KENOSHA — As controllers and keyboards serve their purpose, Carthage Esports returned to regular-season NECC competition for the first time since March 20, 2025, this past week. The Firebirds competed in Smash Bros on Tuesday, Rainbow Six and Rocket League on Wednesday, League of Legends on Thursday, and Overwatch 2 on Friday. Across all titles except Rainbow Six, Carthage took home victories. 

NECC Week One Recap – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate vs. Illinois State University (ISU) White [Division III – Midwest B]

Score: Carthage 2, ISU White 0

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Carthage welcomed ISU White into the virtual arena for a best-of-three Super Smash Bros crew battle. A 2-0 series win was claimed, moving the Firebirds to 1-0 on the season.

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 is eliminated, and the winning player remains in the game, potentially facing a new opponent from the opposing team. The battle continues until one entire team has been eliminated. Each team has four players, each carrying three stocks, for a total of 12.

Set One: The Firebirds started Shannon Pasters (Mintmelee). In her opening run, Pasters played as Banjo & Kazooie, a main protagonist in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise owned by Rareware. While competing against her opponent, who used Sora, a character synonymous with the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Paster claimed all three of their stocks and moved on to the next round. Pasters would take one more stock off ISU White before being eliminated. 

Set One (Continued). Next, Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedix) fought against a Greninja, a character from Pokémon, while playing as Bowser. Chuluunbat, with three stocks, took two off the Greninja and lost two of his own. In his next round, Chuluunbat faced off against Samus, the main protagonist from the Metroid franchise. A down air and ledge trap maneuver allowed two stocks claimed for the Firebirds to make the score 7-4. Chuluunbat was eliminated quickly after. To end Set One, Connor Grubisic (Spacefood) took ISU White's Samus out to make the score 6-3. Then, Grubisic faced an Incineroar, another Pokémon character, in an intense round. Grubisic lost two stocks, but held on valiantly to grant Carthage a Set One victory with four stocks remaining as ISU lost all their stocks.

Set Two: Carthage leaned on Chuluunbat to begin Set Two against ISU White's Incineroar player. Chuluunbat endured a well-fought round, claiming all stocks from Incineroar. However, Chuluunbat lost two out of three stocks. The score became Carthage 10; ISU White 9. Before his exit courtesy of ISU White's Greninja, Chulunnbat claimed one stock to make the score 9-8. Then, Rylee Preston (Ender14) punts on a clinic as Zero Suit Samus. A combination of fluid movements and patience prompted an eight-stock run that secured a 2-0 win for the Firebirds. Preston claimed the remaining two stocks from Greninja, all three stocks from a Wario player, and all three from a Joker player. Preston only lost one stock in his series-defining run.

Carthage Smash will tussle with CCIW conference rival Carroll University (0-1) on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 pm CST on Twitch.

Player Comments (Alex Chuluunbat): "We did great. Another clean victory. I felt like everyone played their best." 
   

NECC Week One Recap – Rainbow Six Siege vs. University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Blue [Division IV – West Central B]

Score: UAH 2, Carthage 0

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Carthage's R6 team, comprised of sophomore captain Samuel Bergamo (Scorp), sophomore Chris Vallee (Typhoon), sophomore Major Andrews (AirMajor), junior Aurelio "Rey" Trejo (Paltry), and junior Jalyn Green (Astro), faced off against UAH Blue in a best-of-three match.

Rainbow Six Siege Explanation: Rainbow Six Siege is a five-versus-five tactical shooter where teams alternate between attacking and defending bomb sites. Rounds can be won either by planting/defusing the bomb or eliminating the opposing team. Success relies heavily on precise gunplay, environmental destruction, and coordinated teamwork.

Map One (Border / 7-3 Loss): The Firebirds opened the series on defense at Border, but struggled to contain UAH's coordinated attacks. After dropping the opening two rounds on the second-floor Armory/Archives site, Carthage found themselves down 4-1 despite a standout triple kill from Vallee in Round Five. Before the role-swapping half, UAH extended its lead to 5-1.

Switching sides, Carthage showed resilience. In Round Seven, Bergamo clutched a dramatic moment by shooting through the bathroom floor to deny a defuse after UAH's OhWowJay had already earned a triple kill. Rough Eight followed with a smart flank read from Trejo, allowing Bergamo to plant in Workshop and secure another point. Still, UAH held firm and closed out the match 7-3.

