Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Season Recap – Rocket League White

Kenosha — Carthage Rocket League (RL) White showed great resilience despite being rated as an underdog team. Many goals were scored, and excellent team morale contributed to achieving a championship pedigree.

The roster of freshman Timothy Fendrick (hvstl), sophomore Jalyn Green (SND), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), sophomore Lucas Menzer (Joystik), and senior Andrew Marron (Tax Evader) possessed a team chemistry built on defying the odds.

Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, Carthage RL White participated in four leagues: the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), Midwest Collegiate Rocket League (MCRL), Wisconsin Collegiate Rocket League (WCRL), and the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC). We will now analyze how Carthage RL Red performed in each of these leagues.

Fall 2024 (Division V) and Spring 2025 (Division IV) – NECC

Last fall, Carthage White competed in Division V's East A stage. Despite being an underdog, the Firebirds earned a top-four finish. Overall, Carthage White went 3-4 with a 13-13 game record. The team secured valuable head-to-head wins against Mississippi State University Gray, and the University of Georgia Red to maintain its fourth-place ranking. Thanks to their perseverance in going the extra mile, the Firebirds qualified for Division V's East Playoffs.

As the seventh seed, White took on the second-seeded Wright State Raiders on Nov. 14, 2024. Despite tying the best-of-five series after a 2-1 Game Two victory, Carthage White could not establish momentum against 7-0 Wright State, which placed first in the East B stage. Although a first-round exit was faced, Carthage White was eager to improve heading into Spring 2025 NECC.

In Spring 2025 NECC, Carthage White competed in Division IV's Central A stage. For their regular season, the Firebirds went 3-4 overall with an 11-14 game record. Elevating to a higher division is a challenge for any team looking to rebound after a playoff appearance.

Although Carthage White could not match the firepower of teams like St. Cloud and Concordia St. Paul, they earned an excellent head-to-head victory over Kettering University on Feb. 6. A 3-0 sweep in a best-of-five series that saw Carthage White win 4-1 in Game One, 4-0 in Game Two, and 6-2 in Game Three.

Despite shortcomings in the National Esports Collegiate Conference, Carthage White stayed the course, embracing an underdog mentality and sticking together as a team through thick and thin. This strategy proved its value in the Wisconsin Esports Conference competition that occurred last December.

Fall 2024 WEC - Division II Regular Season

While competing in the Wisconsin Esports Conference, Carthage White went 6-5 overall with a 24-15 game record in their Division II regular season. As a result, the Firebirds earned the seventh seed for Finals LAN. The team embraced itself as an underdog after placing seventh in WEC's Division II regular season. Statistically, as a team, 64 goals, 50 assists, 91 saves, 198 shots, and 79 demolitions were recorded in the regular season.

Individual Player Statistics (WEC Regular Season)

Andrew Marron; 29 Goals, 14 Assists, 88 Shots, 29 Saves, 22 Demolitions, 33% Shooting
Lucas Menzer; 22 Goals, 24 Assists, 70 Shots, 44 Saves, 27 Demolitions, 31% Shooting
Timothy Fendrick; 13 Goals, 12 Assists, 40 Shots, 18 Saves, 30 Demolitions, 33% Shooting

Fall 2024 WEC - Division II Playoffs and Finals LAN

The playoffs followed a best-of-seven series format. Carthage White faced UWM White in the Lower Semifinals, winning 4-1. Next, the Firebirds accomplished the unthinkable by defeating Division II's best team, MSOE Red, in a 4-2 victory that solidified Carthage White as a formidable underdog. During the regular season, MSOE Red finished with a 9-1 record overall and a 24-6 game tally, earning the top seed in Division II.

In the Finals, White triumphed over UWM Gold with a score of 4-2 in a dramatic showdown. UWM Gold concluded the Fall 2024 WEC regular season with a 9-2 overall record, placing second behind MSOE Red. The Lower Bracket run alone illustrates how extraordinary Carthage White was during the playoffs. The next challenge was the Grand Finals against Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), following the unexpected forfeits of UW Superior and UW Madison in their Semifinal match during the LAN competition.

On December 8, 2024, Carthage Firebirds White defeated Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) 4-1 in a best-of-seven series, becoming the Fall 2024 WEC Division II champions. Freshman Timothy Fendrick (hvstl), sophomore Lucas Menzer (Joystik), and senior Andrew Marron (Tax Evader) won the first championship for Carthage RL in the 2024-25 academic year. Additionally, Lucas earned State MVP for his incredible contribution to the Carthage White team.

