KENOSHA — Amid fall break, a few Carthage Esports teams played in rescheduled Week Four matches. Despite this shake-up, the Firebirds remained firm and went 6-1 across various game titles.
In Week Four, Smash got back on track, R6 secured a forfeit win, and all three RL teams (Red, Black, and White) were victorious. Additionally, League of Legends remains unbeaten, and Overwatch Black remains on the hunt for its first win this season.
Week Four R6 Forfeit Win and Overwatch Red/Black Updates Section
On Wednesday, Oct. 15, Carthage R6 (2-2) was scheduled to play the University of Arkansas Razorbacks Black (1-3) in a streamed best-of-three match at 8:00 p.m. CST. However, UARK Black did not show up. With the forfeit win, Carthage R6 is now tied for fourth place in Division IV – West-Central B alongside Grand Valley State Club White (2-2). As of now, Carthage is scheduled to face GVSU tonight in a streamed Week Five showdown at 8:00 pm CST.
Due to fall break, Carthage Overwatch Red (3-0) will resume action on Friday, Oct. 24, for a Week Five match against Saginaw Valley State University (2-1). Then on Saturday, Oct. 25, the Firebirds will make up their Week Four match against the Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks (1-1). Stay tuned on our social media pages for updates on when Overwatch Red will be streamed. Before their Week Four match, Carthage Red leads the Division IV – Central A stage with a 3-0 overall record and 9-0 map record.
NECC Week Four Recap – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2-1) vs. Roosevelt University Lakers (2-1) [Division III – Midwest B]
Score: Carthage 2, Roosevelt 0
On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Carthage welcomed Roosevelt University into the virtual fighting arena. Both teams competed in a best-of-three Smash Bros crew battle. After a tough outing against Rockford University in Week Three, the Firebirds took home a gritty 2-0 win against the Lakers. The victory moved Carthage (3-1, 6-3) toward a second-place tie in Division III – Midwest B alongside Illinois College.
The Smash Bros roster includes: senior captain Connor Grubisic (Spacefood), junior Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedix), sophomore Shannon Pasters (MintMelee), and sophomore Rylee Preston (Ender14).
Smash Bros Crew Battle Explanation: Crew Battles are a team-based competition where two teams of players face off in a series of one-on-one matches. The losing player swaps with another teammate, and the winning player remains in the game, potentially facing a new opponent from the opposing team. The battle continues until one entire team runs out of stocks. Each team has four players, each carrying three stocks, for a total of 12. For a best-of-three series, the process repeats for each set played.
Set One: Pasters (Banjo) opened against Zyndr0me (Samus). In the first fight, both were down to the last stock after an even match. At 32% damage, Pasters was pushed to the right ledge on Pokémon Stadium by Zyndr0me. While trying to recover, Zyndr0me launched a stun beam to cancel Pasters' ledge grab, causing her to fall and giving Roosevelt a 10-9 advantage. Chuluunbat (Bowser) then claimed Zyndr0me's last stock with a side-b slam, tying it 9-9. Chuluunbat faced Just Some Player (Game & Watch). The match was one stock each after Chuluunbat's up-tilt and side-b moves, and Just Some Player's creative use of neutral and forward smashes. Chuluunbat finished with a side-b to give Carthage a 7-6 lead.
Set One (Continued): Chuluunbat competed against Potassium (Incineroar) in his next fight. With one stock carrying over from the last battle, Chuluunbat took one off Potassium with a side-b slam before being eliminated – Carthage led 6-5. Preston (ZSS) would enter and claim Potassium's two stocks – a combination of fluid movements and superb ledge guarding – Carthage led 6-3. Despite a decent lead in stocks remaining, the Lakers sent in Not Creative (Bayonetta), their best player. Not Creative eliminated Preston after a decisive flurry of aerial combos and brutal jabs on the ground – Carthage led 3-2. Grubisic (Ness) became Carthage's hero. Against Not Creative, he would claim their last two stocks by using Ness' down-smash yo-yo attack and baiting on the ledge. Carthage takes Set One by a 2-0 score.
