Players to Watch: Week 4
With one third of the MLQ season in the books, we enter a Buffalo-defining week four. We open the weekend at 5 PM ET in Canada, where the Toronto Raiders are hosting the Detroit Innovators. The series will have major implications for who will miss the MLQ Championship in the North Division. We then head to the East Coast, where the Boston Forge are hosting the New York Titans for the first 2025 Series of the Week in the East Division. With the path to first on the line and four out of the last five matchups being split series, expect a thriller between two heavyweights. Finally we head to Texas, where the Houston Legends are taking on the San Antonio Soldados. This is our first look at one of the most complete teams in the league. Meanwhile the Legends are looking to come back from their 0-3 start from week one. With so much going on this week, here are six players to watch.
Toronto Raiders: Alexander Scherger (#11)
Alexander Scherger has been a consistently strong beater for the Toronto Raiders summer after summer, and this weekend he gets a spotlight. With the Raiders’ season on the line, Scherger will be sure to play heavy minutes. He led the Toronto beaters with eight stops against the Cleveland Riff, more than double the next Raiders beater. With many offseason moves in the Raiders beater corp, Scherger has stepped up big time for the franchise. On opening weekend he played 69 drives, the second most of any beater during a single series in MLQ history. With top-talent Detroit pairs coming to Toronto this weekend, Scherger will need to continue elevating his role and game to save the Raiders’ season.
Detroit Innovators: Sarah Dykstra (#29)
One of the biggest offseason moves for the Innovators was acquiring Sarah Dykstra from the Toronto Raiders. After spending a season at the University of Michigan, she is now taking her talent to Detroit for the summer. In her first appearance in a teal jersey against the Minneapolis Monarchs, Dykstra was one of the top defenders for the Innovators. She finished with three stops, tied for the most among Detroit chasers. Now, Dykstra has the chance to head to Toronto and take on her old teammates, where she will play a crucial role in what might be the most important series of the Innovators.
Boston Forge: Ethan Dillon (#42)
When you think of the traditional Forge goal-scorers, the first name to cross your mind is unlikely to be Ethan Dillon. After this season, that will change. As it stands, Dillon is the only Boston player who is a double digit scorer on the season after he put up 100 points against the Charlotte Aviators. That’s the same number of points Dillon had all of last year across nine games. Majority of those points came against the Titans, who the Forge take on this weekend. Dillon has had success against New York before, and if he continues to be the leading scorer for Boston, he will play a vital part in the Forge’s chaser game this weekend.
New York Titans: Tessa Cicco (#19)
One thing that might surprise MLQ fans is even though the Titans have beaten the Forge the past two seasons, the fight over control has gone back and forth. In 2023 against the Forge, we saw Tessa Cicco finish in the top three for highest average dodgeballs in the series. Last season, Cicco was one of the top three Titans players with highest average dodgeballs. The importance of Cicco in New York’s ability to hold on to dodgeballs cannot be overstated and in no place is it needed more than in Boston. Expect the 2024 MLQ East MVP to shine under the lights in one of the most important series of the season. Cicco will lead the Titans’ beaters and make sure New York can thrive against some of the toughest beaters in the league.
Houston Legends: Mallory Hughes (#8)
One of the cornerstones for Houston and emerging top players in the league is Mallory Hughes. Last season, Hughes was a consistent scorer for the Legends and one of the best defenders across MLQ. She finished with 13 stops, second on the team during 2024. Hughes is in the perfect position to continue being a defensive league leader. After week one she remains tied for second in stops among Legends chasers, with just one stop away from leading the franchise. Hughes now gets the opportunity to face off against one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. Houston is going to need defense this weekend, and Hughes will be able to provide it.
San Antonio Soldados: Jay Stewart (#6)
Picking one player to watch on the Soldados this weekend is nearly impossible. The team has four of the top six scorers from last season, the reigning South MVP, and USNT talent up and down the roster. But, if there’s one player to watch, it’s Jay Stewart. His return to the Soldados is one, of the many, jaw-dropping moves from the offseason. Stewart has consistently been one of the top chasers in the league, finishing as a top-five scorer in 2022, 2023, and 2024. After spending last season on the Austin Outlaws, Stewart’s impact will be felt instantly when he steps onto the field Saturday. In what is arguably the most efficient and high-powered offense in the history of MLQ, expect Stewart to return to the Soldados as a centerpiece in what could be the greatest group of goal scorers ever assembled.
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