2023 MLQ Championship Spectator's Guide
By Jack McGovern
MLQ Press Coordinator
All times are in the central time zone.
Friday, August 25
As the long countdown to the 2023 MLQ Championship nears its end and you prepare to leave for West Des Moines, you’ll want to finalize your tournament checklist. Though Pitch One at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex will become the first-ever indoor field at a national quadball championship, you’ll still want to prepare for Iowa’s hot August weather. Plan to wear a light, breathable fabric (like your favorite quadball jersey). Other must-haves: some spending money to purchase MLQ merch at the event, sunscreen (use the code 2023MLQCHAMPS at checkout for 15%) and sunglasses to bask in the last days of summer sun on Pitch Two, and an umbrella, which is useful both as a portable shade structure and in case of a surprise shower. Once you have completed your checklist, load everything into a backpack or drawstring bag, which are encouraged at the event, and get a good night’s sleep!
Saturday Morning, August 26
Following Saturday’s opening ceremonies at 7:30 am, the action starts early with two pivotal matchups in the play-in bracket: the New Orleans Curse versus the Detroit Innovators and the Minneapolis Monarchs versus the Charlotte Aviators. With two spots in the Benepe Cup quarterfinals up for grabs, the double-elimination bracket promises lots of one-off intense games between teams from different parts of the country. Though the games later in the morning are to-be-determined by results, the first matchups of the day at 8:30 am are preset by regular season seedings.
Indoors on Pitch One, the New Orleans Curse take on the Detroit Innovators in a matchup between one of the most veteran teams at the MLQ Championship and one of the youngest. After narrowly missing out on qualification last season, Detroit is returning to the biggest stage in quadball with a revamped roster that draws heavily from the upstart University of Michigan and Michigan State University college programs. More than half of the Innovators’ 30-player roster was born after the year 2000, including the star beater pair of Ryan Hsu and Rei Brodeur, who both placed in the top five for possessions played and the top 10 for stops. Can they shock the world and lead a long-struggling MLQ franchise out of the play-in bracket, just like they led Michigan to its first-ever Final Four at the 2023 US Quadball Cup?
To get past an experienced New Orleans squad, the beaters will have to outduel Josh Mansfield and Alex Pucciarelli, the go-to beater pair for the Curse who have also placed in the top five in possessions played and sit towards the top of the leaderboard in stops. The Curse made their own triumphant return to the MLQ Championship last season after a five-year absence and turned many heads with their smart decision-making, time-tested chemistry and endless hustle. But they ultimately exited the tournament without winning a game following a narrow loss to the Kansas City Stampede. New Orleans will look to overcome their bad luck this year and secure their first win at an MLQ Championship since 2016.
At the same time outside on Pitch Two, the Minneapolis Monarchs begin their weekend against the Charlotte Aviators. Since joining the league in 2019 as an expansion team, the Monarchs have been one of the best teams in the North Division, with two consecutive division titles in 2021 and 2022. But this season, Chicago Prowl dethroned Minneapolis as division champions and the Monarchs face an uphill battle just to return to the quarterfinals. To emerge from a tough play-in bracket draw, they will need to knock off a Charlotte franchise that has advanced out of the play-in bracket at the last two MLQ Championships. While Minneapolis is still searching for its first win at an MLQ Championship, the Aviators have figured out ways to win games–whether they are at full strength or missing key pieces.
With a close game expected, the flag runner is likely to be decisive and–lucky for the crowd–the seeker matchup between the Monarchs and the Aviators is especially strong. For Charlotte, Ryan Davis has led the league in flag runner catches the past three seasons and recently secured the grab to clinch a World Cup gold medal for the US National Team. While most teams cannot compete with their combination of technique and efficiency, Minneapolis has Henry Baer-Benson, who is tied for second in flag runner catches and holds the league lead in average flag runner catches per game this season. Don’t blink or you might miss the catch and a 35-point swing!
