Playoff Preview: Quarterfinals, Day One

We’ve arrived at the quarter-finals. The first week of Premier League and Foundation league playoffs. Five Leagues and two modes all competing over three days means this is the biggest weekend of the postseason and every match seems to be better than the last. There is so much going on this weekend that it’s frankly hard to break it all down. But we’re going to try taking this day by day to let you in on all the action and tell you what to expect for this weekend’s matches. So here is your playoff preview for all the matches you’ll see today, July 30th, in the MLE season 12 playoffs.

Foundation League

Doubles: Shadow (1) vs. Demolition (4) 7:00 pm on MLEsportsgg2

From the start of the season, there have been two teams out in from of the Foundation League. The Shadow have stayed consistent in dominating the Orange Conference, especially in doubles. They finished the season with a 39-11 record, that’s a winning percentage of 78%, the highest level of dominance outside of the Premier League. The team is lead by star player LogiCC who scored a league-leading 95 goals and put up an impressive 5.99 MVPR on the season. The likely partner in the Duo is CrazyCow who is no slouch either at 52 goals on the season and averaging over one assist and one save per game.  For the Demolition, the story has been a bit different. The Mystic Division has been a competitive race in both 2s and 3s. The Demo have managed to rise above the pack by having a solid roster from top to bottom, with every player participating in at least two doubles series. WarRat has emerged as the team leader in 2s with an average of 1.72 goals per game, look for them to be the offensive factor for the Demo as they look to pull off the upset.

Doubles: Hawks (1) vs. Foxes (4) 7:00 pm on MLEsportsgg3

As is natural in Foundation League, the Hawks roster has changed somewhat from the early favorites that were picked up at the draft. But through scouting and training, the Hawks have managed to no only stay relevant but stay on top in the Blue Conference doubles race. Beepbingbngbop was a midseason addition that has stepped up big for the team, averaging 1.95 goals per game across four series. That kind of offensive production will be hard to combat in the Foundation League. On the other side, the Foxes may be coming in a little underrated in this match-up and may be looking to surprise the Hawks in round one. The Foxes may have not taken their division this season but they have a major edge in the postseason with a two-time Foundation League Champion in TheLouzer playing on the team. TheLouzer has had a quieter season than you would expect but don’t count them out when it comes time to make the clutch play. Akstronaut is the other x-Factor on this team, coming in late in the season and making a huge impact with 26 goals in just 10 games.

Academy League

Standard: Shadow (1) vs. Rhinos (7) 8:00 pm on mlesportsgg

The Rhinos are another team that came off a strong upset. The End Of You, Yurek, and Carl swept the Pirates. Overall, it was a low-scoring battle led by the Rhino’s stout defense. I would expect the Shadow to play ClayHD_ as he has a 70+ win percentage over 40 games. Another player I might expect to see is xXxBlowMeAwayxXx who went 33 and 7 in 8 series this season. Seventh seeds can be dangerous, and this match may just prove how deadly they can be.

Standard: Sabres (1) vs. Hive (6) 8:00 pm on mlesportsgg2

The Hive came off a solid divisional win against the Ducks. This team swarmed a higher-seeded Ducks in game one and took an impressive 4-1 game. The following three games were closer with a one-goal differential. Blindsurvival took the helm with a 3.43 MVPR on 7 saves. The Sabres come off a week of rest, which could be just what their MVP Lil Sauctin needs. Sauctin has a solid 3.66 MVPR across 40 games. The Hive showed they can beat a top team this week, but will it be good enough against the Sabres?

Champion League

Doubles: Wizards (4) vs. Dodgers (6) 8:00 pm on mlesportsgg3

The Dodgers came roaring back late in the season to secure a playoffs spot and they seem to be taking that momentum into the postseason. Ingz and Jarhead seem to have found the perfect formula to succeed in Champion League doubles. They fended off shot after shot to hold the Tyrants to 5 for 27 on scoring chances converted. The real lethal X factor in the Dodgers game was the counterattack. Almost every one of the Dodgers 18 saves was followed up by a speedy transition to their opponent’s side and often led to a 2v1 for the blue and white. Their second round match-up against the Wizards might be a different story, however.  The Wizards surprised some by coming out with Prince|E in the lineup with WhippyFlippy instead of seasoned starters Mario_RL, Fittz, or Mople. But the duo proved successful and WhippyFlippy did what they do best, put shots on net. With 23 shots over 4 games, they sealed the Wizard’s win with relentless pressure. This match will be a case of attack vs counterattack and the victor will likely be the team with the best composure on the goal line.

Doubles: Hawks (1) vs. Spartans (7) 9:00 pm on mlesportsgg3

There were several seven seed upsets on Friday night of wildcard weekend and the Spartans were happy to be responsible for two of them. One being the Academy League doubles team and the other being this Champion League duo who held the Jets to just six goals in four games. Both Rine and Dizzi have been hovering around the top 10 in multiple categories this season but it wasn’t until this series that they seemed to start firing on all cylinders. Their consistency and solid rotations chipped away at their opponents and allowed them to capitalize on every Jets mistake. The Hawks are the Number one seed and their next opponent in the Blue Conference. The Hawks in doubles are a slight mystery to me. Their star player looks to be Squintle, who has averaged an impressive 5.92 MVPR and 2.52 goals per game. But the Hawks have seven players on the roster with at least two series played while also not having a single player with more than 5 series played. It’s also worth mentioning that almost every one of those players has had great results and stats this season. The Spartans may struggle to prepare for this Hawks team who could play any number of lineups and still look formidable.

