SON OF A PITCH! I'M UP AGAINST_____

Summer quidditch has allowed me to check out some of the players I’ve had my eye on, and today I’m featuring two seemingly unrelated players together based on their similar roles on the pitch. Not every player identifies with only one position - some enjoy switching things up every once in awhile, and some take on multiple roles out of a sense of obligation to their teams and a resulting desire to do everything possible to ensure victory. I’m not sure why these two rotate headbands so often, but in the handful of times I’ve seen them, they’ve done it all. But most often, they’re playmaking chaser-seekers, and score a large portion of their teams’ points as a result. Meet Jeffrey Lin of UCLA and Steve DiCarlo of Seemingly Every Team.

Jeff Lin is pretty much a one-man scoring machine, able to last a whole game outrunning and juking around defenses in order to make some jaw-dropping goals and then proceed to don a yellow headband and outmaneuver snitches for an unexpected grab (and occasionally go on to snitch right after his game is finished). Despite the rapid pace at which he moves on the pitch, he’s got excellent awareness and is able to deliver some sharp passes, and even more impressively, execute great give-and-go’s that inevitably lead to goals regardless of whether or not his opponents were expecting him to run that play. He seems to prefer wrapping and stiff arms to pure tackling, but it works well for him and allows him to always be on his feet ready to move to the next opponent in case of a pass. His sort of strategic and fast break playing style makes him a perfect chaser complement for UCLA’s Vanessa and Missy, and he’s definitely a significant factor in his team’s success no matter the position. Oh, and he ran the LA Marathon on a broom. So he’s a badass too.

WEAKNESS: Opposing bludger control. Jeff seems to hesitate just a second too long when confronted with beaters, which results in a less accurate pass or a turnover. But he’s got two of the best beaters in the West on his team, so that’s hardly ever a problem…

If there’s such a thing as quidditch ADHD, Steve DiCarlo has it. I think he’s played for nearly a dozen teams, and in the few times I’ve seen him play, he’s started in every position. His most notable skills are his speed and juking ability, but I’ve noticed a significant improvement in his passing abilities since he played for Hofstra at the last Cup. As a chaser, he seems to like staying on-point, which forces opponents to make moves before they’re ready and reduces the effectiveness of their offense; he’s got an annoying yet effective habit of sneaking up and stripping the ball right as opponents leave their keeper zone. Like Jeff, he doesn’t seem to go for the tackle, but he stiff arms well enough to make for a dependable defender. Offensively, he often takes on a leadership role on his teams, making plays and getting teammates into position before sprinting up the field with the ball. Another of his notable qualities is the sheer length of time he can play without tiring, and rotate into seeker if an on-pitch snitch seems to require a more agile (and long-armed) adversary.

WEAKNESS: Larger opponents. Steve can strip quaffles and stall opponents very well, but his inability to take down larger players occasionally allows them to plow right through him.