Fast Takes With Fast Break: Minneapolis Monarchs vs Detroit Innovators
New Era or Return to Normalcy?
Author: Nathan Podolsky
The Big Picture
This Saturday, the Detroit Innovators travel to Minnesota to take on the Minneapolis Monarchs. Recent history of this matchup has followed a slow arc towards Michigan, starting with a Minneapolis sweep in 2021 that included a golden goal showdown in Game Two. Come 2022, Minneapolis again swept the series after a Game Three that saw both teams within flag catching distance of a win. The following year, Minneapolis’ two flag catches broke 70-70 halftime ties in Games One and Two to clinch another sweep, though quadball points across the games were equal. The trend came to a head in 2024, when Detroit manufactured three wins over the Monarchs at the North SuperSeries.
Innovator supporters can point towards the positive trend line, the return of a healthy Julien Theuerkauf and the growth of its young college players to claim an advantage this season. Meanwhile, Monarch fans can lean on their team’s end-of-season surge, the addition of Ryan Mehio and the nature of playing in Minnesota to draw inspiration. Regardless of one’s allegiance, it is clear that this series will be a strong sign of how the remaining regular season might play out for each team.
Roster Talk
In 2024, Minneapolis brought only 19 players to the North SuperSeries; they then lost Nadja Melby and Joe Goulet to injury early in the weekend. In playing six games across 24 hours with a bench only 17 deep, they fell apart as the games continued, ultimately losing to Detroit by 80 points in Game Three. Key players who did not travel included Nicole Nelson, Terry Carlson, Max Meier and Matt Bessard. This year, playing at “home” (or rather – in Rochester, Minnesota, a 90-minute drive from the Twin Cities), they sport a full 21. Though they are not rostering contributors Bitzy Archibold and Nathan Podolsky, the return of their missing veterans and an influx of new Minnesota Quadball college players sees them near full strength. Rookies making their MLQ debut for the Monarchs this weekend include Denay Hering, Jake Bradach, Aidan Curley and Matilda Chowen.
Detroit, who entered the 2024 SuperSeries with 25 players spread across two rosters, is on the shorthanded side of the matchup this season. With only 18 players making the journey, their lines will have to tighten. Expect Ryan Hsu and Rei Brodeur to see the lion’s share of minutes at beater, with a chaser game that runs through Ashton Glenn. Returning pieces Brady Sowers and Gwen Pratt join Theuerkauf to support Glenn along with newcomers Trevor Halverson, Krish Jain and Sarah Dykstra. On the flip side, the loss of Leo Fried stands out the most, particularly for his defensive abilities (his 39 chaser stops in 2024 led the league). Losing Kaegan Maddelein, a veteran field general, and the newly minted USNTDA coach Jack Levy may also be a roadblock to the Innovators’ offensive success. Rookies making their MLQ debut for the Innovators this weekend will include Brice Tweddle, Alan Pachla and Anna Klein.
Strategy Notes
Last year, Detroit took a page out of the Prowl defensive playbook to attack Minneapolis with a clear plan: stepping away from the hoop zone to force second-pass turnovers that opened up transition play as often as possible. Despite being overwhelmed by Chicago in June, the Monarchs did not have an answer to this puzzle by July. No matter how high Detroit plays defensively, it will be crucial for Minneapolis to move the ball into open space quicker and punish any overextension from the Innovator defenders. However, in order for Detroit to fully recreate last summer’s success, they will have to fill the gap left by Fried. Fried’s spatial instincts and wingspan allowed him to guard all three defensive hoops at once, enabling the rest of his teammates to expand outward in their coverage. If the Innovators commit too many resources towards the ball hoping for a quick turnover, they risk leaving their hoops open. On the flip side, if Minneapolis plays sloppily or allows possessions to end without any viable shot attempts, it is a sign that the Detroit press is winning. This area in particular is where the return of veteran chaser talent, including Carlson and Bessard, should shine. Their ability to draw possessions out and take what the defense gives them may reduce the number of turnovers compared to 2024.
On the other side of the ball, Minneapolis played much more conservatively. They nearly always rotated a chaser to passes, regardless of where the receiver stood. Their beaters stayed condensed near the relative safety of their own hoops. Detroit took advantage of this through two specific motions: hitting a chaser in stride behind the tall hoop, or passing across the top of the keeper zone to a chaser in front of the small hoop. The ability of both chasers and beaters to push as far forward into the offensive zone as the defense comfortably allowed them to translate into many high percentage shots or unblockable dunks. In particular, Sowers and Luc Marklin playing behind the hoops, along with Pratt and Lyndsey Smeyers playing at the top, generated mismatches which the Monarch defense was not prepared to handle. In order for Minneapolis to succeed this year, they have to find a different tack to keep the quadball in front of them and discourage Detroit encroachment. Regardless of the specific approach they take to accomplish that, their ability to generate stops and turnovers will rely on preventing Innovator occupation of the vicinity immediately around the hoops.