Map Two (Clubhouse / 7-3 Loss): Carthage entered their more familiar batthefround but faced an uphill climb. UAH's defense smothered early attacks, claiming the first three rounds. The Firebirds broke through in Round Four as Green and Vallee each grabbed double kills, while Bergamo added a key pick to open space for an Andrews Gym plant. Round Five nearly turned the tide, as Green secured another plant in Church and Trejo won the final duel to make the score 3-2. 

UAH responded strongly, stretching the lead to 5-2 before Carthage countered with another defensive stand in Church. Trejo led the effort with three kills, including a C4, to force the clock to expire and pull within two rounds. Momentum looked within reach, but UAH adapted quickly, winning the final two rounds by isolating Firebirds players and forcing uneven gunfights. The 7-3 result mirrored Map One and handed Carthage a 2-0 loss. 

Although Carthage R6 fell to 0-1, there is still promise for this team to grow as the season progresses. Across both maps, Trejo went 16-15 (1.06 K/D), Bergamo broke even at 16-16 (1.00 K/D), Vallee finished 12-16 (0.75 K/D), Green went 7-17 (0.41 K/D), and Andrews went 3-16 (0.19 K/D).

Carthage R6 will compete against Alpena Community College (0-1) in a best-of-three match on Wednesday, Oct 1, at 8:00 pm CST, live on Twitch. 

Player Comments (Aurelio "Rey" Trejo): "As a team that has recently come together, we put up a solid effort in our first week, but with more work and coordination, we will be able to beat UAH Blue or any other competitor we're looking to face. We have a lot of potential; we just need more time to develop as a team."
 

NECC Week One Recap – Rocket League Red vs. Texas A&M Maroon [Division II – West-Central A]

Score: Carthage 4, Texas A&M Maroon 0

Carthage Red, comprised of senior captain Alex Vaile (Vaile), freshman Owen Perry (Kor), and freshman Kyle Branski (xray), opened their Fall 2025 NECC season against Texas A&M Maroon in a best-of-seven series. 

In Game One, Branski scored four of Carthage's five goals, while Vaile scored the other. Perry recorded three assists. For Game Two, the Firebirds won 4-1 with Branski scoring two goals, while Perry and Vaile got one each. Every member had at least one assist. Game Three was a 4-2 win powered by Perry's two goals, coupled with Branski and Vaile finding the net, too. To complete the sweep, Red put up a 5-1 score thanks to Perry's three goals on a six-shot performance, complemented with two goals and three assists from Branski.

The Firebirds outpaced Texas A&M in all major categories except Saves: Goals (18-7), Assists (16-7), Saves (9-23), Shots (50-24), and Demos (14-8). In total, Branski accumulated nine goals, six assists, three saves, 21 shots, and six demos. Perry recorded six goals, six assists, no saves, 15 shots, and six demos. Lastly, Vaile put up three goals, four assists, six saves, 14 shots, and two demos.

Carthage RL Red will face Southeastern Oklahoma (1-0) in an off-stream best-of-seven series on Wednesday, Oct 1, at 7:30 pm CST.

Player Comments (Owen Perry): "Heading in, I didn't have any expectations due to not knowing about the [Texas A&M Maroon] players.. Once we started playing, though, I don't think there was a doubt in our minds that we were winning. Overall, it was a huge confidence booster for us and shows that we have what it takes to keep winning in the matches to come."

NECC Week One Recap – Rocket League Black vs. Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST) Silver [Division IV – Midwest A]

Score: Carthage 4, MST Silver 0 

Carthage Black includes junior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), junior Lucas Menzer (Joyystik), and senior Tanner Lee (Flare). Much like RL Red, Black achieved a convincing sweep over their opponent, MST Silver. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Firebirds Black were on a mission to start 1-0. 

In Game One, Carthage won 4-1 after two goals from Menzar and a goal each for Gilchrist and Lee. Game Two was a 3-2 dogfight where Black overcame seven demolitions from MST Silver while each member scored a goal and forced 11 shots on net. 

Game Three was a 7-5 shootout where Menzar ripped three goals on seven shots, while Gilchrist and Lee each secured two goals and assists. To end the series in four, Black mustered up great defense for a 3-2 score, as all members scored one goal and forced twice as many shots (12-6) and demos (8-4) as MST Silver did. 

Black led in these major categories: Goals (17-10), Assists (13-5), and Shots (47-23). Leading the charge was Menzar, who tallied seven goals, two assists, four shots, 16 shots, and seven demos. Gilchrist recorded five goals, six assists, three saves, 15 shots, and five demos. Lastly, Lee accumulated five goals, five assists, four saves, 16 shots, and four demos.

