Fast Takes with FastBreak: Central Conference Championships
By: FBN Staff
Now that the Central Conference seeding has been determined for MLQ Championships, it is the Eastern Conference’s turn. Hamilton, Ohio, will serve as the battleground for six teams seeking every possible advantage ahead of the season's final tournament. In the case of two teams, they are, in fact, seeking entry onto the field altogether.
It is do-or-die time for the third-place teams in the Atlantic and Gateway Divisions, the Washington Admirals and Cleveland Riff, who will face off in a series that determines the final qualifier for MLQ Championship weekend. At the opposite end of the standings, the undefeated New York Titans and Charlotte Aviators have a much different prize at stake: the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
The winner of the qualification series and the loser of the top-seed matchup will continue to battle for position alongside the second-place teams from each division, the Boston Forge and Detroit Innovators. Every team will have plenty to consider both during this tournament and beyond, including the possibility of an eventual matchup against a Central Conference opponent. However, there is little room to look ahead. Each Eastern Conference team displayed distinct strengths and weaknesses throughout the regular season, and FastBreak News contributors break them down below.
Looking past the conference, the teams know their next opponents on the way to the Benepe Cup. While they compete this weekend, they are locking in matchups that will make or break their MLQ 2026 journey. The results of this weekend will lead to these matchups:
East No. 1: vs winner of Houston Legends v East 5
East No. 2: vs San Antonio Soldados
East No. 3: vs Kansas City Stampede
East No. 4: vs Minneapolis Monarchs
East No. 5: vs Houston Legends (play-in)
New York Titans
The New York Titans enter Eastern Conference Champs undefeated and in control of their destiny. At 6-0, New York is the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division and will face a familiar opponent, the Charlotte Aviators, for the top spot in the conference. If the Titans can clinch the first seed at MLQ Championships, coming up in two weeks, they will have an easier path back to the finals.
Expectations for this Titans squad at the beginning of the season were high, and so far they have done everything and more to prove their worth. After two series sweeps over the Washington Admirals and the Boston Forge, New York is firing on all cylinders. Their star chasers have exploded for a dominant season on both offense and defense and their beaters have controlled games and locked down their opponents.
To get the top seed in the conference, the Titans need to play the way they have all season. Talent-wise, their roster can go toe to toe with any team in the league. However, the name of the game this weekend is execution. If they stick to their game plan and take care of the fundamentals, they should be able to clinch the No. 1 seed and set their sights on late August in Lancaster, PA. Although it might be easy to lose focus on the importance of this weekend, the Titans need to take care of business before they can lock in on reclaiming the Benepe Cup in a few weeks. Their path to another MLQ title starts now by clinching the top seed and putting themselves behind the MLQ eight ball.
Charlotte Aviators
The Charlotte Aviators have soared to new heights, posting their most wins in a season since joining MLQ in 2021. With head coach Kody LaBauve (backed by ACs Lindsey Simpson, Tony Bonadio, and Cole Tibbs) at the helm, the Aviators have kept the pedal to the metal- dominating in all four positions to a No. 1 in the Gateway division and a top-3 Eastern Conference finish. They’ve used their chemistry from the Charlotte Aviators banner during the 2025 USQ season to fly through the first three months of MLQ. Now that they’ve done all they can for the season, they’ll need to focus their champs prep on toppling teams they’ve never defeated.
The Aviators enter the weekend facing off against an opponent they’ve never been able to topple- the New York Titans. Across four Titans head coaches, the Titans have consistently stymied the Aviators’ strengths, switching between a beater-dominant zone to shots and drives to counter any defense the Aviators commit to. Will this year be any different? If there’s any chance, it’ll come in the strengths that helped Charlotte take their only game against the Titans (at the Benepe Cup 2021, CLT 135 - NYC 80). Quick transition fast breaks stopped that Titans team from setting up defenses and a proclivity for catching the flag led to a monumental upset in Game 1, though the Titans ultimately took the series. To repeat that post-pandemic magic, Aviators will need to create the best matchups in the beater game to stop the Titans' beater domination and hold space during the flag period.
