Nebraska Teams Taking on Northern Lights Qualifier #1
On to Minneapolis. It’s getting serious now. The Northern Lights Qualifier is always one of the biggest early-season tournaments of the year, as 18s and 17s vie for Nationals bids at the end of January. I saw the kind of…
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Continue ReadingOn to Minneapolis. It’s getting serious now.
The Northern Lights Qualifier is always one of the biggest early-season tournaments of the year, as 18s and 17s vie for Nationals bids at the end of January. I saw the kind of excitement those stakes can bring when I covered this event in Omaha last year. Now, the show is taking place in Minneapolis, and I’ll still be there.
While I’ll be looking at things from a national scope for much of my live coverage on Saturday and Sunday, I can’t forget about my roots. So, here is a quick look at the Nebraska teams who will be competing for bids at 2023’s first Northern Lights Qualifier.
No Bid Needed
Consider this a growth opportunity for Premier Nebraska 18 Gold.
Last week, we covered 18 Gold’s run to a second-place finish at the Kansas City MLK Qualifier. That locked up an 18 Open bid for this vaunted squad, setting up Premier Nebraska’s GJNC journey to Columbus in late April. So, 18 Gold doesn’t need to claim a bid here.
Don’t take that to mean that this team is about to let off the gas. We all know how short the 18s season is, and NLQ is a perfect opportunity for 18 Gold to find its form against some of the best teams in the country. There may be some lineup variations throughout the weekend, but Premier knows how to bring the heat even when a bid isn’t at stake.
Across the Way
While Premier 18 Gold occupies the top seed in Pool 1 of 18 Open, we have another fascinating Nebraska entry on the other side of the division.
Nebraska Elite 18 VC Elite, tabulated in the NLQ schedule as Nebraska Elite 18-1, has a real shot at making some noise this weekend. We saw a fundamentally different Nebraska Elite team when they debuted a new lineup at last weekend’s Midwest Power League. There are new weapons on the pin and in the backcourt that we’ll surely feature by the time the dust settles in Minneapolis.
With so much on the line, you can never count out this group of players.
The 17 Open Trio
We just discussed Premier Nebraska and Nebraska Elite in 18 Open, and we’ll do the same in 17 Open. But there’s a third entry here, too.
Most 18s have already made a trip to a major national qualifier, but this will be our first look at many 17s on such a big stage. Premier Nebraska 17 Gold and Nebraska Elite 17-1 Top Gun are about to take that stage in what should be an intense few days of action.
I’ll be particularly interested in how Nebraska Elite comes out in this stacked field. Top Gun battled hard at many Open qualifiers throughout the 2022 season but came up just short of that coveted bid. At the Midwest Power League, we saw this team experiment with some interesting new wrinkles that should be fun to follow as the stakes get higher. I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.
For Premier Nebraska 17 Gold, this might just feel like another day in the office. The team rocketed to prominence in 16 Open last season and posted a top-three finish at GJNC. That doesn’t mean that Premier will take anyone for granted, though, and anything can happen at this wild early-season outing.
This is also where VCNebraska enters the fray. I came away impressed with VCN 17 Elite at last weekend’s Power League, and that seems like the perfect launching point to an NLQ breakthrough this weekend. 17 Elite starts their journey in an unusual three-team pool featuring Metro and GP.
The 17s List Goes On
Nebraska is well represented down the line of 17s divisions at NLQ.
Premier Nebraska 17 Black is taking on the 17 USA division this weekend. We know this group can adapt well to the environment of NLQ, as 16 Black took home last year’s 16 USA title in Minneapolis last spring. The same core contributors are back with 17 Black, and we’ll see if those results can be replicated.
And, hello again, VCNebraska. VCN 17 Black is joining 17 Elite in the NLQ festivities, and 17 Black will be vying for glory alongside Premier in the 17 USA division. Nebraska’s depth will be put to the test.
Premier has two more teams worth following in this age group. 17 Red is taking on the 17 Liberty field, while 17 Silver can be found in 17 American. Like 17 Black, the past NLQ success of both 17 Red and 17 Silver makes these two squads worth watching in their respective divisions. But, it’s worth nothing that 17 Silver has the unique challenge of having Nebraska Elite 17-2 also looming in their division. Double the fun.