Washington cruises past Toronto in all-around team display

Washington Admirals chaser Jerrick Knippel looks to shoot through traffic against the swarming Toronto Raiders defense in game one.

The Washington Admirals navigated their way past the Toronto Raiders late Saturday afternoon in the 2023 MLQ Championship quarterfinals with an impressive all-around team display. The Admirals took game one by a final score of 215-80 and game two by a tighter 140-65 tally, overcoming a diving flag runner catch by Toronto seeker Cory Smithson.

Facing elimination in game two, Toronto executed a clear gameplan to slow down the pace of play and establish their identity on defense. Chasers Stevie Vindua and Michael Wanless connected on an early goal but the Raiders otherwise relied upon their hard-nosed tackling around the hoops to keep the game close. They were not able to hold the Admirals at bay for long though.

Slowly but steadily, a wide range of Washington chasers found their way onto the scoresheet and the Admirals built a 80-10 lead by the 20-minute mark. In a fun showing for their much-hyped offense, Washington ran through their depth and poured on the goals over the course of the series. No single player was responsible for an outsized share of their goals.

Washington advances to meet the two-time defending champion Austin Outlaws in the semifinals. It is a rematch of the 2022 MLQ Championship quarterfinals in Howard County, Maryland, where the hometown Admirals took the Outlaws to three games under the lights.