Preparing for conference champs will come down to managing how long Celine Richard and LaBauve stay on the field. Pulling a Boston Forge 2025 strategy may lead to a higher ceiling for this team, whereas the Forge splitting franchise beaters Max Havlin and Lulu Xu resulted in a stronger force than would have resulted from having them both leave the field for extended periods. LaBauve’s strategic mindset provides opportunities to keep control and confuse opposing beaters- this can work with the free beaters of Micki Haralson, Hanna Reese, or Stephanie Peck to clean up an errant dodgeball or a poorly spaced pass. Richards’ spacing on field always leaves them ready to make the next right move- catching an extended beater out of position or causing a turnover from a chaser on an island to take off into a fast break for their team. They’ve shown chemistry in the engage beaters Bonadio, Peck, and Leo Bonilla over the course of the current MLQ season and recent USQ season.
Providing cover for the engage beaters to extend sets up the Aviators for what they’ve needed to succeed- dodgeball control. Charlotte has been a team that scores most against no dodgeballs (shocking, I know), but more importantly, has an extremely low scoring rate on a defense with dodgeball control. In the chaser game, the Aviators have maintained an ability to hold shooters and drivers across every line. Austin Cruz (seven goals), Oliver “Lee” Hodge (15 goals) and Braxton Hale (seven goals) are the highest scoring threats for the team, with Hodge one goal away from the highest in the league (as of MLQ stats the week preceding Eastern Champs). Focusing too much on those drives opens you up to the second weapon of the Aviators' offense- quick facilitation to chasers who can shoot/cut within any zone to a scoring position. Simpson, the Thompson brothers (Nick and Zach), and Melissa Ross all hold seven goals apiece- able to score all around the hoops and through flat-footed chaser defense. Maintaining the Charlotte chemistry and keeping opponents guessing is their bread and butter for a strong finish this weekend.
While the Aviators have a difficult matchup against the Titans, even with an expected loss, it sets them up well for what's next. Losing day one will mean facing off against a stronger Detroit Innovators (who return Jon Jackson and Rei Brodeur) or a strong Boston core in a matchup reminiscent of the old East Division. The Aviators don't have their strongest roster of the season due to Ryan Davis's unfortunate injury earlier this season, but the consistent growth of Cruz and Tibbs pre- and post-FROP has made it easier for the other Aviators chasers to share the load. They'll play hard in every game they compete in, but this weekend's prediction is whether you believe they'll finish 2nd or 3rd in the conference. (This writer believes they can take 2nd)
Prediction
CLT 0 - NYC 2
CLT 2 - DET 1
CLT 2 - BOS 1
Boston Forge
The Boston Forge enter the Eastern Championship with their biggest test of the season after putting together a strong regular season that included a sweep of the Washington Admirals and a split with the New York Titans. Throughout the year, the Forge have relied on balanced scoring and contributions from across the roster rather than one dominant line.
Chasers Emma Parsons and Ryan Leary have been at the center of that success, consistently generating offense while creating opportunities for the players around them. Boston's ability to stay composed in close games and to produce from multiple lines has been one of the team's defining strengths all season.
The Forge will need that same complete team performance if they want to return to Championship Weekend. Boston's defense has been just as important as its offense, limiting opponents' chances and forcing mistakes that have fueled transition opportunities. With veterans providing leadership and newer faces continuing to grow into larger roles, the Forge have found an identity built on depth and consistency.
Boston will face off against the Detroit Innovators on Day One. A series win against the Innovators would put the Forge in a good position for Day Two, where they could potentially battle for the No. 2 seed at MLQ Champs. However, Detroit is no small foe for the Forge and boast strong chasers and a veteran beater core. To win, Boston will have to fire on all cylinders, but the Forge have already proven their prowess against high-level opponents such as Washington. Against a hungry Detroit squad, every possession will matter, but if Boston can continue to play the quadball that has carried it all season, the Forge will have every opportunity to capture the Eastern Championship and earn another shot at the MLQ title.
