New York claims elusive title, becomes third franchise to lift Benepe Cup
The New York Titans swept the Chicago Prowl in the finals of the 2024 MLQ Championship on Sunday afternoon.
The New York Titans became the third franchise to lift the Benepe Cup on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Chicago Prowl in dominant fashion by scores of 180-70 in game one and 170-100 in game two. The Titans avenged their upset loss to Chicago in the semifinals last season and claimed their first MLQ title after previously finishing as the runners-up in 2015 and 2021.
The series started relatively even, with Chicago and New York Titans chaser Josh Johnson trading goals. Prowl chasers Ben Peachey and Ally Manzella were able to exploit the space behind the hoops and the Chicago offense looked to be firing on all cylinders. But after New York got dodgeball control and switched to a triangle-and-one defense, the game changed dramatically. Young Titans beaters Elizabeth Lawson-Keister and Jason Ng held dodgeball control for a long shift and New York kicked off a jaw-dropping rally.
The Titans scored nine unanswered goals, including five additional goals from Johnson, and as soon as it began, the match was effectively over. The veteran New York beating pairs of Tessa Mullins and Tate Kay and Devin Lee and Rachel Ayella-Silver maintained an iron grip over the dodgeball game, leaving the Chicago offense out of ideas and frustrated. The New York hoop defenders blocked shot after shot and a brutal high press put the nail in the coffin during flag runner on pitch. Johnson finished with ten goals.
Game two was closer, but ultimately produced the same result. Manzella opened the scoring and finished with a hat trick, showing the versatility of her skills set, and Zach found ways to impact the game on offense and defense, including two early goals. The Chicago beating pairs of Tad Walters and Nojus Ausra and Mike Mroweic and Caleb Williams managed to hold more dodgeball control, slowing down the New York offense. But the Prowl continued to have no answer for Johnson, who scored six of the Titans’ first eight goals and ended the game with nine. For the second consecutive year, Johnson scored the clinching goal to win the Benepe Cup, capping a virtuosic performance that will be remembered as one of the best of all-time.
The Titans finished the season 17-1, only losing a game to the Boston Forge in the regular season. New York defeated the Detroit Innovators in the quarterfinals and the San Antonio Soldados in the semifinals to claim the coveted trophy that had eluded them. The Austin Outlaws and the Boston Forge were the only franchises to have hoisted the Benepe Cup before Sunday.