Boston Forge Season Preview: Embers Turned Flames
Author: Isabel Roseth
“Change” is the word for the Boston Forge this summer. With a number of notable losses and an even longer list of new commitments, Forge will be forced to restructure and revise their previous gameplan, but is by no means resigned to failure. In the 2024 Major League Quadball Championships, Boston advanced to the semifinals, but was ultimately knocked out by the Chicago Prowl with a final score of 140-125. Prior to their defeat, however, Forge proved their prowess after coming back from a 45 point deficit against the Austin Outlaws.
This summer, however, Forge’s entirely new coaching staff gives the impression that this year’s team will be a very different team, leaving us with a few question marks as to what the team will look like. Harry Greenhouse, Boston’s head coach last summer, has stepped down, and Kieran Collier, a long-time Forge veteran, has taken the reins. Emma Persons, who was a long-time Minneapolis Monarch and is spending her first summer on the Forge, will be assistant coach. Andrew Steinberg and Ethan Dillon have also joined the staff as assistant coaches. Collier has long been one of Boston’s core beaters, and Forge stands to benefit from their coaching expertise, as well as Persons’ fresh eyes and US National Team expertise. While it is Steinberg and Dillon’s first years as MLQ coaches, both were reliable players on last year’s roster, and will inject young blood into Boston’s coaching staff this year.
Last season saw Forge place second in the East Division, behind only the New York Titans, but this summer Boston will not look as strong. In losing essential players such as Leanne Dillmann, Zach Doyle and Peter Lawrence, Forge will probably face some struggles, but they aren’t done for—they’re just weakened.. The influx of MLQ rookies and transfers offers the team an opportunity to play the long game, and consequently 2025 will likely be a rebuilding year for Boston. Cleo Brooks, Boston University’s star beater, committed to Forge early, and is certainly a player to watch this upcoming season. Other promising young additions include Ryan Callaghan, a standout rookie from Brandeis University; Swathi Mannem, a transfer from the League City Legends and a former member of Forge’s practice squad; and Thomas Flathers, who played a large role in Brown University’s promotion to Division 1 in the Massachusetts Quadball Conference.
Despite such changes, numerous players from last summer remain, many of whom were vital to Forge’s successful season. Long-time beater pair Max Havlin and Lulu Xu, who ranked second and ninth in MLQ’s Top 24 Players of 2024 poll respectively and made the USNT roster this summer, will likely remain the same reliable duo. Athena Mayor, Boston’s best female chaser, will probably log a lot of minutes on pitch this season. Olazaba also makes a return, and although he's lost Lawrence in a long-time line partner, he is incredibly strong on his own right; all that is left is for that duo’s line to be completed with the correct matches. Last year’s “young kid line,” which consisted of Samantha Magner, Steinberg, Dillon, and Luiza Nicolae, was often utilized to bring energy back to the pitch, but this summer will need to find their places on a roster with even more young and fresh players. Notably, Magner and Dillon will likely take build upon their success as rookies from last season.
Collier and Dillmann were one of Forge’s strongest beater pairs last season, but now Collier’s new partner remains a question mark. Dillmann leaves behind an intimidating pair of cleats to fill, and her replacement is highly dependent on what chaser lines are playing with Collier, especially given the two-minimum rule mandating there be two women on the field at all times. Otherwise, this gender rule is unlikely to affect Forge’s lineup much, as Boston already played two women consistently.
This upcoming season, Forge will face the Charlotte Aviators, the New York Titans and the Washington Admirals during the regular season. Charlotte should be an interesting match for Forge, as the Aviators have steadily improved since the team joined the East Division as an “MLQ Trial Expansion Team” in 2021 and became an official franchise in 2023. Despite Forge’s blowout sweep in 2024, the Aviators gave them more of a fight than expected. Even with Forge’s corps weakened, Boston stands a good chance of taking the series if they play hard and smart.
Alternatively, Forge is unlikely to win against the New York Titans, who won last year’s Benepe Cup. Titans will almost assuredly be a top team once again, but could provide Forge with a great opportunity to see how they hold up against elite players, and will be a series to learn from in preparation for the championship in August. Their match against the Admirals, however, is a toss-up. The Washington Admirals are a variable team, and if Forge can shut down their strongest players, Boston has a good chance, but the series is not promised to anyone. If nothing else, this will likely be Forge’s most interesting match up of the season, as it will likely be their closest series ahead of the championship.
Returning players:
Andrew Steinberg (Connecticut Quadball)
Athena Mayor (BOSNY)
Carsen Olazaba (BOSNY)
Erin McCrady (Connecticut Quadball)
Ethan Dillon (Vermont United)
Ian Scura (Vermont United)
Kieran Collier (BOSNY)
Luiza Nicolae (Connecticut Quadball)
Lulu Xu (Connecticut Quadball)
Max Havlin (Connecticut Quadball)
Samantha Magner (Purdue Quadball)
Sierra Delk (Connecticut Quadball)
Stephen Trempel (Vermont United)
Tabatha Danyow (Boston Red Pandas)
Thomas DeMouth (Connecticut Quadball)
Ufuk Guner (BOSNY)
William Richardson (Brown Bears Quadball)
New players:
Alexander Wicken (Vermont United)
Angela Song (Warriors Quadball)
Cleo Brooks (Boston University Quadball)
Emma Persons (Connecticut Quadball)
Jacob Polatty (Boston Red Pandas)
Jade Gray (Boston Red Pandas)
Jessica Lee (Harvard Horntails)
Karsten Assoua (Brown Bears Quadball)
Mason DeBoef (Vermont United)
Ryan Callaghan (Brandeis Quadball)
Swathi Mannem (Chaos Quadball Club)
Thomas Flathers (Brown Bears Quadball)
Zachary Donofrio (Boston University Quadball)
Breakdown:
College: 8
Brown Bears: 3
Boston University: 2
Harvard: 1
Brandeis: 1
Purdue: 1
Club: 22
Connecticut: 8
Vermont: 5
BOSNY: 4
Red Pandas: 3
Chaos: 1
Warriors: 1
Notable losses:
Leanne Dillmann
Zach Doyle
Peter Lawrence
Emily Hickmott