Detroit Innovators
The 2026 regular season was much the same as the 2025 season with the Detroit Innovators going .500. The Innovators failed to win their opening series at home against the Charlotte Aviators, with the Detroit offense grinding to a halt during FROP in Games One and Two before a perfunctory Game Three blowout. In a rain-and-smoke-choked series against the Cleveland Riff, Detroit emerged victorious, albeit bloody from their derby rivals, especially after racking up two red cards in Game Three.
With the absence of Rei Brodeur for the majority of the season, the question remained who would pick up the slack from their minutes. In Charlotte, that was Brooke Smiley playing a personal record of shifts against the Aviators. Against Cleveland, however, it was MLQ rookie Atlas Mitchell who had themselves a day, leading the Innovators’ beating corps with a commanding impact. Ayn Rand’s Atlas might have shrugged under pressure but not Detroit’s, as Mitchell was on the field for both red cards — including beater red — successfully killing both penalties without giving up a goal. More impressively, Mitchell went +4 on the red cards in a game in which the Innovators desperately needed a hero to step up.
Similarly, the question mark at seeker has finally been answered. After a slower start in Game One, Jackson Massey proved to be lights out against one of Quadball’s best flag runners in Derek Parker, catching him in Game Two to finish off a frustratingly game before slamming the door shut on his derby rivals in Game Three.
The same troubling pattern of questionable FROP play in the chaser game that spelled Detroit’s doom against Charlotte was also present against Cleveland. Detroit gave up five goals post-20 minutes in Game One and a more modest three goals in Game Two, the bleeding largely stopped by Massey’s catch that prevented the Riff from finding their groove. Against the Boston Forge, the Innovator’s first-round matchup at Eastern Conference Champs, this pattern will prove disastrous if not rectified. This is because of the skill, experience and cohesion of the Boston squad, which plays at a much higher caliber than what Detroit has seen so far.
In a way-too-far-ahead prediction of this tournament, Detroit has the benefit of knowing who their champs opponents will be based on how they perform this weekend. Here are the four possible scenarios:
Detroit beats Boston and Charlotte, playing San Antonio for a spot in the semi-finals.
Detroit beats Boston but loses to Charlotte, playing KC for a spot in the semi-finals.
Detroit loses to Boston but beats Washington, playing Minneapolis followed by Chicago for a spot in the semi-finals.
Detroit loses to Boston and Washington, playing Houston followed by NY for a spot in the semi-finals.
The best result for Detroit obviously involves beating Boston, whether winning or losing the following series. And yet, as two of the league's original eight founding members, this is precisely what the Motor City franchise has failed to accomplish. With the passing of the torch in the Boston beating corps, now would be the best time for the Innovators to rewrite their franchise history. This new crop of Boston beaters, however, is no slouch, with veteran Tom DeMouth leading a corps filled with talent such as Cleo Brooks, Ryan Callaghan and Alex Wicken.
Additionally, and firmly embracing the team’s Jayke Archibald/Harry Greenhouse legacy, this new crop of Bostonians still loves to run in transition, Detroit’s Achilles heel against both Charlotte and the Titus-Chan-led Cleveland. Can Detroit finally find an answer to transition defense — and offense — that has plagued them during the Ryan Hsu era? If they can find an answer beating Boston en route, their rematch against the Aviators, this time with both Brodeur and Jon Jackson, will be a matchup favoring Detroit. If they can’t find that answer, a quick and decisive 0-2 is likely in the cards for the Innovators. This will force them to exorcise the demons of last year’s MLQ Champs play-in bracket come August.
Washington Admirals
At last place in the Atlantic Division, the Washington Admirals find themselves in a precarious position going into the Eastern Conference Championship. This weekend, Washington plays their Gateway Division equivalent, the Cleveland Riff, to see who qualifies for the 2026 MLQ Championships. Do the Admirals have what it takes to weather the coming storm, or will they find themselves shipwrecked and without a ticket to champs?