Set Two: To begin, Pasters (Banjo) tussled with Just Some Player (Game and Watch) – a highly contested battle coming down to the last stocks. Pasters stayed patient and landed a down-air to secure a one-stock advantage for Carthage, 10-9. Zyndr0me (Samus) claimed Pasters' last stock with an up throw maneuver that blasted her into the sky, tying the score 9-9. Chuluunbat (Bowser) would pose a significant challenge to Zyndr0me (Samus). The side-b slam took one stock while an inadvertent controller disconnect decided the other two for Zyndr0me. Carthage led 9-6,
Set Two (Continued): Next, Potassium (Incineroar) faced Chuluunbat, who won with three stocks, putting Carthage ahead 9-3. Not Creative (Bayonetta) then eliminated Chuluunbat, while losing a stock.. The score was now 6-2 Carthage. Preston (ZSS) fought Not Creative, taking one stock with a stun and down-air combo, but was ultimately eliminated, making it 3-1 Carthage for Roosevelt. Grubisic (Ness) played again, nearly losing a set to Not Creative. On Town & City, he won with a down-smash yo-yo attack on the right ledge for Carthage.
Postgame Interview After Defeating Roosevelt University 2-0 – Connor Grubisic:
Fall 2025 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week Four – Super Smash Bros.
Carthage Smash (3-1) awaits an NECC Week Five Division III – Midwest B showdown against the Indiana State University Sycamores (2-2). A best-of-three series set to be streamed on the Carthage Esports Twitch channel on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7:15 pm CST
NECC Week Four Recap – Rocket League Red (2-1) vs. Simon Fraser University [SFU] (1-2) [Division II – West-Central A]
Score: Carthage 4, SFU 2
Carthage RL Red, containing senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray), was eager to rebound after a heartbreaking 4-3 loss against the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Week Three. On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Firebirds defeated SFU 4-2 in an off-stream, best-of-seven series. The third win adds onto two 4-0 sweeps against Texas A&M Maroon and SE Oklahoma from Weeks One and Two. Carthage Red also gained a 3-1 record on the season.
Game One was claimed 5-3 by Simon Fraser University as they produced more shots on net than Carthage (6-4). Perry scored two goals on two shots, Vaile added a goal himself, and Branski recorded a save. Game Two was a decisive 2-1 win for Carthage. The Firebirds showcased their defensive capabilities with seven team saves – four from Vaile. Offensively, Branski and Vaile scored one goal each, while Perry secured an assist, two saves, and three demos.
Game Three showcased SFU's shooting precision thanks to a 4-3 win. SFU player Miseric scored three goals on five shots, asserting his dominance on the Carthage defense. Vaile scored two goals, and Branski followed with one and three demos. Game Four prompted the first shutout in the series as Firebirds Red won 2-0. Perry was a force to be reckoned with as he secured four demos, opening things up for Branski to score two goals. Valile provided excellent support with an assist and three saves.
With the series tied at two, Carthage took the mantle in Game Five with a 4-1 victory. The Firebirds forced 11 shots on SFU's net, enough to ignite the offensive flame. Vaile topped out with two goals on four shots and three saves. Branski and Perry would complement their teammate with one goal each. Carthage fended off SFU in Game Six to secure a 4-2 series win. Branski and Perry scored a goal each in the team's 2-1 Game Six win.
Carthage Red led in these major categories: Goals (16-12), Assists (10-7), Saves (22-10), Shots (45-33), and Demos (29-17). Vaile led the way with six goals, two assists, 11 saves, 16 shots, and six demos. Branski matched Vaile with six goals and tacked on four assists, six saves, 18 shots, and eight demos. Lastly, Perry secured four goals, four assists, five saves, 11 shots, and 15 demos.
Player Comments: [Kyle Branski]: "We started slow and didn't play the best as a team, but we managed to get the win regardless."
