Players to Watch: Week Four
Week four of MLQ brings you our first weekend of games in every division. Grab your phone, your iPad, and your TV screen. You won’t want to miss any of the action or these seven athletes.
Chicago Prowl
After a shaky start to the season against the Detroit Innovators with a short-handed roster, reinforcements are arriving for the Chicago Prowl, none bigger than keeper Ryley Andrews. Andrews was one of the biggest contributors for the Prowl last season and a top performer at the 2023 MLQ Championship, when Chicago made a historic run to the finals. He helped to revolutionize the way the franchise plays with his uptempo style, serving as the engine of their free-flowing offense and their most reliable defender in the half court. He scored 18 goals as MLQ Championship, third to only keepers Josh Johnson and Jon Jackson. Chasers Ally Manzella, Ben Peachey, and Darian Murcek-Ellis also return for the Prowl, who bring a stacked roster on the road to defend their divisional crown.
Minneapolis Monarchs
There’s no question that chaser Emma Persons is the player to watch for the Minneapolis Monarchs as she returns from injury to MLQ after a season away. In a marquee season-opening matchup with the Chicago Prowl, all eyes will turn towards the US National Team chaser to see if she can help Minneapolis compete with a Chicago squad that took its game to another level last year and finally displaced the Monarchs atop the North Division. Her expert ballhandling and passing takes pressure to create chances off of her teammates, helps to switch the angle of attack, and keeps the Monarchs dangerous when plays break down. She notched four goals, 10 assists, and 16 stops in her last season for Minneapolis.
Austin Outlaws
After a strong 2023 campaign in which she filled the shoes of former US National Team chaser Erin McBride en route to a Benepe Cup title, chaser Jenna Adams-Tracy will be expected to take another step in 2024. Adams-Tracy is a sure-handed target receiver who runs the fastbreak and expands the field for her teammates on offense. She has the size and length to make a consistent impact on defense, giving the Outlaws the opportunity to throw multiple variations of hoop defense at their opponents. Her contributions will be key to making League City uncomfortable and getting Austin off to a strong start.
League City Legends
Utility Chris Dorsey has long been underrated as a facilitator for the League City Legends. The Legends have one of the top scorers in the league in keeper Hayden Boyes and an increasing number of supporting options in the chaser game, but it will be up to Dorsey to take some of the ballhandling burden off of Boyes and put everyone else in the position to succeed against the talented and sophisticated Outlaws defense. Dorsey did not play against Austin last season and he has a chance to change the calculus and make the series more competitive this year.
Charlotte Aviators
Chaser Mohamed-Yahia “MY” Monawar was on the verge of a breakout last season, when he played only three games for the Aviators due to injury. He had scored 13 goals and added eight assists in 2022, but he only got the chance to face off against the Boston Forge in 2023. His contributions were missed, as the Aviators used their rebuilding year to develop more of a transition offense in the absence of dependable half-court options. His return will make the Aviators harder to guard when the game slows down and give Charlotte their best shot in years to finally knock off the Washington Admirals and move into third place in the East Division.
Ottawa Black Bears
Utility Emily Naftel, one of two Team Canada players on the Ottawa Black Bears roster this weekend, is central to everything that their team does. They will log heavy minutes and offer much value at beater with their ability to win duels and provide the last line of defense. Along with fellow national team player Hailey Yhap, they were also one of their team’s top threats at chaser last season, tallying two goals, four assists, and five stops in nine games. If Ottawa is going to spring an upset on the Charlotte Aviators or the Washington Admirals and claim a regular season win for the first time since 2018, Naftel will have to compete at their highest level.
Washington Admirals
After a challenging opening weekend against the New York Titans in the beating game, the Washington Admirals return with a similar group of beaters for a pivotal series with the Charlotte Aviators, which will likely decide third place in the East Division. The Aviators have always had a deep beating corps, but without beaters Celine Richard and Joe Goldberg on the roster for the weekend, the Admirals will have more of a chance than expected to regain their sea legs. One x-factor will be beater Robert Rice, who collected a team-high 1.21 average dodgeballs over 19 drives played against the Titans. Expect Rice’s minutes to go up as a stabilizing presence in the beating corps behind top pair Adrian Koretsky and Colin Bourn.
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