MQC Preview: Meet 4

PC: Kielan Donahue Photography

Author: Brandon Borges

Introduction

Four games, four chances to make statements within the Massachusetts Quadball Conference that could reverberate across USQ. Harvard arrives sizzling behind a revitalized beater corps, BU shows up with a chip and star power, RPI brings veteran cohesion and Emerson counters with playmakers searching for a signature win. With a short day of Quadball to be had and little reason to keep gas in the tank, look for these four teams to go all-out.

Schedule:

Harvard vs. RPI @ 9:00 AM

RPI vs. BU @ 10:15 AM

Harvard vs. Emerson @ 11:30 AM

BU vs. Emerson @ 12:45 PM

Harvard Horntails

Since David Chen rejoined the beater rotation, Harvard has gone from sneaky good to the pre-eminent Northeast team. The beater-led defense is suffocating: Chen’s exchange timing, pressures and long-range tags flip possessions before they form; Jason Wang builds on his year with snappy beats around hoops and quick runs in transition; and rookie Ashley Yu has slotted in seamlessly as a disciplined stabilizer, collecting control off of exchanges made by Chen and Wang with quick first-steps to close passing lanes behind hoops. Together they’ve turned the front of the hoops into a no-fly zone and supercharged Harvard’s transition game.

Bad news: Harvard will be without Mac Mertens, their best tackler and tone-setter at chaser. The good news: Elisa See is having a breakout two-way year, pressuring the initial offensive ball carrier near midfield, and then toggling on offense between weak-side shots, runs to behind hoops and passes to offensive wings to keep defenders honest. Without Mertens, it’s on Kevin Hu and rookie Toby Cheetham to bring the physicality at the top so the beaters can keep attacking the second pass instead of having to throw at chasers near hoops and allowing drive-and-dish opportunities.

On-ball, Owen Gwinnlandry continues to steer the set offense, but keep an eye on ascending rookie Bruce Lowmanstone. Already a premier center-hoop protector and improving finisher, he’ll get even more runways with a full-strength beater corps. , This will allow Lowmanstone to continue to work on being the offensive engine for Harvard. If he, alongside Cheetham and Yu, can reach the level the Harvard coaches have tapped them to be, the team can start jockeying with USQ’s top tier. RPI is a savvy, veteran team perfect for stress-testing the rookies’ composure, but with the confidence this group has built, expect another statement weekend from the Horntails.

Boston University

Though preseason predictions pegged the pack as poised for pole position, BU rolls into this weekend with a chip on its shoulder after narrow losses to Harvard and Rutgers. Though both teams were likely underrated by the original Fast Break rankings, those losses underline a few kinks for BU to iron out as the fall hits its back half. The Terriers have shown they have the talent to beat those teams. The biggest boon for the offense: Zachary Donofrio’s expected return. Donofrio is a player that demands defensive attention, and is integral to BU’s offensive game plan against top-tier opponents.

Equally heartening is the return of William White, who looked terrific last weekend winning tough exchanges at the point of attack, peeling off the flag game for perfectly-timed emergency tags and stabilizing control with clean collects and accurate throwbacks. He rejoins Molly French, Sam Finkenberg and Martin Meinert in a rotation that’s finally settling, as French’s leadership of the unit has taken form and will only be bolstered by White. As well, in Donofrio’s absence, another BU chaser took over the whole tournament: Evan Sciarabba delivered perhaps his most dominant stretch of offensive play to date, steamrolling isolation defenders, finishing through contact from anywhere and turning the flag-runner period into a brutal game of “Who Can Stop Sciarabba?” His presence created easy touch finishes for Ian Cargile and Henry Dinges, while Aidan Hyer partnered with Sciarabba to thump drivers at the hoops and force opposing chasers into low-percentage shots.

Their tilt with RPI is the right litmus test: disciplined chaser defense and organized beating demand BU avoid casual backside swings and arrive with a plan when the ball goes behind. If Donofrio’s return sharpens the sequencing and the beater unit keeps games on BU’s terms, the Terriers have a clear path to 2–0 and, more importantly, valuable reps as they tune up for spring qualifiers.

RPI

RPI has become a sentimental favorite this fall, but that label undersells how good they’ve been. The veteran, small-but-mighty roster has weathered shorthanded weekends without ever looking out of place, leaning on chemistry built over seasons. Their brand of Quadball is simply “everybody eats.” Ben Fawthrop orchestrates with pace and poise, probing, then picking the right read: Justine Cross streaking for a running shot, Aidan Whitaker in space for a dunk or shot on the wing or rookie Noah Bennett running with him in transition. And when defenses spread to cover the passing options on the wings, Fawthrop’s own shot punishes them. Swap lines and the identity doesn’t change: Sam Kudarauskas steps in to bring physicality on defense and carry phases of the offense himself. It’s unselfish, plug-and-play ball that travels.

Behind them, the beater corps complements the approach instead of competing with it. Emily Lardizabal and Vivian Rost-Nasshan squeeze the half court on offense, then tidy up stops around the hoops on defense; with a lean bench, nearly everyone has chipped in to preserve control and tempo. The result: a team that’s impressed and, yes, captured hearts, because the execution matches the ethos. Facing Harvard and Boston University on the same day is a gauntlet, but with only two games on the slate, RPI can empty the tank and double down on identity. If they continue sharing the ball, controlling the middle and letting Fawthrop set the table, they’ll be a serious problem for two title contenders.

Emerson

Emerson’s headline has (rightly) been the star work of Amiri Rivera Sillah and Ryan Leary at chaser. However, the quiet engine of this group has been Megan Brown and the beater corps. Brown’s unit has worked to compress opponents behind the keeper zone on defense, a boon to offensive players like Emerson’s chasers. That work buys Leary cleaner looks in rhythm and complicates any rotation that tries to jump Rivera Sillah: one step late and he’s already carving the lane; one step early and he fires a shot on the hoop where the defender comes off. With rookie Aris Peterson adding exchanges and clean-ups, Emerson’s beaters are steadily building the platform the attack runs on.

That platform is elevating everyone. Brown and company are carving out facilitation pockets for Leary to orchestrate, and as the season advances, expect more Emerson chasers to crash those spaces with timely cuts, diversifying the half-court beyond “give it to the stars.” Rookie seeker Wilbur McGeown has also cashed in on that support with several heads-up catches this fall. Those catches have come after Brown’s group stripped away interference around the flag runner. The road doesn’t get easier this weekend, as Harvard and Boston University are unforgiving tests, but if Brown continues to punish overextensions and Peterson keeps stacking solid reps, Emerson will manufacture chances on every possession and stay within striking distance against anyone.