The answer to that question may come down to whether or not Washington can improve their hoop coverage against the Riff’s prolific shooters. In their series against the Boston Forge, the Admirals struggled to stop Boston’s shots. Washington tends to leave the middle hoop open and their rotations after tap-outs leave a lot to be desired. On one hand, Cleveland doesn’t utilize hammer plays (when beaters make quick beats on side-hoop defenders to open up hoops for shots) as often as the Forge, so poor rotations might be less of a problem. On the other hand, Boston was able to get shots through defended hoops. If the Admirals don’t stay consistent at the hoops, the Riff’s Titus Chan and Joseph Lombardi will undoubtedly take advantage and rack up points.
While their hoop coverage leaves room for improvement, one of Washington's major defensive advantages is their physicality and willingness to make hits. Many Cleveland chasers struggled to play through contact in their series against the Detroit Innovators. In that series, the Riff struggled to connect their passes when contact was even just threatened. The Admirals’ heavy hitters may prove to be too much for the Riff to handle.
Washington’s beaters should also give them an edge over Cleveland. The Admirals’ beaters tend to play in a split stack (one beater in front of the hoops, one beater behind & in a vertical line), whereas the Riff’s beaters rarely play in a distinct formation. While Washington beaters occasionally overextend or fail to play together, Cleveland’s beaters look disconnected more often than not. They act as individual islands rather than a pair, which will allow the Admirals to divide and conquer. Beater cohesion and chemistry will be integral to Washington’s success.
Both the Admirals and the Riff have struggled in the passing game this season. In their series against the Innovators, the Riff struggled to land even one pass without turning over the Quadball. No one person is at fault; turnovers were caused by high/wide throws, bobbled catches and the occasional hospital pass to receivers who were immediately gunned down by beaters or tackled. Washington, alternatively, runs into trouble when their male ball carriers attempt to take on entire defenses by themselves. Doing so forces them to bail out with sloppy passes that frequently get picked off. Then, if said passes actually reach a receiver, the receiver is usually immediately beat for a turnover. Victory or defeat may come down to which team can clean up their passes.
Writer prediction:
While the Admirals have a lot to work on, the Cleveland series is theirs to lose. Much of the Washington roster plays together during USQ season and the Admirals (arguably) have a tougher schedule. Most likely, they will sweep the Riff and find themselves playing the loser of Boston vs. Detroit. Forge vs. Innovators should be a close, hard-fought series and is highly likely to go to a third match. It’s hard to say who will triumph between the two second-place teams. Regardless, that team will undoubtedly be much more tired than the Admirals, leading to an unusually even matchup.
Final prediction: the Admirals’ second series in the Eastern Division Championship will have some of the toughest, grittiest games of the 2026 MLQ season.
Cleveland Riff
The Cleveland Riff entered the 2026 MLQ season with high hopes after their first MLQ Championship appearance since 2021, but they may feel like there’s some potential left on the table. The Riff finished the regular season 0-6 after tough losses to the Charlotte Aviators and the Detroit Innovators, marking their first finish in the Gateway Division at No. 3. However, Cleveland has shown progress this season, allowing for new faces to step up into needed roles and rebuild the franchise.
During the regular season, the Riff were led in scoring by USNTDA member and MLQ rookie Titus Chan, who tallied an impressive 16 goals across six games. Chan, along with Jack Moseley, also led the team in stops with 12 apiece. While on paper the Riff’s results have been less exciting than previously hoped, the team is showing promise. With the addition of young college players like Chan and their CWRUcio teammates to a strong veteran core of the Ohio Apollos such as Joe Lombardi and Moseley, Cleveland has a new foundation. They’ll certainly look to use Eastern Conference Championships to continue to grow as a franchise and prepare for the future.
Cleveland will meet the Washington Admirals on Day One of Conference Championships. Washington, ranked No. 3 in the Atlantic Division, had a frustrating season as they finished 0-6. The Admirals will face the Riff with vigor as they try to salvage what they can of their season. While many are not optimistic of Cleveland’s chances against Washington, the Riff will still gain valuable postseason experience as they continue to grow their franchise.
