Halfway through their inaugural season, the Carthage esports team has seen early success and are set to compete for regular season championships, and make a deep run in the playoffs and national tournaments across numerous game titles. Here's a breakdown on how the Firebirds are doing across each game through the first two months of competition.
 

League of Legends - A Team

The Carthage League of Legends A Team is currently in second place in the NECC Challenger Yellow Division, the second-highest division the conference has to offer, and have a competitive remaining schedule to attempt to qualify for the playoffs in just a few weeks.
 
"I think one of the keys to our success so far has been our team's dedication to their preparation work outside of our practice schedule," said director of esports Kevin Palmer. "Going against teams with masters-level players can be challenging, but costly to them if we're able to find weaknesses in their team composition."
 
Unlike other esports games, League of Legends requires a significant amount of opponent scouting and strategy implementation to ensure success. Be sure to tune in to the live streams on Twitch as the Firebirds make a push for a playoff berth in their first season of competition.
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Bryant University, February 25
 

League of Legends - B Team

Following a victory over George Fox University in a match before spring break, the Carthage League of Legends B Team sits in first place in the NECC Navigators Cyan Division, and are already guaranteed a playoff spot. Captain Nadia Musaitef has led the team through adversity this season to take their commanding position in their first season.
 
"I'm incredibly proud of how well this team functions as a unit both in and out of the esports arena," said Palmer. "Not only is this team functional and tactical in their gameplay, but they're a blast to be around as they try to make each practice and game as much fun as possible. Sometimes, success is built in the team's relationships more than the preparation."
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. George Fox University, March 11 
 

Overwatch

The largest single team in the Carthage esports program, Overwatch has found their rhythm for success, capitalizing on their final match before spring break. Sitting in sixth place in the Emergents Cyan Division, the Firebirds will look to string together wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. Captains Ben McCurley and Em Schwerdtfeger have been putting in the work to ensure the team's compositions are in order, and the team is ready for each week.
 
"With such a large team, it was difficult in the first few weeks to find a rhythm amongst a starting six for the team," said Palmer. "After some difficult losses, our leadership decided to change our game plan and focus on building compositions based on team strengths as it relates to the current maps we were playing. This has been a game changer for the team, and I think it will lead to more wins as the season winds down."
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Highland, March 10
 

Rainbow Six Siege

The Firebirds Rainbow Six Siege team was on the verge of canceling their inaugural season due to a lack of schedule compatibility and interest among the program. However, fast forward to mid-March, and the team is currently undefeated, sits in first place in the NECC Emergents Division, and is already guaranteed a playoff berth.
 
"I am really proud of my team," said captain Lauren Wild. "If it weren't for the endless hours of time spent together practicing, and the good spirits of the members, we wouldn't be where we are. The success of the team is because of their love of the game and their teammates."
 
Rainbow Six Siege has recently undergone a major update to the format in which the game is played, so the Firebirds will look to change up their strategy this spring as they prepare for a deep playoff run with championship aspirations.
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Carroll, March 9
 

Rocket League - A Team

Holding an undefeated record and continuing to improve each week, the Firebirds Rocket League A Team is sitting comfortably in first place in the NECC Emergent Black Division. While Carthage is guaranteed a playoff berth with three weeks remaining in the season, seeding in the playoffs is based on their performance over the rest of the schedule. With challenging opponents such as Northcentral Tech and Carroll University approaching, the team will have to prove they belong at the top of the standings.
 
"I'm extremely impressed with how well this team has developed through the season so far," said Palmer. "Not only are they in first place in the NECC, they sit atop the leaderboards in the Wisconsin Collegiate Rocket League Conference as well. I look forward to them finishing the season as strong as they have started it, and making a run for our first championship in the program's history."
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. UW-Eau Claire, March 8
 

Rocket League - B Team

With their sole loss of the season coming at the hands of the first-place team in their division, the Firebirds B Team holds a second-place spot in the NECC Emergent Red Division, and have locked down a spot in the playoffs. With a pair of dual-sport athletes in Bryce Nolan (Baseball) and Derek Garmire (Cross Country and Track and Field), they have coordinated with teammate Ethan Woitach in scheduling their practices and competitions to ensure they are as prepared as they can be.
 
"The Firebirds B Team season has gone by almost seamlessly, even though they face hurdles as a team outside of practice and match time," said Palmer. "Second place is a great position for them to be in for the season so far, and I expect they'll be looking for revenge against Fanshawe when the playoffs arrive."

Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Lebanon Valley College, February 22
 

Rocket League - C Team

Another Carthage Rocket League team mixed with dual-sport student-athletes, the C Team sits in second place in the NECC Emergent Navy Division and have secured a playoff spot as well. Peyton Wieter (Men's Volleyball) and Aidan O'Neill (Track and Field) have played key roles on this team, and are constantly balancing their time between each sport.
 
"One unique thing about the Firebirds Rocket League C Team is that it's our only team with four active players on the roster who rotate in and out of matches," said Palmer. "What started as a bit of a burden has quickly turned into a key part to their success, as now we can change up our team composition and play styles on the fly, throwing off our opponents between rounds."
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Upper Iowa University, March 1 
 

Valorant

The Carthage Valorant team is digging to find success after a big win in week one over Army West Point. The Firebirds have been hard at work developing strategy and preparing for each match, but have struggled in late rounds in recent competition.
 
"I think spring break will be a great chance for our Valorant team to both take a break, and reconfigure our in-game strategies to work with for the remainder of the season," said Palmer. "Even with a 1-4 record, we have a solid chance at making the playoffs if we can find some much-needed wins over the next couple of weeks."
 
Match of the Season: Carthage vs. Army West Point, February 7


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