In the next time slot at 9:45 am, two more must-watch teams debut after earning first-round byes through their regular season performance: the three-time Benepe Cup-winning Boston Forge and the hometown Kansas City Stampede. With titles in 2015, 2016, and 2019, Boston is one of the most successful teams in league history. While Forge managed another finals appearance last year with a rebuilding roster, the Forge have stumbled this season. They finished outside the top two in the East Division for the first time ever, a testament to their nearly decade-long dominance and the consistency of their dynasty. Boston hopes that the return of legendary beater pair Lulu Xu and Max Havlin, who both missed different parts of the season due to injuries, will help to recapture the magic.
Kansas City, meanwhile, looks to build on its momentum from the play-in bracket last year and leverage its young players from the Creighton University program to steal a spot in the quarterfinals. In particular, rookie chaser Riley Usami burst onto the scene earlier this season, with 18 goals and a number of highlight reel dunks in his debut series. The Stampede, the closest team to West Des Moines, have also historically enjoyed a strong home field advantage. Will the RecPlex prove to be a northern outpost of the Cattledome?
After you have seen every team in the play-in bracket — and snapped a picture of their beautiful jerseys, designed by MLQ designer Nick Leimbach and Diaza, for your kaleidoscopic post-tournament photo collage — head over to the merchandise tent to browse the collection for yourself. What is your favorite jersey in the league? What color schemes do you like the best? What do you notice about the logos? (Hint: Quadball is a mixed-gender sport and the branding of our franchises strives to reflect that!) For an even larger display of quadball paraphernalia, visit the MLQ jersey exchange. If you have an old jersey on hand and you are interested in participating in one of the most unique traditions in the sport, drop off your former kit on Saturday morning and return on Saturday evening or Sunday morning to acquire a new one for free.
Catch a few more games as the play-in bracket wraps up in the late morning and early afternoon, before heading to the concession stand for lunch and a drink. With a healthy menu full of vegetarian and vegan offerings like black bean quesadillas, cornmeal, and quinoa dusted cauliflower bites and fresh fruit cups, you are sure to find something that hits the spot. The 2023 MLQ Championship will also become the first MLQ event to sell alcoholic beverages onsite. Enjoy a cold beer as you check out the vendor village booth and make your way back to the fields for the high-stakes final play-in game at 2:30 pm. Is there a rule you don’t understand or a team you want to know more about? Don’t be shy–strike up a conversation on the sidelines!
Saturday Afternoon, August 26
Wherever the tournament takes you, 3:30 pm marks the start of the championship bracket for the coveted Benepe Cup — named after quadball founder Alex Benepe, who adapted the rules from the magical game of quidditch in the Harry Potter books at Middlebury College in 2005. The quarterfinals are arguably the most exciting round of the tournament, with the potential for big upsets and thrilling back-and-forth swings between closely matched teams. Four different best-of-three series will unfold in alternating timeslots for the remainder of the afternoon, with unexpected twists and turns almost guaranteed.
The roller coaster will begin with two of the teams that neutrals are most intrigued to see: the Chicago Prowl and the Washington Admirals. While they’re not playing each other–at least not yet–each team is coming off its best season ever and enters with a legitimate shot to win the title.
Indoors on Pitch One, Chicago will first have to defeat a rival that ended its season in the quarterfinals in 2019 and 2021, the San Antonio Soldados. With their lightning-quick fastbreak offense and hyper-aggressive beating, the Soldados pose a unique stylistic challenge. Star chaser Jay Stewart — one of 12 on the roster that entered the season straight from a college national championship run with the University of Texas-San Antonio — stuffed the statsheet with 40 goals, 20 assists, and 25 stops. Led by Stewart, San Antonio will push the pace and look to strike on the counter.
But Chicago appears to have caught up to the Soldados, celebrating an undefeated season under the leadership of head coach Kennedy Murphy, the first female MLQ head coach to secure her team a perfect record. In their first season since relocating from Indianapolis, the Prowl have evolved their previous methodological approach, and developed one of the most high-flying offenses in the league, with sharp movement around the hoops and perfectly-timed alley-oops. Veteran keeper Nathan Digmann, an Iowa native, has taken his game to another level, as displayed by his regular season double-double against the Monarchs. Can he keep up the same production in his home state?