Picture of Carthage Director of Esports Robert Xiong, sophomore TJ Buchmann, and Carthage White players Lucas Menzer, Andrew Marron, and Timothy Fendrick

Carthage Director of Esports Robert Xiong, sophomore TJ Buchmann, and Carthage White players Lucas Menzer, Andrew Marron, and Timothy Fendrick — Photo by Wisconsin Esports Conference

WEC Division II Championship Player Reflection – Lucas "Joystik" Menzer

When asked about Carthage White's WEC Division II title victory against WLC, Lucas had this to say:

"Playing at LAN is always a fun experience. The final vs. WLC was a bit anti-climactic s two of the four finalists dropped out, but the previous day's run, along with the championship match, was still super fun to play. Honestly, I would say the matches against MSOE Red and UWM Gold the previous day were much more competitive compared to the finals against WLC.

Both series went to Game Six, whereas WLC only managed to take one game off White. Perhaps the matches being on separate days had something to do with it. Overall, the competition on day one was much better compared to day two. Nonetheless, WLC still made it to the finals but could not keep up in the series.

Throughout White's LAN run, we went to Game Six, proving that although we dropped games within the series, there was never any real threat or competition. That aspect of LANs is my personal favorite. Regardless of a team's performance throughout the season, LAN is only one day, sometimes two.

LAN is all about who shows up, who has the ice, and who wants it more. This is proven as White ended the regular season as the number-seven seed, and the LAN was only supposed to be the top six teams. By a certain course of events, some forfeits and such, White was able to play at the WEC LAN, not only play, but come out victorious, further proving my point that LAN is one event where everything is left on the field.

The LAN win meant a great deal as it was the first of my collegiate career. Additionally, I was awarded the State MVP, showcasing my dominance and that of the team at LAN. For Tax (Andrew Marron), it was great to see him lead White to the State championship, consistently being the rock both on and off the field, making time for practice, and maintaining the team's mentality.

Considering it was his senior year, it was fantastic to secure a trophy for him in his last year. For Hvstl (Timothy Fendrick), being a freshman, it was wonderful to witness his growth both on and off the field. He is passionate about the game, which is a double-edged sword as his highs resonate throughout the team, but so do his lows.

From day one, Tax and I knew we had our work cut out for us since his 'crashouts' complicated practices and games. Through a lot of patience and practice, I saw growth in his skills and maturity. Coming out on top as a senior is a great feeling, so I'm glad he could be a part of our championship run."

When asked about Carthage White's "Underdog Mentality," Lucas had this to say:

"As far as the underdog mentality, I love being the underdog. It's nice to go in with low or zero expectations and shock higher-level teams and shatter those pre-determined expectations. We definitely flew under most teams' radar going into LAN.

While being the number-seven seed, no one really expected much, but using our LAN experience and shock factor, White was able to make a championship-level run. The underdog mentality spread into the second semester as well, with many close series against Carthage Black."

MCRL and WCRL Results

Throughout the academic year, Carthage White went 3-8 overall in Midwest Collegiate Rocket League and 3-6 overall in the Wisconsin Collegiate Rocket League.

One main highlight from Carthage White's MCRL season was a victory against Carthage Black. In a close series that went into Game Five, White pulled out the victory over Black. This was a tremendous accomplishment for White as it shows the team's growth through a roster change during the fall, Timothy Fendrick (Hvstl) for Kaliek Wade (Akko). Lastly, this win proved the team's adaptability when competing against a higher level of league play.

Combined Records and Accolades — NECC, MCRL, WCRL, WEC

Across all leagues, Carthage White recorded a 19-27 record, resulting in a 41.3 winning percentage. Carthage White achieved the Fall 2024 WEC Division II championship by defeating Wisconsin Lutheran College on Dec. 9, 2024. A notable triumph for Carthage White was maintaining focus throughout the year and finding a way to earn a championship, solidifying their position as one of the best teams in the WEC during Fall 2024.

Carthage Esports will return for the 2025-26 academic year to kick off its fourth competitive season, starting in Fall 2025. Follow us on all social media platforms (@carthageesports) to stay updated. Follow our Twitch channel to get notifications when broadcasts go live.

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Players Mentioned

TJ Buchmann: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Jalyn Green: Sophomore

Andrew Marron: 6' 0"; Junior

Lucas Menzer: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Timothy Fendrick: Freshman

Kaliek Wade: Freshman

Players Mentioned

TJ Buchmann
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Jalyn Green
: Sophomore

Andrew Marron
: 6' 0"; Junior

Lucas Menzer
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Timothy Fendrick
: Freshman

Kaliek Wade
: Freshman