Fall 2025 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week Four – Carthage RL Red
- Kyle Branski (xray): 27 Goals, 19 Assists, 25 Saves, 72 Shots, 24 Demos
- Owen Perry (Kor): 21 Goals, 19 Assists, 25 Saves, 62 Shots, 41 Demos
- Alex Vaile (Vaile): 19 Goals, 15 Assists, 28 Saves, 67 Shots, 24 Demos
Carthage RL Red (3-1) prepares for an NECC Week Five Division II–West Central A match against the University of Central Oklahoma Broncos (2-2). It will be a rescheduled, off-stream, best-of-seven series on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7:00 pm CST.
NECC Week Four Recap – Rocket League Black (2-0) vs. Kansas State University [KSU] JV (1-1) [Division IV – Midwest A]
Score: Carthage 4, Kansas State 0
For the first time since Week Two, Carthage Black played in an NECC RL match. Week Four prompted a matchup against Kansas State University's JV team. The team of junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joyystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare) secured a 4-0 sweep in an off-stream, best-of-seven series on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Carthage Black improved to 3-0 on the season.
To begin, the Firebirds fought hard for a 2-1 Game One victory. Carthage Black did a nice job of holding KSU JV back from obtaining a late lead. Menzer had one goal on four shots and three saves. Lee scored one goal while Gilchrist complemented his teammates with two assists and one save. Game Two was a dominant 5-2 win for Carthage Black. The team forced nine shots on net to KSU JV's four. Gilchrist topped out with three goals on three shots. Lee followed with one goal and three assists. Menzer logged one goal of his own.
Game Three was a stalemate until Lee scored the lone goal on six shots. In total, Firebirds Black shot the ball 14 times, nine more shots than KSU JV (5). In Game Four, Carthage won a close 4-3 contest where KSU JV was desperately trying to come back. Despite their best efforts, KSU JV allowed Firebirds Black to accumulate 18 shots on their net. As a result, Gilchrist scored three goals on seven shots and tacked on two saves. Menzer scored a goal while Lee secured an assist and forced seven shots on net.
Carthage Black led in these major categories: Goals (12-6), Assists (8-4), and Shots (51-21). Additionally, the team matched KSU JV in Demos (13-13). Gilchrist led the team with six goals, three assists, five saves, 15 shots, and seven demos. Menzer followed with three goals, one assist, three saves, 16 shots, and three demos. Lastly, Lee secured three goals, four assists, one save, 20 shots, and three demos.
Player Comments [Penn Gilchrist]: "With this added win on our resume, it reinforces a point I made earlier in the season. Tanner, Lucas, and I are individually better than the rest of our division. Our goal is not to drop a game in the regular season."
Fall 2025 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week Four – Carthage RL Black
- Lucas Menzer (Joyystik): 17 Goals, Four Assists, Four Saves, 31 Shots, 15 Demos
- Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 13 Goals, 12 Assists, Five Saves, 31 Shots, 17 Demos
- Tanner Lee (Flare): Seven Goals, 12 Assists, 10 Saves, 29 Shots, Seven Demos
Carthage RL Black (3-0) prepares for an NECC Week Five Division IV – Midwest A match against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks (2-1). It will be a rescheduled, off-stream, best-of-seven series on Monday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 pm CST.
NECC Week Four Recap – Rocket League White (2-1) vs. Illinois State University [ISU] White (0-2) [Division IV – Midwest B]
Score: Carthage 4, ISU White 1
Carthage White, comprised of senior captain TJ Buchmann (Blase), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17), faced Illinois State University [ISU] White on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in an off-stream, best-of-seven series. The Firebirds won and improved to 3-1 on the season.
Game One was a 2-0 win for ISU White. The Redbirds forced 11 shots on Carthage White's net, setting up a two-goal performance from player DFloody. For Game Two, Firebirds White came back with a vengeance, winning 4-3. Carthage generated 10 shots on net. Prims scored two goals on five shots, and Wade added a goal and three assists, and Buchmann scored a goal of his own.
