Players to Watch: Week Seven

The last few weeks of the regular season are upon us and divisional crowns and qualification spots are on the line this weekend. Find out who you should keep an eye on!

San Antonio Soldados
After a one-week break, MLQ returns with one of the biggest series of the summer. First-year head coaches Milena Sousa and David Avila lead their undefeated San Antonio Soldados into a heavyweight clash with the three-time defending champion Austin Outlaws, with the Soldados looking to claim their first division title in their history. Sousa, who has played a team-high 96 drives and has a second-best plus/minus of +8, has been key for the success of the top line playing alongside Daniel Williams. She will face an added challenge, however, without beater Jess Markle on the roster for the weekend. If Sousa can win her matchups and force Austin to play against two dodgeballs, San Antonio will be in good shape.

Austin Outlaws
Austin Outlaws keeper Louis Sanchez rebounded from a quiet performance against the League City Legends with a monster weekend at the South Division SuperSeries. He posted a whopping 17 goals and 16 assists, stepping into a leading role as the engine of the Austin offense. While his teammate chaser Jay Stewart stretches the defense with his unique ability to beat opponents one-on-one, Sanchez often sets the table with his passing and decision-making skills. Tied for the league lead in assists on the season, Sanchez will have to stay hot and continue to find the right balance between scoring and distributing for the Outlaws to reassert their supremacy in the South Division.

Minneapolis Monarchs
With a marquee matchup against the Detroit Innovators for second place as well as a potentially dangerous series against the Cleveland Riff, the Minneapolis Monarchs face a pivotal weekend at the North Division SuperSeries. Unfortunately, the Monarchs will be without chasers Emma Persons and Terry Carlson, two of their best players who are especially crucial to their passing game and ball movement. While Minneapolis was already struggling to generate opportunities on the offensive end, combining for only four assists against the Chicago Prowl, the Monarchs get a big boost on defense with the return of chaser Zeke Majeske. Majeske has long been their most willing and able tackler and his presence changes the calculus for opposing teams. Watch for Minneapolis to batten down the hatches and try to win its matches with defensive toughness.

Detroit Innovators
Through six games, beater Brooke Smiley has quietly been one of the breakout players in the North Division. Though fans of the college game will not be surprised from her decorated career at Tufts University, she has reached a new level this summer. She has become central to the beating depth of the Detroit Innovators, an ambitious squad challenging for an automatic berth into the quarterfinals at the MLQ Championship. Behind the starting duo of Ryan Hsu and Rei Brodeur, Smiley has logged large minutes and developed excellent chemistry with beating partner David Banas. In 70 drives, she has averaged 1.57 dodgeballs, good for second best on the team, and recorded a plus/minus of +7. She will have the chance to add to her impressive totals against the Minneapolis Monarchs and the Cleveland Riff this weekend if she can consistently win her matchups.

Cleveland Riff
Chaser Adam Thompson is likely to make an impression this weekend for fans who have not yet watched the Cleveland Riff. Earlier in the season, Thompson was a sparkplug against the Toronto Raiders with four goals, tied for a team high. He has six goals, two assists, and seven stops on the season, with the seven stops leading his team. He brings energy on both ends of the pitch and his fearlessness and commitment stands out. His drives from the wing will be key to breaking down the defenses of the Detroit Innovators and Minneapolis Monarchs, two teams that have size and physicality around the hoops.

Boston Forge
In a series that has historically been extremely competitive, the Boston Forge host the Washington Admirals this weekend, with second place in the East Division and an automatic berth into the quarterfinals at the MLQ Championship on the line. The Forge are favorites to avenge last season’s loss to the Admirals, in large part because beater Max Havlin has been performing at the peak of his game. He has a plus/minus of +24, fourth best in the league, and 13 stops through six games, good enough for seventh league-wide. Expect Havlin to rise up the leaderboard en route to a sweep of Washington unless the Admirals beaters can take another giant leap forward in their rapid development this summer. 

Washington Admirals
Overshadowed by her teammate Adrian Koretsky’s record-breaking plus/minus performance against the Ottawa Black Bears, chaser Jeannette High also had a record-setting SuperSeries when the Washington Admirals last took the field. She scored eight goals against Ottawa, more than any other woman has tallied in a single series this season, and she has a total of 15 goals on the season. But High will not be on the roster against the Boston Forge this weekend, meaning that chasers like Liz Stone and Julia Rankin will be called into even larger roles. Watch for Rankin especially to make an impact with her passing. Her six assists are third best on her team and behind only Lindsay Marella, Kennedy Murphy, and Mel Kite among women league-wide.

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