After breaking even in their final two matches last night, SSU Rocket League has finished their regular season in first place. This performance earned them a total 5-1 record in regional play and will be appearing in the NACE national tournament beginning November 6.
Rocket League vs. Thomas College 3 – 0 W
The Bears earned a clean sweep against the Terriers in the first game of the double header. Game one was a 3 – 2 win for Shawnee State, where Zach Ellis (gamertag: FireRaptor) got a quick first goal for an early lead. After Thomas College tied the score, two consecutive goals from PJ Fiscus (gamertag: Fisci25) secured the lead and allowed the team's defensive play to shine for the rest of the opening game. Dyllan DeBruyne (gamertag: Duckworth) played the supporting role, credited with the squad's only assist.
Game two was another 3 – 2 win for the Bears. After going down 0 – 2 , Ellis and DeBruyne earned one assist each as they supported Fiscus in securing key goals. The game ended with a final goal from Ellis to claim the win. The final game of the match was a low-scoring 1 – 0 win for the squad. After a tense four minutes of play, Fiscus supported Ellis in claiming the lone goal. Ellis and DeBruyne were heavy on the defense with a combined three saves.
Rocket League vs. Rochester Institute of Technology 1 – 3 L
Coming from their sweep, the Bears faced their final regular season match against Rochester Institute of Technology. Unfortunately, their momentum faltered and the squad fell 1 – 3. Game one was a 1 – 4 loss for SSU. The Bears were down 0 – 1 after conceding an early goal, but Ellis assisted DeBruyne in bringing the score to a tie. After that, they weren't able to rally a defense and conceded three more goals before the game's end.
Game two saw technical difficulties for SSU. After gaining a lead, the Bears had technical difficulties that forced a restart of the match. In the second run of the game, the squad claimed an early lead. After some back-and-forth, the Bears lost their momentum and fell 3 – 4. Each member of the SSU squad earned one goal, with DeBruyne and Fiscus credited for one assist each. Game three showed Shawnee State fight back with a 3 – 2 win. They conceded two early goals before Ellis scored three consecutive goals to claim the game. Both DeBruyne and Fiscus assisted their teammate once in securing the win.
The Bears were unable to kickstart their signature momentum-based playstyle in the final game. After a tense opening minute, the squad went down by one goal to Rochester. After bringing the score to a tie, SSU struggled to defend and fell in the overall match 2 - 3. DeBruye and Ellis earned one goal each.
Despite falling in their final match, the Bears kept first place in the region and earned automatic admission to the national tournament. The online phase begins November 6, ending with in-person grand finals on December 2 and 3.