Standard: Comets (1) vs. Sharks (4) 9:00 pm on mlesportsgg

The Sharks chomped down the competition and took a 3-1 victory in round one versus the Rhinos. The series looked to be a close one with a 1-0 victory in game 1. Then the Sharks struck with a 7-1 brazil in game 2. In the next two games, the Rhinos managed to put up a defensive fight but ultimately the Sharks proved they were the more composed team. Hobo1104 was the standout player on both ends of the pitch with seven goals and seven saves. The Comets enter this round the favorites, with an impressive 47 and 23 record. They also have a few standout players. The likely suspects are NoRek, Matty-Ice2110, XYPHET who collectively average a 2.85 MVPR.

Standard: Foxes (1) vs. Hive (4) 10:00 pm on mlesportsgg2

The Hive won a 3-1 series with only five goals in week one. The only game they dropped was a game where their shut-down defense got away from them. But the trio of Moxen, Rodgers, and Rebel have shown they can go toe to toe with a tough opponent and come out ahead. The Foxes are that next opponent and they will be as tough as they come. Armo27, V0J0, and Galactic have all averaged over 3.0 MVPRs and Lack has been a consistent force with 42 goals on the season and 1.12 saves per game. Both teams are stacked with reliable and mechanically talented players. I expect this match to be back and forth and likely go the full five games.

Master League

Doubles: Knights (1) vs. Express (5) 10:00 pm on Mlesportsgg

The Express won a close series against the Aviators in round one. In a 3-1 series they outscored the Aviators by two goals despite being outshot by only the slightest margin (31 to 30 shots). Poobi3 and Botato outlasted their opponents in a back and forth series by converting their chances and remaining composed late in the series. It was a test that could perhaps prepare them for their next opponent who will likely be even faster and more accurate on the offense than their last. The Knights earned their number one spot by having not just two but five star players on the doubles roster. Five players have over a 4.0 MVPR on the season with at least four series played. Topping that list is Syrup who posted a 5.86 MVPR and 62 goals over 30 games. It’s hard for me to say for sure who will be Syrup’s partner but I think we could see the likes of KyleSpanx or MikeIsMyIke who averaged 1.88 and 2.03 goals per game respectively.

Standard: Eclipse (1) vs. Aviators (7) 9:00 pm on mlesportsgg2

Before the Aviators even got into the playoffs officially, they had to play a best of one series against the Jets. Not only that, they played that game immediately before playing the Express. They managed to roll their momentum in that Jets game into a 3-1 series win over the Express. CheeseSandwich put in an impressive performance with 6 goals on 21 shots. Can the Aviators continue their Cinderella run against the number one seeded Eclipse? OGkrish and JaykoBlanco are likely starters today with 10 series played this season. The two are a defensive duo with 1.56  and 1.18 saves per game respectively. Any of the other three starters could be a good candidate for a third in this matchup. The Aviators have looked impressive so far but this Eclipse team may be a whole new caliber of speed and mechanics. 

Standard: Bears (1) vs. Flames (4) 10:00 pm on mlesportsgg3

Sometimes in Rocket League the best defense is a good offense and the Flames like to play defense by not letting the ball out of their opponent’s end. They spent the majority of their wildcard round series pinning the Rhinos in their defensive end and not letting up. That’s how they took a decisive 3-0 sweep in round one. All three players put up great numbers in the series, but it was Jawn who impressed the most with a 4.78 MVPR.  The Flames move on to face the number one seeded Bears, who have no doubt been chomping at the bit to start their post-season run. No Bears team has ever won a championship in MLE so far but at 47 and 23, the Master League Bears might be their best shot at the title. There are five Bears on the roster who could likely make an appearance but I would put my money on seeing MLE veteran TyTy in action. Along with being a veteran and leader, TyTy has averaged a 3.2 MVPR and put up 68 saves over 40 games this season.

Standard: Elite (2) vs. Wizards (3) 11:00 pm on mlesportsgg

The Elite and Wizards are two teams with strong first round victories, fending off lower-seeded teams to show they are ready for a challenge. Now they meet in the second round and each team looks in form. The Elite had a nice 3-0 sweep that showed their team synergy is the best it’s been all season. All three players posted over a 3.0 MVPR. Dstn led the team with 4 goals but BuffaloBeast and Deadalao were right behind with 3 goals each. On the other side, the Wizards had a round one battle on their hands as they dropped their first two games but battled back and showed some true magic with the reverse sweep. Doodle! proved they are a true MVP candidate as they stepped up late in the series to help the Wizards pull ahead. Doodle! finished the series with 6 goals 3 assists and 6 saves. The Elite looked confident in round one but with the level of fight on this Wizards team, I wouldn’t expect this one to be an easy match for either team.

 

Those are all the matches you’ll see tonight on night one of the quarterfinals for season 12 of the MLE postseason. We can’t wait to watch every action-packed second of it. Be sure to tune in tonight to all of our twitch streams so you can watch along with us.