Game Three prompted a stunning 4-3 overtime finish for Carthage. After six minutes and 10 seconds of regulation, Carthage and ISU White duked it out in a two-minute and 20-second overtime. At the 8:27 mark, Prims was in position on the left side of ISU White's net to score the game-winning goal. In all, Buchanan secured two goals on three shots, one assist, and three saves. Prims tacked on two goals on five shots.
Game Four was another overtime finish, favoring Carthage White. This time, the Firebirds won 6-5 in a high-scoring shootout. After six minutes and 45 seconds of regulation, the game was tied 5-5. After a one-minute and seven-second overtime, Wade secured the win for Carthage White. Wade led the way with three goals on six shots. Buchmann had two goals on three shots. Prims secured one goal on five shots with five assists.
Game Five was a 2-0 victory in regulation for Carthage White to wrap up the series. Buchmann finished with one goal on five shots, one assist, and one save. Wade added one goal on two shots with a couple of saves. The series ended with Carthage White beating ISU White 4-1.
Carthage White led in these major categories: Goals (16-13), Assists (12-11), Shots (47-33), and Demos (35-10). Buchmann led the way with six goals, three assists, five saves, 16 shots, and 13 demos. Wade recorded five goals, four assists, eight saves, 13 shots, and 17 demos. Lastly, Prims accumulated five goals, five assists, three saves, 18 shots, and five demos.
Player Comments: [Kaliek Wade]: "Honestly, I think that match was some of the best rocket we've played as a team all season. We had two overtimes in that series, which we are notorious for not being able to win. Regardless, we stayed locked the whole way. We all agreed our performance was really solid and got a win against a team that beat Carthage black in a Preseason match. Overall, a really motivating series for us, and it gets up really close to clutching a spot at Regional LAN."
Fall 2025 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week Four – Carthage RL White
- TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid): 16 Goals, 10 Assists, 10 Saves, 65 Shots, 41 Demos
- Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17): 15 Goals, 10 Assists, 29 Saves, 52 Shots, 21 Demos
- Kaliek Wade (Akko): 15 Goals, 14 Assists, 34 Saves, 57 Shots, 46 Demos
Carthage RL White (3-1) will enjoy the luxury of a Week Five bye and return in Week Six for a showdown against Indiana Wesleyan University on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 6:00 pm CST.\
NECC Week Four Recap – League of Legends (3-0) vs. Concordia University – Nebraska (1-3) [Division VII – West B]
Score: Carthage 2, Concordia Nebraska 1
On Saturday, Oct. 11, Carthage League of Legends (LoL) competed in a rescheduled off-stream, best-of-three series against Concordia University Nebraska (1-3). The Firebirds were able to win the series 2-1 after acclimating to a Saturday at noon timeslot. The team includes senior captain Quentin Zeller (Wolfstrike), senior Gavin Johnson (Cahara), junior Christian Delgado (Bravo), sophomore Owen Johnson (Owenthepotato), sophomore Katherine Rieckmann (Firerose22), sophomore Michael Pankratz (Fuhzzee), and freshman Ian Saner (Toothless).
Against Concordia Nebraska, the Carthage LoL starting lineup consisted of Wolfstrike, Cahara, Owenthepotato, Fuhzzee, and Firerose22.
League of Legends Game Explanation: League of Legends (LoL) is a popular 5v5 MOBA game where two teams of players control champions to destroy the enemy nexus (base), by earning gold and experience to gain power. Players choose unique champions with different abilities to accomplish these goals. Unique champions help defeat minions, enemy champions, and destroy towers to control the map and secure victory.
Game One: Opening the series, Concordia Nebraska dominated in a 29-minute and 22-second contest. As a team, Carthage LoL only recorded eight eliminations, 32 deaths, and 14 assists. In comparison, Concordia Nebraska had 32 eliminations, nine deaths, and an astonishing 79 assists as a team. The Firebirds were caught off guard early and often by Concordia's sharpness.
