Players to Watch: Week Two
After a thrilling opening week, MLQ’s second weekend kicks off Saturday at 4 pm ET in Charlotte where the Charlotte Aviators are hosting the Boston Forge. The Aviators are looking for a statement win after losing all three games by triple digits last season. We then head to Minnesota for our Series of the Week where the Minneapolis Monarchs are squaring off against Detroit Innovators. After the Innovators won the series for the first time last summer, the Monarchs are looking to take it back. With so much action, here are a couple players to keep your eyes on this weekend.
Boston Forge: Cleo Brooks (#19)
With an influx of transfers and rookies, it’s hard to pick just one player on the Forge to watch out for in their opening weekend, but the name that pops off the roster the most is Cleo Brooks. Brooks has been a dominant beater in the Massachusetts Quadball Conference for years, and this summer she is finally taking her talents to MLQ. On the preseason short list for Rookie of the Year, Brooks has one of the most highly anticipated debuts on Saturday. Look for her to challenge the Aviator beaters in duels and create opportunities for the Forge offense to run in transition. If Brooks finds success this weekend, she will cement herself as a cornerstone in this young Forge beater corp.
Charlotte Aviators: Celine Richard (#29)
After missing the regular season last summer, beater Celine Richard is back for the Charlotte Aviators. In 2023, Richard finished second on the team in stops and played 142 drives, the only Aviator to play over 100. As a staple in the Charlotte defense, losing her was tough last season, but Saturday marks her regular season return. With Richard back in the lineup, expect these games to be much closer than they were in 2024. Look for Richard to put up stops this weekend and slow down the Forge offense.
Minneapolis Monarchs: Ryan Mehio (#71)
After winning Rookie of the Year in Kansas City last summer, Ryan Mehio is making his way up to Minneapolis to play for the Monarchs this year. Mehio was the fourth leading scorer in 2024 and is looking to continue his dominance in his sophomore season. The Monarchs are coming off a rough season, but Mehio has the firepower this team needs to bounce back in a big way. While he will be without his go-to option and fellow Kansas City transfer, Bitzy Archibold, he should still find much success on the field. Mehio can stop almost any driver that comes his way and can generate goals for the chasers around him. It’s only fitting that his debut in purple and orange comes during the Series of the Week.
Detroit Innovators: Ashton Glenn (#9)
Since 2023, when MLQ has been keeping track of stats per series, no chaser has had more success scoring in this series than Ashton Glenn. In his rookie season, Glenn put up 120 points against the Monarchs, that’s more than the traditional big names, like Max Meier, Emma Persons, and Leo Fried. Glenn also was a big piece on defense for the Innovators, with five stops. He was careful with the ball, only turning it over once the whole series. Now, in his second summer playing MLQ, Glenn will step into a larger role. It all starts this weekend against the Monarchs, where he has historically had success.
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