KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State Varsity Esports program wrapped up its Fall 2024 season last Wednesday, as its Overwatch 2 team captured the first national-level championship in program history, defeating DePaul JV Blue to win the Playfly College Esports Varsity Plus 2 Championship.
Season Records (postseason results in parentheses)
- Rocket League Varsity: 6-3 (1-1)
- Rocket League Academy: 6-0 (0-1)
- Valorant: 4-3 (1-1)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 3-5 (N/A)
- Overwatch 2: 6-0 (3-0)
Overwatch 2
After joining Rocket League Academy as the second team in KSC Esports history to finish a regular season undefeated, KSC Overwatch 2 entered their playoff bracket as the number one seed, and breezed their way to their championship appearance, the first such game for a KSC Esports team dating back to their inaugural season in Spring 2024. Playoff opponents included Neumont College of Computer Science in the quarterfinals and Camden County College in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket was DePaul JV Blue, who finished their regular season 4-2, getting hot at the perfect time and upsetting higher-seeded UNC Pembroke, a divisional rival of Keene State, 3-1 in the quarterfinals. DePaul then upset the number two seed in the playoff bracket, sweeping California State University Dominguez Hills 3-0 to meet KSC in the championship game, which was set for Wednesday, December 4th.
How It Happened
Map 1: Ilios
Being the higher seed, Keene State got to select the map for Control, the first game mode. Coaches Noah Drouin and Mike Godzik selected Ilios for the first map, the standard selection KSC made in their two other playoff matches, and one KSC played often in the regular season. The Owls led off with a brawl-variation composition featuring
Shea Castriotta (Hotpocket) on Tank,
Eli Volpini (Goofymcgoob) on Reaper,
Connor Malone (HoodNut) on Venture, Jack Holderby (CrimsonGhost) and team captain
Korben Robinson (ShadowStorm) on Kiriko. The Owls went on to win Ilios in decisive fashion, with a 2-0 victory, including a 100%-0% lead on the second point.
Play of the game went to first-year Goofymcgoob, on Reaper.
Map 2
Having lost map 1, DePaul was able to select their Escort map for the second game of the series. DePaul selected Midtown, a less common map, but one that KSC was familiar with as their semifinals opponent Camden County College selected it as well. For this map, substitutions on KSC's side were made as Matt Bonner (Midas) came in for Hotpocket, and
Catch Foss (TuT) came in for Goofymcgoob.
KSC started on defense, and DePaul had four minutes to attempt to capture the first point to begin moving the payload. DePaul was able to capture the payload with one minute, 46 seconds remaining. KSC was able to successfully hold DePaul and prevent them from capturing the second of three points, stopping DePaul at 111.59 meters of the 114 needed to unlock the next point and continue progressing on attack. This was due to some very clutch contesting of the point by Midas, TuT and HoodNut with seconds remaining, allowing for KSC reinforcements to come in and overwhelm DePaul's attack.
On attack, Owls captured the initial point to get the payload going with relative ease; doing so in just two teamfights. From there, KSC was able to move the payload off of the back of tank play from Midas, including, playing as Rammatra, a huge ultimate that led the charge for KSC to complete the map with two minutes and five seconds left to take a 2-0 series lead.
Map 3
DePaul selected New Junk City as the third map in the series; a familiar map for the Owls who were one map win away from sealing the championship. The Owls utilized the same lineup of Midas, TuT, HoodNut, CrimsonGhost and ShadowStorm for this map; all returning student-athletes from KSC Overwatch's first season.
KSC brought out a brawl composition for the map, featuring Zarya, Symmetra, Venture, Juno and Kiriko, and handily took the first point. Midas, playing Zarya, led the charge for Keene State, securing final blows on both of DePaul's supports to seal the point.
With momentum on their side, KSC dominated the second point, and cruised to a 100%-0% capture, to bring them one single point away from glory.
DePaul didn't go down without a fight, however, and they secured the third point off of great ultimate usage from their damage players. Diamond and Cattliss. The Owls ensured that wouldn't happen again as point four began, however. The Owls were able to secure control of the fourth point and never let it go, winning 100%-0%, resulting in a 3-1 map victory and a 3-0 series victory.
The KSC Esports facility erupted in joy from the coaches and student-athletes, who embraced one another and breathed a sigh of relief as their perfect regular season culminated in an equally perfect postseason and a championship for Keene State College Esports. Nine total games were played by KSC Overwatch against opponents from all over the country. In nine best-of-three series', the Owls won eight matches 3-0, and one match 3-1.
What's Next
KSC Overwatch will receive a trophy from Playfly College Esports for winning the Overwatch 2 Varsity Plus 2 Championship. Along with that, KSC Rocket League will receive a sum of scholarship money for placing in the top four of Playfly's Varsity Premier division; the highest level of play the league offers.
All five KSC Esports enter their offseason, and will resume play in early February as Playfly College Esports' Spring 2025 season will begin. All KSC Esports teams will be re-seeded into divisions against institutions across the country, and there is a good chance KSC will be meeting new faces in their matches. Each team will play a six to eight game regular season with playoff aspirations.
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