outlaws in the quarterfinals of the 2024 MLQ Championship on Saturday night, taking game one comfortably by a score of 145-70 before coming back in dramatic fashion in game two. After trailing 135-90, the Forge went on a 60-10 run and eliminated their historic rivals, 150-145. 

The Forge got off to a hot start in game one behind the beating of Kieran Collier. In what would quickly become a theme for the series, Collier and their beating partner Leeanne Dillmann were winning their exchanges and controlling the field. Boston led 30-0 before the Outlaws found their way into the game when head coach Jackson Johnson, who had been chasing for most of the season, subbed in at beater to match the vaunted beating pair of Max Havlin and Lulu Xu. 

With Johnson on the field, Austin was able to extend their offensive possessions and wait for the right moment, a trademark of Outlaws quadball over the years. They narrowed the lead to 80-60 with the flag runner on pitch, but a mini-run in the quadball game and a catch from rookie seeker Eli Fighter all but sealed the deal. The win was Boston’s first over Austin since 2019, when the Forge last claimed the Benepe Cup. The Forge had lost their last six meetings.

In game two, Boston looked to be cruising towards an easy sweep when a lightning delay stopped play for more than three hours. The Forge were leading 40-10 at the stoppage, but under the lights, Austin started to shine, with keeper Sammy Garza combining with chasers Mel Kite and Andrew Axtell for a 60-10 run to retake the lead. The Outlaws maintained their edge through the intermission, and when seeker Trenton Paskero caught the flag runner, the series appeared to be headed for a game three. 

Both teams rotated through their depth, but the Forge slowly began to cut the deficit. Two goals from chaser Sena Morimoto behind Dillmann clearing the lane put the pressure on the Outlaws, and a series of mental errors forced by the tenacious defense of chaser Andrew Steinberg helped to complete the comeback. A year after losing to Austin in the quarterfinals, Boston became the first team in MLQ history to eliminate the Outlaws before the finals.

The Forge advance to play the Chicago Prowl at 10 am, noon, and 2 pm (if necessary) on Sunday in the Benepe Cup semifinals.