Outside on Pitch Two, Washington will start its campaign against the Toronto Raiders, the top Canadian squad and the second-place finishers in the North Division. COVID-19 border restrictions prevented the Raiders from rejoining the league until 2022, and the team went more than two years without competing against its American rivals. The Raiders, known affectionately as the Trash Pandas for their beloved racoon mascot, have bounced right back and quickly re-established themselves as formidable opponents behind tough, defensively-minded beating pairs like Zac MacDonald and Emma Sherwood. Team Canada borrowed nine players and three staff members from the Toronto roster, and impressed widely at last month’s IQA World Cup by holding teams like Australia and England to low scores. It will be fascinating to see whether the Raiders try to follow the same strategic blueprint in Iowa.
Whatever the Raiders scheme up, Washington still enters the quarterfinals as heavy favorites. With a selfless offense and irresistible team spirit, the Admirals are an easy team to root for. Look for chaser Julia Baer to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Baer is a US National Team player who won two league titles with the Boston Forge before moving to the Mid-Atlantic. She brings a championship pedigree to a franchise that pushed the eventual champion, the Austin Outlaws, to a do-or-die game three in the quarterfinals last season. After finally breaking into the top two in the East Division and securing an automatic berth in the championship bracket this season, Washington will need to take advantage of a more favorable draw to push the team further than ever.
Finally, at 4:30 pm, you will get your first look at the co-favorites for the 2023 Benepe Cup title: the East Division champion New York Titans and the South Division victor Austin Outlaws. The Titans technically enter as the number one overall seed because of a higher strength of schedule, but New York’s success is less established: the team comes in with only its second-ever divisional title, and its first three-game series sweep against the archrival Boston Forge. While they made finals appearances in 2015 and 2021, the Titans are still relatively new arrivals to true title contention.
In addition to their deep beating corps, a big part of their return to the top has been the production of chaser Lindsay Marella, who finished the regular season with 10 goals, 17 assists, and 17 stops. Like Washington, New York forced a deciding game three against Austin last season in an unforgettable semifinals series, but can the Titans finish the job if they advance to face the most storied franchise in the league? They begin their tournament against the higher-seeded play-in bracket victor, except if the team comes from the East Division.
Indeed, with four previous league trophies in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, many expect Austin to become the first franchise to complete a three-peat in 2023. The Outlaws have quadball’s most decorated individual athlete, keeper Augie Monroe, and this season they added keeper Miguel Esparza, who quickly broke the single season scoring record with a ridiculous 60 goals and placed second in assists with 31.
Most observers agree that the Outlaws have a deeper, more talented roster than they had at their disposal a year ago, when they eked out narrow series victories over Washington and New York, but there have also been signs of mortality. Austin has historically prided itself on the defensive side of the ball, where it perfected a range of zone defenses, and in the seeking game, where it has been clutch. Yet its points allowed per game are up from its 2021 season and its flag runner catches are down from its 2022 season. Austin will start its title defense with a matchup against the lower-seeded play-in bracket victor, provided the team hails from outside the South Division.
With a long day behind you, head to one of the locally owned nearby dining options for dinner. We recommend Gilroy’s Kitchen, where you can cool off and keep watching the action on TV! Located 13 minutes from the fields, Gilroy’s Kitchen is showing games all weekend, so you won’t miss a moment. You can enjoy a meal and a drink while seeing live quadball with onscreen scoreboards, trained commentary, and postgame interviews. You won’t want to leave your seat! By tuning into the livestream, you will also join a worldwide community of quadball players in 40 countries, including Germany, Brazil, and Japan, that follow the tournament online.
Sunday, August 27
For the most part, you should enter Sunday with a clear understanding of what to do now–and what you enjoy the most! Whether you plan to spectate specific teams in-person, browse around the merchandise tent or watch the livestream from a restaurant, you will want to know a couple of important times, location changes, and special events for day two. To start, the first best-of-three semifinals series begins at 9 am indoors on Pitch One, which will host all the championship bracket games on Sunday. The second best-of-three semifinals series starts at 10 am in the same place, as the two matchups will trade off every hour until the finalists are determined. The semifinals are sure to produce emotional performances and highlight-reel plays as teams attempt to write their place in history.
