The numbers just don't show how close this heartbreaking 1-3 loss was for SSU Call of Duty. The squad fell short in this NACE match against Shenandoah last night.
Game one was Hardpoint on Tuscan, where the Bears matched the Hornets nearly point for point. They maintained a roughly 50-point lead in the mid-game, thanks to plays from Levi Clay (gamertag: Slittle) and Michael Verdes (gamertag: Ernesto). Unfortunately, Shenandoah locked down a key objective, where the Bears just couldn't break through. The game ended in a difficult 243-250 loss. Other notable performances this game included Austin Clark (gamertag: AyeC) who claimed the most eliminations on either side, with 35 to the senior's credit. Kevin Ralph (gamertag: WhiteChicken) played the role of anchor this game, racking up the most objective time on either side at 1:51.
Search and Destroy game two returned to Tuscan for an exciting 6-4 win. The Bears took the first round, but every time they gained a lead, the Hornets answered back with a round win of their own. This continued until the game was at 4-4, where the SSU squad nabbed two wins in a row to tie up the match. Clay and Clark tied for top eliminations, with 8 credited to each, while Verdes and Ralph trailed with 7 eliminations each. All four Bears representatives had a positive or better K/D this game. Clay ruled the objective, with three plants credited, while Verdes and Ralph had one defuse each.
Game three once again returned to Tuscan for a game of Control. This was another tight game where the Bears and Hornets matched point for point. Unfortunately, in the game point round the Bears struggled to defend and fell 2-3. Clark brought in the most eliminations, tying for overall total with 40 to his credit. Meanwhile, Verdes dealt the most damage with 4734, as well as captured the most objective tiers for the Bears with 4.
The final game of the night was Hardpoint on Bocage. The Bears faced an uphill battle for most of the game, pushing to catch up to the Shenandoah squad's ever-growing lead. Despite several good pushes, even earning roughly 50 points while the Hornets were just seconds from victory, they couldn't mount the comeback and fell 154-250. Ralph earned 4 key eliminations in a row during the final push, helping them clutch those final points. Clark once again brought in the most eliminations, with 28. Ralph's final stand wasn't his only time on the objective; he spent the most time out of the team on point with 1:14.
Next up for SSU Call of Duty is back on October 12 with another 7:00 PM NACE match, this time against James Madison University. Full schedule information can be found at www.ssubears.com/schedule/0/22.php. To watch the SSU Esports teams in action, visit www.twitch.tv/team/shawneestateuniversity.
For more information on SSU Bears Athletics, visit www.ssubears.com or visit the Twitter and Facebook pages at www.twitter.com/SSUBears and www.facebook.com/SSUBears. For more information on how to join the SSU Bear Club or for sponsorship of specific SSU players or events, visit www.givetossu.com/bear-club and www.givetossu.com/sponsorthebears.