Carthage RL Black welcomes the University of Nebraska Omaha Black (0-0) to the virtual soccer field for an off-stream best-of-seven series on Wednesday, Oct 1, at 7:30 pm CST.

Player Comments (Lucas Menzer): "I look forward to our continued dominance as we trudge through the regular season. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Carthage Black is one of the contenders to win NECC Division IV this semester."
 

NECC Week One Recap – Rocket League White vs. Northwestern College [Division IV – Midwest B]

Score: Carthage 4, Northwestern College 2

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Carthage White took on Northwestern College in a hard-fought best-of-seven series that went six games in length. The team is comprised of junior captain TJ Buchmann (Blasecupid), sophomore Kaliek Wade (Akko), and freshman Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17). 

Game One resulted in a 1-0 win for White after great defense from Prims, who recorded two saves, while Wade scored the lone goal. Game Two saw Buchmann take over with a couple of goals on five shots to secure a 2-0 win. Game Three was a Carthage White 4-1 victory after excellent offense spearheaded by two goals and two assists from Wade on four shots. Defensively, Prims and Wade combined for seven saves. 

Games Four and Five can be classified as Northwestern shifting momentum with 2-1 and 3-0 wins, respectively. Northwestern pressured White's net eight times in Game Four with methodical shot placement. Game Five showcased Northwestern's ability to shut out White. However, Carthage White stopped a reverse sweep by taking Game Six 6-0 after all members scored two goals each. Wade also had three assists and three saves. 

Across the best-of-seven series, White led in these major categories: Goals (14-6), Assists (11-5), Shots (55-35), and Demos (23-13). Buchmann notched a team-leading six goals, two assists, no saves, 27 shots, and 10 demos. Wade secured five goals, five assists, 11 saves, 15 shots, and eight demos. Lastly, Prims had three goals, four assists, 13 saves, 13 shots, and five demos.

Carthage RL White plays against Indiana Hoosiers Cream (0-1), in an off-stream best-of-seven series on Wednesday, Oct 1, at 6:00 pm CST.  

Player Comments (Jimmy Prims): "Everyone was able to work together, and we got ahead early. Even though the momentum started to shift, we remained just as focused. We picked each other up when things started to look rough, which is why we could close out the series."

NECC Week One Recap – League of Legends vs. Wayne State College [Division VII – West B]

Score: Carthage 2, Wayne State College 0

Carthage League of Legends (LoL), comprised of senior captain Quentin Zeller (Wolfstrike), sophomore Owen Johnson (Owenthepotato), senior Gavin Johnson (Cahara), sophomore Katherine Rieckmann (Firerose22), and sophomore Michael Pankratz (Fuhzzee), took on Wayne State College on Thursday, Sept. 25, in an off-stream best-of-three series.

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: The Firebirds set the tone early and never looked back, racing out to a 35-11-82 K/D/A. Additionally, the team racked up over 60,000 gold. Sophomore standout Owen Johnson led the momentum with a 14/2/14 performance and a game-high 209 Creep Score (CS). A CS indicated how many minions and jungle monsters a player laid the final blow on in a game. Johnson was able to dictate the pace of play from start to finish. Michael Pankratz contributed with a dominant 10/2/12 line, while Katherine Rieckmann anchored the squad with 24 assists in a stellar support role. Although Wayne State's JerryTheLicks secured the game's highest CS score, 234, it was not enough to fend off Carthage's overwhelming pressure.

Game Two: Carthage and Wayne State played a more measured contest, but Carthage found its rhythm through coordinated teamfighting. Owen Johnson paced the Firebirds with a 9/2/12 stat line and a game-leading 34,804 total damage. Michael Pankratz and Quentin Zeller provided a strong frontline and consistent secondary damage, combining for 12 kills and 21 assists. Katerine Rieckmann remained an unsung hero, recording 19 assists while keeping the team's carries well-protected. Once again, the pressure became too much for Wayne State College could contend with. 

Across both games in the best-of-three, Carthage accumulated 58 Kills/23 Deaths/138 Assists, 197,552 Damage, 105,371 Gold, and a Vision Score of 174. Owen Johnson recorded a team-high 23 kills, four deaths, 26 assists, team-leading 74,161 damage, and the most gold – 29,185. Pankratz got 16 kills, three deaths, 26 assists, 35,463 damage, and 24,473 gold. Zeller secured nine kills, five deaths, 24 assists, 35,862 damage, and 22,628 gold. Rieckmann accumulated seven kills, three deaths, a team-leading 43 assists, 18,362 damage, and 11,035 gold. Lastly, Gavin Johnson contributed three kills, eight deaths, 19 assists, 33,704 damage, and 18,050 gold.

