12/5/21
SCRANTON, Pa. -- In a thrilling four-map match, the Lackawanna College Falcons Esports Overwatch team earned a wild 3-1 win over Johnston Community College, punching their ticket to the NJCAAE playoffs semi-finals on Sunday night.
The first map of the night was Lijiang Tower. In a round that would not resemble the rest of the match, the Falcons came out aggressive right from the start. Lackawanna College's pace and ruthlessness stunned JCC, who were unable to match the initial intensity, giving the first map and a 1-0 lead to Lackawanna College.
The Jaguars selected the Escort Map, Kings Row, as the second map of the night. In a complete momentum shift, Johnston stepped up, holding Lackawanna College at the first point on the Falcons' offensive round, while the Jaguars were able to push the payload through on their offensive series to take the map and even the match at one apiece.
The third map of the night was Hanamura. The Falcons went on offense first, where they were able to cap the first point, but were held by the Jaguars to only half-capture of the final point. On defense, Lackawanna held point, keeping the Jaguars in check by not allowing them to make any progress. The fighting was ferocious, with both teams having a chance to steal the points and the map, but it was Lackawanna College that came away with the win, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
The final map of the night was another Escort Map, this time Route 66, as selected by Johnston. Lackawanna College wanted to keep their momentum rolling, so they chose to attack first. At the start of the round, the Falcons had a great push and escorted the payload through the first two objectives, despite fierce resistance from the Jaguars' defenders. Approaching the final check point, the defense only increased in pressure for the Jaguars, as the Falcons struggled to break through with the payload so close to the finish line. Eventually, Lackawanna College was able to push through and capture the objective. On the defending end, the Falcons fought hard on the first two points, forcing Johnston to exhaust a lot of effort to win the first two checkpoints. It all came down to the final objective, with time winding down and the Jaguars pushing to get the payload into pace. Lackawanna College forced time to expire, and then held on in the overtime portion, holding the Jaguars to clinch the map and win the match at 3-1.
The Lackawanna College Overwatch team moves on to the semifinal round, where they will face the Bryant & Stratton Bobcats, out of Virginia. The match will be played on Friday, December 10th at 7:00pm ET. Be sure to tune in to the Lackawanna College Twitch channel (HERE) to catch all the action and support the Falcons squad as they look to make their way into the 2021 NJCAAE Overwatch National Championship!
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