Standout Performances: Week Eight
We took a little break, but don’t worry, we didn’t miss these week eight performances!
Miguel Esparza — San Antonio Soldados (K)
Star keeper Miguel Esparza exploded for 20 goals, seven assists, and 11 stops against the New Orleans Curse, providing the veteran leadership that a young San Antonio Soldados squad needed to clinch their first South Division title. With the performance, Esparza vaulted into second place league-wide in scoring, narrowly edged by one goal by League City Legends chaser Hayden Boyes for the regular season scoring crown. Esparza, who has topped the league in scoring the past two seasons, continues his impressive stretch as one of the most prolific finishers in the sport.
Josh Mansfield — New Orleans Curse (B)
Beater Josh Mansfield put a fitting cap on a stellar season for the New Orleans Curse. He entered the series sixth in stops, seventh in drives played, and eighth in average dodgeballs among beaters who have played more than 25 possessions. But it was the eye test that really validated Mansfield’s contributions against the deep San Antonio Soldados beating corps. While the other New Orleans Curse beaters fought hard, only Mansfield and his beating partner Alex Pucciarelli were able to consistently get advantages against San Antonio. They were competitive with him on the field and vulnerable with him on the bench.
Ben Peachey — Chicago Prowl (C)
Chaser Ben Peachey does not always get the credit that the other fixtures of the star-studded Chicago Prowl lineup get, but he has logged heavy minutes at every step of the program’s turnaround from play-in bracket participants to USQ club division champions and Benepe Cup favorites. Peachey used his length and strong positioning instincts to be especially disruptive on the defensive end against the Toronto Raiders. His blocks in the middle of the defense as a roving free-safety-style keeper got Chicago going and the Prowl never looked back. He has the inclination to run the fast break and always makes the perfect hit-ahead pass to put Chicago in the position to convert with no dodgeballs.
Sarah Dykstra — Toronto Raiders (C )
In a game (vs. Chicago) where the rest of the Toronto Raiders offense struggled to catch a break and find a rhythm, chaser Sarah Dykstra was a clear standout. She had a beautiful alley-oop goal on a pass from chaser Joanne Lam in game one and finished with a sizable chunk of Toronto’s total goal-scoring output. She served as a release valve for the Raiders ballcarriers, who came under heavy pressure from the Chicago defense, and one of the top threats to score for Toronto throughout the series. She just about doubled her goal tally throughout the season in one series, against the best team in the North Division, a sign that she is peaking at the right time for the Raiders.
Tessa Mullins — New York Titans (B)
Beater Tessa Mullins continues to be one of the most impactful players in the league in her third season since coming over from the Boston Forge program. A franchise-altering Boston-to-New York move on par with Babe Ruth leaving the Boston Red Sox for the New York Yankees in 1920, Mullins’ arrival has been essential to New York’s run as Benepe Cup title contenders and back-to-back East Division champions. She entered the series against the Charlotte Aviators with a plus/minus of +28, tops on her team and good for fifth league-wide.
Melissa Ross — Charlotte Aviators (C)
Chaser Melissa Ross has had an outstanding season for the Charlotte Aviators, getting better every series and becoming one of the best chasers in the East Division around the hoops. Over the course of the summer, Ross has added mid-range shooting and playmaking ability to her game and the results were evident against the New York Titans. She has always competed hard and stood tall as a defender, but seeing her gain confidence on offense has been one of the best developments of the season for the Aviators. If healthy, it could be what helps them get out of the play-in bracket and back to the quarterfinals.
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