New York dispatches Detroit, starts weekend strong

New York Titans keeper Josh Johnson scores against the Detroit Innovators in the MLQ Championship quarterfinals.

The New York Titans kicked off their quest for the Benepe Cup with a convincing two-game sweep of the Detroit Innovators on Saturday night. They took game one 195-70 and claimed game two 145-40, never allowing the underdog Innovators within flag runner range during flag runner on pitch.

The Titans came out of the gates strong, with their heavy hitters Lindsay Marella, Jon Jackson, and Josh Johnson combining for a 40-10 run to start game one. Former New York keeper Leo Fried answered for Detroit with two quick goals, picking apart the holes in the Titans defense and overwhelming defenders with his size and strength. But the New York offense was too much for the Innovators, especially with chaser Frank Minson checking into the game and pushing the pace. A flag runner catch from Titans seeker Jason Ng secured the victory, denying Detroit phenom Neil Peterson the chance to make his imprint on the game.

Game two followed mostly the same script, with Marella, Jackson, and Johnson powering the Titans to an early lead before a spell of dodgeball control from star beaters Ryan Hsu and Rei Brodeur helped Detroit get back into the game. No players have been more central than Hsu and Brodeur to the Innovators making their first MLQ Championship quarterfinals since 2015. The score stood at 50-30 once again, the potential for a close game hanging in the air. Yet before the Innovators could really make New York uncomfortable, Johnson rattled off three quick goals to reestablish breathing room. Seeker Mo Haggag caught the flag runner, an early sign that the New York seeking game might be peaking at the right time.

The Titans advance to play the San Antonio Soldados at 9 am, 11 am, and 1 pm (if necessary) in the Benepe Cup semifinals. Detroit is eliminated with the loss.