New York Queens vs Philadelphia Freedom Match Preview
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Projected Lineups:
NY: Fayrouz Aboelkheir, Nardine Garas, Maddie Hylland
PHI: Olivia Weaver, Melissa Alves, Nicole Bunyan
We have an incredible match in store for you. Tomorrow – Friday March 20th, at 6 PM ET, the New York Queens travel to the Arlen Specter Center to take on the Philadelphia Freedom. This might be the most consequential match of the NSL season so far. Let’s take a look at the South Division standings:
This is the last match in the South Division this year, so the playoff implications are massive. Incredibly, the Freedom face two possibilities headed into this match. Win 4-0, and they win the division title based on period points scored. Each team would have a 1-1 record, but Philly would have 5 period points, DC 4, and New York 3. The first period Melissa Alves stole from the Inferno in DC would end up being the deciding factor. That would be an unbelievable storyline.
Any other result, and the Freedom are overwhelmingly likely to be eliminated. They have a -51 point differential, which will be near-impossible to overcome. DC has a +24 point differential despite their 1-1 record, and they have the head-to-head advantage over Philly. New York also has a +27 point differential headed into tomorrow’s matchup. This essentially means if Philadelphia wants to make the playoffs with a 3-1 win, they’d have to win the third period by over 80 points. I feel comfortable saying that’s not going to happen.
So, it’s shutout or bust for the Philadelphia Freedom. Can they get it done? Well, if any duo can make it happen, it’s World #4 Olivia Weaver and 2025 Finals MVP Melissa Alves. Alves is coming off one of the best performances in NSL history against DC, where she scored 28 of her team’s 29 points in the first period and 34/43 in the third. Her running mate Olivia Weaver was recently ranked as high as #3 in the world, and she’s familiar with the NSL format. Her presence in the lineup will massively lighten the load on Alves. Finishing out the Philadelphia lineup is Nicole Bunyan, Philadelphia’s fourth round pick last season. Bunyan brings consistency and effort that could allow her to thrive in a defensive role for the Freedom. In addition, she’s well-versed in the NSL format, having commentated on matches before. This is a completely different Freedom team than we saw against DC earlier this year. The lack of NSL experience around Melissa Alves really showed up. They’ve solved both problems for tomorrow’s match.
New York retains one player from the lineup in their season opener against DC: Fayrouz Aboelkheir. Fayrouz just turned 20, but she dominated against the Inferno. She led the team with 30 minutes played and scored 2.23 points per minute. She won player of the match despite some clear areas where she could get better. In the one power play she defended, Fayrouz allowed eight points. That’s sure to improve this weekend. Joining Fayrouz are two players making the Queens debuts: Nardine Garas and Maddie Hylland. Garas (World #40) will likely play an attacking role for the Queens, while Hylland (World #68), can elongate rallies and hit accurately. The Queens drafted these two in the fourth and fifth round, so their late round picks will have to step up if New York wants to have a chance in this one.
With the playoffs on the line, who will come out on top? I honestly think Philadelphia has everything they need to get the 4-0 victory they need. They have the highest ranked player in the league in Olivia Weaver, and arguably the most decorated player in the league in Melissa Alves. Nicole Bunyan should be an excellent complement to both of the heavy hitters as well. Give me the Freedom in a 4-0 win.
PREDICTION: New York 0-4 Philadelphia
Don’t miss this crucial matchup live on HomeTeam Network and the NSL Youtube channel.
