Over/Under: East Division
By Jack McGovern
Media Coordinator
The MLQ season is less than a week away, and MLQ Media Coordinator Jack McGovern is here with his breakdown of whether each team will over or under perform compared to their 2023 selves. Next up is the East Division.
New York Titans (12-0 in 2023, EVEN in 2024)
The New York Titans were a regular season machine in 2023 and entered the 2023 MLQ Championship as a favorite to win the title. While they fell short against the Chicago Prowl in the semifinals, the Titans are expected to be a juggernaut in 2024. They return the starting beater pair of Tate Kay and Tessa Mullins and add Rachel Ayella-Silver, who is coming back from injury. In the chaser game, they have the best one-two punch of women chasers in the league with Lindsay Marella and Molly Potter along with a pair of tackle-breaking drivers in Jon Jackson and Zach Armantrading. The additions of Josh Johnson and Michael “Yada” Parada, defending champions with the Austin Outlaws, are only the cherry on top.
Washington Admirals (8-4 in 2023, UNDER in 2024)
The Washington Admirals finally got over the hump in 2023, finishing second in the East Division and clinching an automatic berth in the MLQ Championship quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The achievement was the culmination of years of team-building led by the veteran trio of Tyler Trudeau, Julia Baer, and Rachel Heald, none of whom will be returning in 2024. While Shane McConnaghie, a 2023 breakout star, at keeper and the point defending rotation of Justin Kraemer, John Sheridan, and Bryan Mulcahy is intimidating, the Admirals will be hard-pressed to replace the contributions of Baer and Heald in particular. They have a chance to develop a new identity, but they will need to figure it out quickly.
Boston Forge (7-5 in 2023, OVER in 2024)
The Boston Forge never quite clicked in 2023, underachieving throughout the regular season and dropping a game to the Minneapolis Monarchs in the play-in bracket before giving the Austin Outlaws a spirited challenge in game two of the quarterfinals. But the second-most successful franchise in league history has not been one to stay down for long. Boston has a fearsome rotation of women beaters in Lulu Xu, Erin McCrady, Leeanne Dillmann, and Emily Hickmott that could allow them to experiment with a variety of lineup configurations. And chasers like Carsen Olazaba and Peter Lawrence made progress in 2023, adding potential and complementary pieces around keeper Ian Scura. With a fresh start and a revamped roster, betting against the Forge is inadvisable.
Charlotte Aviators (3-9 in 2023, OVER in 2024)
The Charlotte Aviators started a rebuilding process in 2023 and for the first time in program history, the newest franchise in the league failed to advance from the play-in bracket. There were a number of encouraging signs though, as the Aviators took impressive strides back towards contention. Much of the unexpected progress stemmed from the contributions of keeper Zachary Thompson, who scored 23 goals and dished 12 assists. Thompson will be anticipated to take another leap in 2024 and become one of the league leaders in scoring and assists with his hard-charging style of play. Kody LaBauve and Joe Goldberg will anchor the beating corps alongside Micki Haralson and Lauren Hirsch, who will step into larger roles after demonstrating their skill in 2023 as star beater Celine Richard works her way back from injury during the course of the season.
Ottawa Black Bears (0-12 in 2023, EVEN in 2024)
The Ottawa Black Bears, long the bottom dwellers in the talented East Division, have a real opportunity in 2024. Though they have only ever finished outside of last place in the standings once, the East Division is far weaker than it has been in years, since well before the COVID-19 pandemic brought a two-year hiatus for Canadian franchises. It only takes one game, and the Black Bears will compete against Washington and Charlotte together at the East SuperSeries, when the Admirals and the Aviators might be more focused on beating each other. Ottawa will turn towards their experienced leaders like utility Emily Naftel, chaser Alex Naftel, and keeper Antoine Bourassa for inspiration in those big moments. Yet the Black Bears will be missing the steady production and playmaking brilliance of chaser Hailey Yhap, the only woman to lead her team in scoring in 2023.
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