Matchups to Watch
Jenny Sun (DET, #28) vs Phoebe Thomas (MPLS, #46)
Both Thomas and Sun are dual threats for their teams: they play on the wings of the offense during the first 20 minutes, then often don the yellow headband in the second half.
Thomas often acts as a ball carrier behind hoops, forcing the defense out of position by being willing to draw a chaser or beater out to the sideline before making a pass.
Sun plays as a cutter and finisher, looking to catch and dunk or catch and drive, often on the weak side of the defense.
If Detroit and Minneapolis can put the ball in Sun and Thomas’s hands, particularly at or behind the hoops, it’s an indicator that something in the offense is being done right. The ability of each team to play through these two and their other wing chasers may determine whether their offense is in a rhythm or in a funk.
Ryan Hsu (DET, #12) vs Ben Schlueter (MPLS, #55)
Hsu, the new Innovators head coach, will be making his first appearance since a call-up to the US National Team. Meanwhile, Schlueter will look to build on a 2024 performance that saw him lead the Monarchs with 25 stops, nearly doubling his next closest teammate in the key defensive category. Watch out for how each beater handles their defensive possessions; both play with a similar mindset, but build on it in opposite ways.
Hsu covers a wide area of the field with speed and looks to take a dodgeball out of the play with quick feet or a well-timed toss back.
Schlueter covers the entire defensive zone with his unparalleled arm strength and has an uncanny ability to deflect an opponent’s dodgeball with his own.
Both beaters are each team’s best bet to force turnovers. Whichever holds dodgeball control more often and takes advantage of it can propel their team forward.
Maksim Sviridov (DET, #44) vs Meredith McDowell (MPLS, #36)
Sviridov and McDowell have never been the first option on their respective MLQ teams. However, both are used to playing on the top line of their USQ teams -- Sviridov for Michigan Quadball and McDowell for Minnesota Quadball -- and both were parts of D2 bracket runs that their college teams made in Richmond.
Sviridov has backed up Hsu and David Banas (who is not rostered this series) in his MLQ career thus far.
McDowell has previously spent time playing behind veterans Nicole Nelson and Nadja Melby (who transferred to Chicago) the last two seasons.
Each is primed to take another step forward this summer. For both teams, the top-line beaters are a relatively known quantity. The team whose beater substitutes win the plus/minus battle, led potentially by Sviridov and McDowell, should feel comfortable in the series.
Ashton Glenn (DET, #9) vs Max Meier (MPLS, #4)
Speed shows up on the field in different ways.
Glenn’s breakaway speed in the open field outpaces any defender in the North division.
Meier’s lateral quickness can open the field during any half court possession.
The two keepers are crucial pieces of their respective offenses, and spectators can expect at least five goals from each. The more interesting piece will be how each defends the other. If Meier can find a way to keep Glenn from scoring in transition, or if Glenn can force the ball out of Meier’s hands in the half court, the series will venture into unknown territory.
X-Factors
Transition rate
Few teams counted on fast break buckets more than the Monarchs and the Innovators last season. Look for both teams’ beaters to cause chaos on defense and present as many opportunities as possible for their chasers to run. If Minneapolis responds to the pressure with effective ball movement and more decisive beater plays to regain control, they can avoid falling into the same traps as last year. Meanwhile, if Detroit cleans up a few of its missed shots and dropped passes, it can ground the butterflies before they take off. Ultimately, the team with fewer chaser turnovers will score more quadball goals and put themselves in a position to win.
Dodgeballs at halftime
It’s easy to look at the final scores of last year’s games to decide that Detroit ran away with the series. However, both of the first two games were within two goals at the end of seeker floor. Critically, Detroit began each second half with two dodgeballs (the first off of a Monarch mental miscue — a third dodgeball interference penalty). This proved decisive, as Detroit caught both flags early in the period, shutting the door on Minneapolis’ comeback hopes. Fast forward to 2025, and it would be surprising to see either team enter FROP with a sizable lead in quadball points. Therefore, dodgeball control at the stoppage will determine the flag-catching team in each game: USNTDA seeker Joe Goulet along with the aforementioned Thomas and Sun won’t let open looks go to waste.
Prediction
This will be an extremely entertaining series, and both teams ought to showcase the firepower that ultimately sends them to MLQ Championships in August. Both teams will finish the season in the top three of the North Division.
