Washington defense powers comeback against Charlotte, Minneapolis offense races past Toronto
Minneapolis Monarchs beaters Nadja Melby and Nathan Podolsky hold dodgeball control against the Toronto Raiders.
Led by their physical defense, the Washington Admirals made a dramatic comeback against the Charlotte Aviators on Saturday afternoon, winning 145-120 after trailing 80-20. During the same timeslot, the Minneapolis Monarchs comfortably dispatched the Toronto Raiders by a score of 170-70. Both contests were win-or-go-home elimination games in the play-in bracket.
After Admirals chaser Liz Stone opened the scoring, it was all Charlotte in the early going. The Aviators went on a blistering 50-0 run, capped by a highlight-reel give-and-go by chaser Ryan Davis, who kicked the quadball to teammate Braxton Hale on the fast break before receiving a pass back through traffic for the goal. Charlotte continued to control the game throughout the middle stretches, with beaters Tony Bonadio and Micki Haralson showcasing the depth of the Aviators rotation and longtime beating fixture Joe Goldberg playing at a high level in his first appearance of the season. The Aviators led by as much as 80-20.
The game changed however when Stone and Aviators chaser Lee Hodge received double red cards for a scuffle after the play. Washington responded to the adversity — losing one of their top scorers for the rest of the game — by buckling down on defense. Chaser Bryan Mulcahy made a series of incredible open field tackles to stuff the Aviators and swing the tides of the game. By the time seeker Zan Siddiqui caught the flag runner with Aviators star beater Kody LaBauve in the penalty box, the score had narrowed to 90-85 and Charlotte knew they were in for the toughest of challenges. The teams traded goals as they approached the set score of 140, but Washington established a slight lead. After coming up empty-handed on a few straight possessions, chaser Julia Rankin was able to complete the comeback for Washington, despite the Admirals having two chasers in the penalty box, with a smooth mid-range finish on the run.
The matchup between the Monarchs and the Toronto Raiders was a more matter-of-fact affair, with Minneapolis building a 110-20 lead before the Raiders were able to find some momentum and narrow the deficit. Keeper Max Meier led the way with six of the 11 goals to build the lead and Nathan Podolsky’s fingerprints were everywhere in the beating game for Minneapolis. For Toronto, chaser Lachlan Craig scored a hat trick and chaser Michael Wanless added two goals to contribute to the late rally. It was not enough for the Raiders however, as Meier scored the last two goals of the game to seal the deal.
The Admirals and Monarchs will meet each other in the next round of the play-in bracket at 1:15 pm. Charlotte and Toronto were eliminated from the Benepe Cup with the losses.