Meanwhile, outside on Pitch Two, MLQ will host its third annual Next Gen Showcase, a chance for practice squad players to compete against each other. Though MLQ is the highest level of quadball in North America and strives to be the equivalent of the NFL or WNBA, the league is dedicated to developing tomorrow’s talents and strengthening the sport at the grassroots level. Expect to see the tables turned as older, more experienced players in the stands root for younger, less experienced players on the field. The Chicago Meowstars will take on a team of practice squad athletes from the East Division dubbed the East Embers.
Before the finals, don’t miss the closing ceremonies at 3 pm indoors on Pitch One, where Co-Commissioners Amanda Dallas and Ethan Sturm will announce the divisional MVP awards, Patreon Fan Favorite, and the volunteer and manager of the season awards. A short break will follow as the two remaining teams start their warm-ups. What do you notice about the team drills they run or the pregame routines of your favorite players? A true fan favorite moment every year also comes when MLQ tosses free merch into the crowd.
The Benepe Cup finals are a unique experience, because the players hear their names announced alongside walk-up music before the games begin. The experience evokes professional sports stadiums and is the closest quadball players get to the pre-game other pro-athletes bask in before a championship match. Cheer loudly and settle in with the crowd for a best-of-three series that will determine the next champion. Remember, only two teams have ever hoisted the Benepe Cup: the Boston Forge and the Austin Outlaws. And since the Forge have to make their way out of the play-in bracket, the odds are better than ever that at least one franchise will get the chance to compete for its first title. Stick around for the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the final match, and don’t forget to buy your tickets for the afterparty at The Operating Room in West Des Moines from 9 pm to 1 am.
Monday, August 28
But wait, there’s more! MLQ hosts the hugely anticipated Take Back the Pitch tournament on Monday. A showcase for athletes who are not cis men, Take Back the Pitch will challenge your understanding of gender in quadball and create an opportunity for some of the best cis and trans women, non-binary folk and trans men in the sport to compete on the field together. Starting at 11 am the games take place in a round robin format followed by a 2-versus-3 playoff at 2:25 pm and a championship game at 4 pm. The tournament also features exciting trials of new rules trials like a 20-point goal line and the option to substitute a chaser for a seeker.
The event will feature three teams, all with names inspired by the biggest blockbuster of the summer, assembled from a pool of applicants.
Boston chaser Morgan Bertram will lead Barbies Gotta Ball, boasting Washington and US National Team keeper Rachel Heald. A veteran ballhandler at the top of the key and a towering defensive presence around the hoops, few athletes can impose their will upon a game like Heald. She will be key to stopping the barrage of 20-point shot attempts from long distance. As Bertram herself is one of the best tacklers in the league and a forceful finisher, expect Barbies Gotta Ball to bring a smashmouth style of play.
These Barbies Are Quadballers, helmed by New York Titans chaser Molly Potter, have one of the most-traveled athletes of the weekend: beater Nicola Gertler, who joined Washington after competing with her native Australia at the IQA World Cup in Richmond, Va. earlier this summer. She will take the field alongside two up-and-coming beaters, Serena Monteiro and Keighlyn Johnson, who will compete with Boston and Kansas City, respectively. Whether they stick with a seeker or add an extra chaser, These Barbies Are Quadballers will have large windows to run against their opponents.
While every team has a good chance to win, Chicago chaser Ally Manzella’s Barbie Dreamteam is perhaps the early favorite. Manzella has enjoyed a breakout season, as the league’s top female scorer with 19 goals and assistant coach for the North Division champions. Behind Manzella is a deep and well-balanced roster. Former Massachusetts Quadball Conference collegiate competitors Nojus Ausra and Adrian Koretsky, now key pieces for Chicago and Washington, fill out the beating corps, while Joanne Lam from the division rival Toronto Raiders is a versatile contributor at chaser.
With the conclusion of the championship game, the 2023 MLQ Championship wraps up. Make sure not to miss any of the action Monday, as Take Back the Pitch has established a strong reputation for highlighting the talent of historically overlooked athletes heading into the new college and club season. You can follow along on the livestream, which will bring full coverage and in-depth analysis of the tournament from a range of exciting new voices behind the mic.