WARRIOR ESPORTS WEEKLY - (09/25/23 - 09/30/23)
Welcome to the first edition of the Warrior eSports Weekly, a breakdown of all things Warrior eSports from the prior week, and a preview of events coming up.
It's been a busy, but exciting year for Warrior eSports, with Rocket League continuing its strong start to the year after winning the 2022 WHAC Championship and qualifying for CRL in its inaugural year. Also looking to make waves is the Valorant team, who have already made a splash in NACE play.
ROCKET LEAGUE
Looking to continue from its dominant 2022 campaign, Warrior Rocket League has been on a tear to begin the 2023 season. Currently, the team is undefeated in both NACE and WHAC play, with the team seeking to run the conference table once again.
NACE (2-0)
In their most recent matchup, the Warriors defeated UNC Greensboro 3-2 in a tightly-contested matchup. After starting the first three games close (4-3, 4-5, 3-4), Rochester was able to overcome a 2-1 deficit and take command of the final two games after adjusting.
Rochester will continue NACE play against Truman State University at 7 p.m. on Monday.
WHAC (5-0)
In conference play, Rochester has continued to stay at the top of the league after being ranked as the preseason #1. The Warriors are currently 5-0, with their most recent wins against Concordia (3-0) and Cleary (3-0).
In the Concordia matchup (6-3, 9-0, 4-3), Brandon Nytsch (Skies) dominated the second game, scoring six goals to secure a 9-0 win en route to the sweep. Luca Alfaro (LuCA-) highlighted the Cleary matchup, scoring three of four goals in the first game while Nytsch assisted twice.
"Our team played extremely well, and we're looking forward to continuing our winning streak," Head Coach Chris Ainhorn said. "We'll need to clean up our finishing at goal, but we've been doing well at taking advantage of transition opportunities."
Rochester enters this week with two matchups on Tuesday, facing Lourdes (0-2) and Siena Heights (3-0) at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively. The Siena Heights matchup will be a rematch of last year's WHAC Championship, where Rochester forced a bracket reset and defeated the Saints in overtime to secure the title.
CRL
In CRL qualifiers, the Warriors placed second, losing to Northwood in the Grand Finals 3-1. Despite the loss, Rochester had a few bright spots in the matchup and will look to capitalize during their next qualifier appearance on Sunday.
VALORANT
NACE (4-0)
Valorant has gotten off to a great start in NACE play, with the team currently 4-0 after defeating Wichita State 2-1 on Wednesday of last week. After taking the first game 13-5, the Shockers answered back with a 13-8 win, but the Warriors maintained composure and secured a 13-9 victory in the final game to clutch the victory.
RED BULL CAMPUS CLUTCH
In big news for the Valorant program, Rochester qualified for the Red Bull Campus Clutch Regional LAN. The in-person event will take place on October 7 in Chicago, where multiple high-level qualifiers will compete.
"Qualifying for this event further legitimizes Rochester eSports in the greater collegiate eSports ecosystem," Ainhorn said. "I'm very proud of how our guys have competed, and we're looking to showcase our best at this event."