11/8/21

SCRANTON, Pa. -- The Lackawanna College Esports Rocket League squad earned another crucial win in NJCAAE play, taking their match on Monday night against Saint Clair County CC, 3-0, to clinch a spot in the NJCAAE Playoffs.

The Falcons and Skippers played a fast-paced, high-octane match, without much time to catch your breath. Saint Clair played with two starters and a sub, but still didn't seem to miss a beat. The first game was a cagey affair, with both teams going back-and-forth and trading wild shots from various angles. The Falcons scored first just over 90 seconds in, when Caden Delaney (Gamertag: Bozi) found the net to make it 1-0. That seemed to wake the Skippers up, as Saint Clair found their groove and jumped out to a 3-1 lead with a little over two minutes to play. Lackawanna would ratchet up the pressure, and eventually found the goal thanks to some excellent individual efforts from Delaney, who scored three goals in 12 seconds to give the Falcons the 4-3 lead. Lackawanna would see the game out, and catch a break when one last attempt from Saint Clair hit the frame of the goal and bounced out, giving Lackawanna a 1-0 advantage.

Saint Clair would get the first goal just a minute into game two, forcing the Falcons to play catch-up, but Delaney was there again to bring the Falcons back even just 20 seconds later. Keenan Lewis (Gamertag: Fesbot) would hook up with Delaney about a minute later, lofting a pass to the middle of the pitch that Delaney hammered home to make it 2-1. Saint Clair would come right back and score within ten seconds, making it two-all with 2:30 to play. The Skippers would buzz the Falcons with a few shots across the bow, but the Lackawanna defense would hold, and ultimately be rewarded when a Juan Garcia (Gamertag: Jaepster) pass found Lewis, who scored with 43 seconds to go, giving Lackawanna a 3-2 advantage. Some desperate defending from Lewis and his Falcon teammates would let Lackawanna hold on and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

It would be the Falcons starting fast in the third match, as Garcia took advantage of a banked pass from Lewis to give Lackawanna a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds in. Lackawanna College would double their advantage at the 3:19 mark when Delaney found the net again, courtesy of a Garcia pass to make it 2-0. The Skippers, in need of points, started to press a bit, and the Falcons seized on it when Garcia carried it past the pressing Saint Clair defense and found Delaney once again to make it 3-0 with two minutes to go. A pair of goals from Saint Clair would come in the final minute, but there just wasn't enough time to complete the comeback, and the Falcons took the 3-2 win for the game and the match at 3-0.

Delaney finished with eight goals, including all four in the first game for Lackawanna College. Garcia and Lewis would each add a goal and some assists, as well as some big defensive plays to keep the pressure up and on for the Falcon offense. 

With the win, the Falcons clinch a spot in the NJCAAE 2021 Fall Playoffs. 
 
Lackawanna College have one final match in their regular season, which will be held on Monday, November 15th at 8:00pm ET. Be sure to tune in on Twitch at twitch.tv/lackawannaedu to support the squad!