With a nail biter 4 – 2 win over Oakland in the opening round, SSU Rocket League moves on into the NACE playoffs quarterfinals
Game one was a 3 – 2 win for the squad, where Dyllan DeBruyne (gamertag: DuckWorth) earned two goals to his credit. The last goal for the Bears was earned by PJ Fiscus (gamertag: Fisci25). Zach Ellis (gamertag: FireRaptor) assisted each of his teammates once, totaling two. The squad faced intense aggression from the Golden Grizzlies, who faced seven demolitions from Oakland in the first game alone.
Game two was extremely close until the end, where the Bears earned a last-moment goal to win 1 -0 and extend the series win. Thanks to an assist from Ellis, DeBruyne was able to land the game-winning goal. Fiscus played the supporting role in this game, dealing two of the Bear's three offensive demolitions and earning four saves.
Game three was the first loss for the Bears during the set, where they fell 1 – 3 to Oakland. Ellis earned the squad's only goal, thanks to an assist from DeBruyne. The intense offensive pressure from the Golden Grizzlies demolished Ellis twice, as well as removing DeBruyne from the field once. Fiscus earned the only demolition for the Bears. Game four was another intense 1 – 0 win for the squad, where an early goal from Fiscus allowed the squad to maintain defense and take back momentum. DeBruyne played the supporting role, earning an assist. Ellis was the defender, leading the squad with two saves.
Game five was a tough loss for the Bears, who fell to the Golden Grizzlies 0 – 5. Oakland came out in full force, dealing nine demolitions to the squad throughout the game and interrupting the defense. Fiscus attempted to return the aggression by demolishing two opposing players, while DeBruyne took one player off the field as well.
The final game kept fans on the edge of their seat as the squad claimed a 2 – 1 win. The team was on the defensive for much of the match, where Ellis earned four saves throughout, the final few moments saw exciting plays from the Bears. During an offensive charge in the final seconds of the game, Fiscus grabbed a goal with two seconds on the clock thanks to an assist from DeBruyne. That goal sent the match into a game six overtime, where DeBruyne wasted no time sealing the match. He needed only six seconds to score the final goal.
The Bears will be back on Saturday, April 15 for the NACE quarterfinals. Their 2:00 PM match will be against third-ranked St. Clair College.
Full schedule information can be found at https://ssubears.com/sports/esports/2022-23/schedule. 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.
