Esports at Wilson
By James Pasaribu
In Week 3 of the ECAC Esports League the Wilson PHNX celebrated another win for the Valorant Blue Team. After suffering a loss in Week 2 against Grand Valley State University, the PHNX came back strong against SUNY Canton’s Valorant team in a close 2-1 series.
The PHNX were able to dominate the first map but struggled to clinch a win on the second map, dropping the map to SUNY Canton. Finally, they were victorious in clutching the final map on a tight 13-11 victory for the PHNX.
Team captain Ryan “Manny” Torres was the MVP of the series, dominating the competition with an impressive KD ratio of 1.8 (the average player has a <1.0 KD ratio), dropping almost 100 frags over the course of the series.
Week 4 will mark the midpoint of the Esports regular season, and the Valorant Blue team is practicing hard to ensure that they will perform well against their next opponent.
The sister team to the Blues, the Valorant White, competed for the second time this week. They were unable to field a team the first week, thereby forcing a forfeit.
The team, led by captain Allison “PhillyB” Earnshaw, was originally drafted as an all-female team competing under Wilson. The Whites have yet to clinch a win but are showing improvements.
The team primarily consists of newer players, with most players having never competed in the Esports scene before. Their dedication shows that Esports is not only about competition but is also about inclusion and a commitment to constant improvement.
The Spring 2021 third place winners, Rocket League Blue (RL Blue) will play against the Long Island University Sharks in week 3 of the ECAC Esports League. The RL Blue team consists of Ryan “Manny” Torres, Ian “Fearz” Carlos Ruiz-Gonzalez, and their new substitute for the fall season, Martin “Martinsou” Souza.
Currently boasting a 1-1 record, they will look to win against LIU to repeat their success on this semester’s playoff push.
The PHNX Esports team is committed to the inclusion of all gamers and are always looking for new (and old) players to join us. If you are interested in joining the PHNX teams or have inquiries about the program, please reach out to josh.bound@wilson.edu or james.pasaribu@wilson.edu.