Preview
Midwest Monday No. 1 and Tournament of the Stars Preview
This week, we give you our preseason top team Ohio State University and preview the region’s premier event, Tournament of the Stars 2, taking place on Sept. 20 in Columbus, Ohio.
As USQ prepares for its “inaugural” season, the three of us decided it would be interesting to write a small article highlighting the top 10 teams in the organization’s largest region: the Midwest. As most things concerning Midwest analysis tend to go, we ended up writing more than enough to give you all no less than five articles, which will be released each week leading up to the Midwest’s two kickoff events: Ohio State’s Tournament of the Stars 2 and the Illinois State Firebirds Opening Day on Sept. 20. After the season gets underway, we’ll occasionally revisit these rankings and update them as the first half of the season gets closer to the Midwest Regional Championship on Nov. 9.
This week, we give you our preseason top team Ohio State University and preview the region’s premier event, Tournament of the Stars 2, taking place on Sept. 20 in Columbus, Ohio.
#1: Ohio State University (OSU)
DH: To get the facts out of the way, Ohio State University (OSU) advanced the furthest in bracket play of all Midwest teams at World Cup VII, losing 100*-60 to finalist Texas State University. OSU recovered from a 170-50* blowout loss in pool play to community powerhouse the Lost Boys to defeat the University of Richmond, Villanova Community Quidditch, and the University of Michigan on its way to the Elite Eight. Coming in to a new season, hype has slowly sprung around the only top Midwest team from last season to not lose any players to graduation. Star players Julie Fritz (Team USA alternate beater) and Jeremy Boettner (chaser) are expected to lead Ohio State for another season.
TC: With no departing players, Ohio State is going to be scary good this year. Boettner is easily one of the top chasers in this region combined with the likes of David Hoops at keeper, it makes for an explosive offense. When you add those two to the highly compatible beater duo of Fritz and Matt Eveland, you can expect this team to make waves. Last season, Ohio State started off undefeated and maintained that record up until the Midwest Regional Championship, losing to Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Minnesota in pool play and the soon-to-be champions Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in bracket play. Looking forward, I see Ohio State making another undefeated run. With playmakers like Chris Bowman, Boettner, and Hoops leading the offense, Ohio State has a lot of firepower. Another thing to consider is the immense depth Ohio State has at male beater. Eveland was not able to participate during Ohio State’s Elite Eight run at World Cup VII. Taking Gavin Kyle, who excelled at World Cup, as well as Travis Hammock, a utility player, and adding Eveland to the mix is going to increase this depth tenfold. Combining that group with the power and finesse of Fritz, a beater who rarely needs a sub, creates an intimidating beating corps. The only team right now that can give Ohio State a run for its money is the University of Kansas. With that team located so far away, I expect the Buckeyes to go undefeated until the Midwest Regional Championship (unless, of course, Kansas and Ohio State compete in a head-to-head match before that point).
EW: Ohio State has the potential of being the German national soccer team of the Midwest this season. Methodical offense, a defense anchored by a funny-looking keeper with excellent range in David Hoops, and Boettner’s youthful scoring proficiency resembling Thomas Mueller are the building blocks for this team’s success, and it will be difficult to knock down. I also expect Ohio State to rout another elite Midwest team, as Germany did to Brazil, but that is just hopeful speculation.
Preview: Tournament of the Stars 2
This weekend in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State’s two teams (Ohio State Quidditch and its B team the Mighty Bucks) join 10 other squads in the Midwest’s first major battle. In USQ’s first actual look at the Midwest playing matches, we attempt to break down what will happen by covering the important storylines first, followed by our predictions on the outcome.