Owen Johnson secured the lobby's best Creep Score (CS) – 240. Once again, CS indicates how many minions and jungle monsters a player eliminated with a final blow in a single game. The next closest CS belonged to
Gavin Johnson with 220. Both Gavin and Owen finished with a 3/6/1 KDA, respectively. Overall, the Firebirds were stunned early on and started to wake themselves up after this Game One loss.
Game Two: After soaking in the brutal Game One loss, Carthage LoL was back with a vengeance. In a 41-minute and second fight, the Firebirds evened the series 1-1. As a team, Carthage secured 37 eliminations, 16 deaths, and 65 assists. Concordia Nebraska accumulated 16 eliminations, 37 deaths, and 35 assists.
Owen Johnson led the charge with a KDA of 18/4/6 and a 355 CS – 46 more than Concordia's best performing player, BladeWorks (309). Zeller notched an 11/2/8 performance with a 276 CS.
Gavin Johnson went 7/3/6 with a 271 CS. Pankratz finished 0/5/18 and a 256 CS. Lastly, Rieckmann went 1/2/27 with a 38 CS. Overall, a much cleaner game from the Firebirds with a sense of control that was not seen in Game One.
Game Three: With the series tied 1-1, Carthage LoL were determined to remain undefeated in Fall 2025 NECC competition. After a 29-minute and eight-second Game Three, the Firebirds won the series 2-1. The team compiled 17 eliminations, 5 assists, and 26 deaths. Concordia Nebraska felt short of the mark again by only obtaining five eliminations alongside 17 deaths and six assists. For the third consecutive time in this series,
Owen Johnson recorded the highest CS out of any player (296). Additionally, Owen finished with a final KDA of 7/0/5.
Gavin Johnson finished 6/0/1 with a 239 CS. Zeller went 1/4/4 with a 183 CS. Pankratz recorded a 2/0/6 KDA with a 190 CS. Lastly, Rieckmann contributed on the backend with a 1/1/10 KDA and 21 CS.
Player Comments [Quentin Zeller]: "Game One felt sluggish, and our performance matched that. For Games Two and Three, we reset and fully focused on the objective at hand. Overall, I felt good about the control we had in Games Two and Three.".
Carthage LoL (4-0) prepares for an NECC Week Five Division VII – Midwest B match against Kansas State University JV. It will be an off-stream, best-of-seven series on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 pm CST.
NECC Week Four Recap – Overwatch 2 Black (0-2) vs. Illinois State University [ISU] Red Resurrectors (2-1) [Division IX – Central A]
Score: ISU Red 3, Carthage 1
On Friday, Oct. 17, Carthage Overwatch Black, including junior captain Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm), freshman Alek Miech (Stewie), freshman Chris Duffey (Lithecash), freshman Jessee Ryburn (Krypic), freshman Jena Pillman (Jenny), and freshman Waylon Ritter (Odessarit), suffered a 3-1 loss against the Illinois State University Red Resurrectors (2-1).
Map One became a forfeit win due to a late start. Map Two was a Hybrid loss on Kings Row. Map Three was a Push loss on Esperança. Lastly, Map Four was a Payload loss on Junkertown.
Player Comments [Jessee Ryburn]: "It was a tough matchup, given it was fall break with our team captain and support teammates playing from home. It was gonna be tough regardless, since ISU always has good teams. We aim to shake things up going into our match against UW-Stevens Point."
Carthage OW Black (0-3) prepares for an NECC Week Five Division XI – Central A match against UW Stevens Point Gold (2-1). It will be an off-stream, best-of-seven series on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 pm CST.
Carthage Esports returns tonight, Oct. 22, to continue NECC Week Five matches. Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow our Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live. Additionally, Carthage's NECC schedule is viewable here, to always catch up on what teams are competing weekly during the Fall 2025 season.
