Esports posts a successful September week
MEQUON, Wis. – The CUW esports team posted another successful week of competitions. The Falcons competed in five competitions on the week.
"What a week," said head coach Lewis Smith. "I couldn't have imagined a better week for us. The Smash Bros team won a scrimmage and are primed for the NACE Fall League to start on Friday, Rocket League has been grinding and Hearthstone is 2-0. My favorite and most proud part of the week though was our Fortnite trio going nuts in week one of the PlayVS League, getting a Victory Royale in Round 2, briefly putting us as the number-one ranked team in the country. They have been working so hard and that type of immediate success is something we missed last year and can build momentum that lasts the whole season."
The team of junior Jack Kral (Kohler, Wis.) and senior Charles Kingma (Port Washington, Wis.) improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 3-2 victory over Positive Mental Attitude. After trailing 1-2, the Soul Shard Demon Hunter deck tied the match against the Pain Warlock deck. CUW clinched the victory with the Guardian Druid deck against the Pain Warlock deck.
"That was a nail biter," said Charles Kingma. "I was very excited, but more so relieved, that we were able to escape with that win."
The Falcons finished in 27th place in a field of 200 teams in the PlayVS League Week Two competition. The team of freshman Kodee Keys (Dupo, Ill.), sophomore Austin Lichtenstein (Johnsburg, Ill.) and sophomore Colby Williams (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) secured a victory in round two to briefly claim the honor for the top-ranked team in the nation. Lichtenstein led the flock in round two with seven eliminations and finished the evening with 13. Kodee Keys recorded 12 eliminations on Monday night.
"Everybody is feeling very comfortable in their roles," said Colby Williams. "Augi and Kodee had huge performances, racking up the kills, and let me focus on my callouts as the in-game leader. We made some mistakes but that's why there are nine weeks. Our chemistry is on point and we are still confident we can get the top-three finish we deserve."
The Falcons battled but fell to Indiana 1-2 and Rutgers 1-2 on Sunday in Rocket League. Against Indiana, senior Alex Reimer (Sheboygan, Wis.) scored four goals on eight shots and junior Austin Esterly (Lombard, Ill.) secured four saves. Senior Ethan Koch (Fredericksburg, Iowa) and Austin Esterly both finished the Rutgers match with one goal and five saves.
CUW claimed a 2-1 victory in a Super Smash Bros scrimmage against Campbellsville. The Falcons team of junior Gideon Cain (Cedarburg, Wis.), sophomore Angel Uriostegui (Round Lake, Ill.), junior Ryan Schroeder (Seattle, Wash.) and junior Nathanael Quezada (St. Charles, Mo.) struck first with a 12-10 victory with Palutena, Wolf, Daisy and Byleth. After Campbellsville tied the match with a 12-11 victory, CUW cruised in game three 12-6, to secure the victory.
"I think our team was solid overall and we improved on a lot of the things we learned from previous matches," said Angel Uriostegui. "We know we have more improvements to make but we feel ready for the league."
The Blue and White will compete in five events this upcoming week.