DH: The single most important storyline, to me, is this new-look Bowling Green State University roster. BGSU announced its two teams this past week, and although the core of the team remains, the depth positions are largely untested. Chasers Daniel Daugherty, Alex Closson, Meredith Taylor, and Pari Yost all return and are expected to lead the offensive attack. Chad Brown, Max McAdoo, Kaitlin Richard, and Jenna Rindler bring the experience as leaders of the beating line and combine with keeper Zak Hewitt to sure up the defense. Team USA seeker Sam Roitblat should continue to pull BGSU out of tight contests. However, the rest of this Bowling Green roster is extremely raw. Five of seven male chaser slots went to players with no prior quidditch experience. BGSU has one semi-new new keeper in Mike Gallagher, who played in three tournaments last year while a walk-on for the Bowling Green varsity men’s basketball team, is focusing solely on quidditch this season. In total, 11 new players are on the BGSU roster, with only two coming out of the Falcon Warriors (BGSU’s B team). The 10 returners give Bowling Green more than enough firepower to pull away from most teams outside our top 10. The question will be whether the other half of the roster is ready to play with the region’s top teams. If so, Bowling Green is a strong favorite to win this title. If not, Bowling Green could struggle in pool play against both Blue Mountain Quidditch Club (BMQC) and Miami University en route to a disheartening showing.
TC: I am interested in seeing two teams’ performances this weekend, and they both happen to be in the same pool: Ohio State and Grand Valley State University. Grand Valley shocked many making Day Two of World Cup VII, and I really want to see if it can keep that momentum, or if it was a fluke. Many players who have the capability to step up and become game changers, yet it is unclear whether any of the players will step up this season. Gabe Unick’s seeking game should prove interesting this season. Having played and snitched against him at the Black Swamp Fantasy Tournament early this summer, he really has the potential to be one of the best in the region. The question here is whether or not he will be able to play a level-headed game and prove himself on a larger scale.
As far as Ohio State goes, I am excited to see the beating pair Eveland and Fritz return. After an injury, Eveland was not able to participate for the majority of last semester and unlike most fantasy tournaments, the Midwest did not get to see Eveland and Fritz play together in the 2014 summer offseason (Eveland and Fritz played together at the Northeast Fantasy Tournament.) Can Ohio State keep its momentum from their World Cup performance and meet expectations? I think OSU can go undefeated until the Midwest Regional Championship this year, and what better way to start that accomplishment than at a home tournament?
On a side note, I am disappointed that Michigan has dropped and we will not see another Ohio State vs. Michigan game.
DH: Looking back at what I wrote about BGSU, I believe it will be able to squeeze by pool play unscathed. Its hardest match will be its last against Blue Mountain, which will give its new players enough time to be ready to just scrape by on the shoulders of Roitblat. I’m not seeing many upsets before bracket play, but my matches to keep an eye on are all three matches involving BGSU, BMQC, and Miami, as well as Grand Valley vs. Ball State University. Once bracket play begins, my odd teams out are the Falcon Warriors, the Mighty Bucks, Ohio University, and the College of Wooster. Although I’m scared to do it (again), I think Ohio State is the strongest team here and can ride its experience to the title. My dark horse pick is Michigan State; this is a team with a lot of returning talent and probably the least amount of questions among the top six attending. This early in the season, I think MSU’s internal chemistry can help overcome the raw talent of BGSU and the questionable parts of Central Michigan University (CMU), Blue Mountain, and Ball State’s lineups.
EW: I think BGSU is going to have a close game with BMQC in name only. As I’ve said before, BMQC is going to struggle with scoring, which plays perfectly into BGSU’s style of leaving the game in Roitblat’s hands. BMQC doesn’t have a match for his seeking prowess, nor the experience that the beating corps has playing together with Roitblat. Also, I’m going to predict now that Miami will struggle through pool play but will advance through to bracket play. This early in the year, I don’t think it will be able to hang with the other two big teams in its pool, simply because it wasn’t able to develop a successful playing style last year to roll over into the beginning of this season. I also think that due to the losses suffered by CMU, its matchup with MSU will be the most exciting game of the tournament. MSU’s retained players have improved greatly over the summer and will be able to deliver a tough game to a recovering CMU that was a strong force in the second half of last season. Finally, I agree with you, Hoops, that MSU could be a contender for the title, but only if it gets favorable snitch matchups for Jacob Heppe. A timid, less-physical snitch or one that focuses on escaping rather than engaging will always give him the advantage, but his aggressive style falters against stronger snitches who plant and redirect him. I say this because this is not a team that will be able to take OSU, BGSU, or BMQC out of snitch range.
