After being knocked down to the losers’ bracket, NIU’s Varsity Rocket League team knew what they had to do: Win three consecutive matches, two being against the team that put them on the brink of elimination in the first place.
That’s exactly what the team did, taking down both of UIUC’s teams en route to a first-place finish at Redbird Gaming’s Rocket League Tournament in Normal.
The Redbird Rocket League LAN saw twelve teams compete in a double elimination bracket, including The University of Michigan, Ohio University, University of Illinois, and more.
We asked Rocket League Coach Tim Schramek his thoughts on making their way back to the grand finals after a close loss.
“We were not too worried about making it back to the finals, our main concern was the fatigue the players faced. We had to play six matches throughout the day without a long break, so the main challenge was keeping energy levels high”
Describing their feelings about winning the event, Grant “Moxie!” Goodson said:
“I love my teammates so much… To be able to sit in the middle and be the hype man means the world. I love these guys so much”
Tournament MVP Andrew “Sleezily” Hughes was asked how it felt to bring this team to a championship.
“We’re all together on this one, I love my teammates… I’m with them, they’re with me”
A replay of the intense grand final can be found on the NIU Esports Youtube Channel.