Carthage LoL competes against CCIW rival North Park (0-1) in an off-stream best-of-three series on Thursday, Oct 2, at 8:15 pm CST.

Player Comments (Quentin Zeller): Both games were close, and I think we responded well to the competitive nature of the matches. What really helped in Game Two was maintaining solid map control, which allowed us to eventually make the play that secured the win."
 

NECC Week One Recap – Overwatch 2 Red vs. Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Club Blue 

Score: Carthage 3, GVSU Club Blue 0

To wrap up this weekly recap, Overwatch 2 Red faced GVSU Club Blue in a best-of-five series. Junior captain Mason Stenger (zXc), junior Joy Schultz (JumpyWizard), sophomore Billy Flanagan (ChickenFries), sophomore Deacon Kirvan (FerociousPig), and sophomore Adam Hollis (Hollister) earned a sweep victory on Friday, Sept. 26.

Overwatch 2 Game Explanation: Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play, 5v5, team-based hero shooter where players pick a unique hero with distinct abilities and roles (Tank, Damage, or Support) to complete specific objectives-based game modes (Control, Escort, Hybrid, Push, Flashpoint). The core gameplay involves a team-focused brawl, where cooperation and strategy are essential to win.

Map One (Lijang Tower / 2-0 Control Win): Carthage Red played the Control game mode against GVSU on Lijang Tower. Control is a game mode where teams attempt to capture a point from zero to 100% in a best-of-three format. To win the map, a team must capture two out of three capture points. A 2-0 win for the Firebirds was claimed thanks to a well-balanced approach. Kirvan accumulated 7,983 damage with a KDA of 17/4/7. Flanagan and Stenger were stellar on defense, dropping 16/5/0 and 10/4/0 KDA's respectively, and combined for 11,780 damage. Hollis and Schultz rounded things out on Support with a combined 10,702 healing to keep their frontliners intact.

Map Two (Hollywood / 3-0 Hybrid Win): Next, Carthage Red competed in the Hybrid game mode against GVSU. It involves an attacking team capturing a point to unlock a payload. Then, they are to advance the payload through two checkpoints to win. The Firebirds secured three points and held off GVSU to win. Another showcase of complementary team chemistry was showcased. Most notably, Kirvan on Tank went 25/1/3 for a K/D/A, cementing his dominance. Also, Flanagan and Stenger wrecked GVSU by going 25/5/0 and 29/4/0, respectively. Hollis and Schultz combined for 17,542 healing.  

Map Three (Watchpoint: Gibraltar / 3-0 Escort Win): Riding the lightning of momentum, Carthage Red finished off their series against GVSU with a clean win in the Escort game mode. Escort involves the attacking team pushing a payload from a start to a delivery point, while the defending team's goal is to prevent this from transpiring. Kirvan remained a force at Tank, securing a 32/1/8 stat line. Flanangan and Stenger once again accumulated 20+ kills each, complemented by 20,191 healing by Hollis and Schultz.

Final Statistics For Overwatch 2 Red vs GVSU Club Blue

• Deacon Kirvan (FerociousPig) [Tank]: K/D/A {74/6/1}, E/D {12.33}, DMG{30,089},{MIT} 21,073
• Billy Flanagan (ChickenFries) [DPS]: K/D/A {70/14/0}, E/D {5.00}, DMG {19,893}
• Mason Stenger (zXc) [DPS]: K/D/A {59/14/0}, E/D {4.21}, DMG {30,533} 
• Adam Hollis (Hollister) [Support]: K/D/A {29/7/59}, E/D {4.14}, Healing {31,185}
• Joy Schultz (JumpyWizard) [Support]: K/D/A {49/13/48}, E/D {3.77}, Healing {17,250} 

Carthage Overwatch 2 competes against Cornell College (0-0) in a best-of-three series on Friday, Oct 3, at 7:30 pm CST, live on Twitch.

Player Comments (Adam Hollis): "It was a great way to begin the NECC season. We had plenty of practices to work out our strategies and teams, and it helped push us through the night. Our communication and teamwork helped us win every map in our own way."

Carthage Esports will return for NECC Week Two action starting Tuesday, Sept. 30. 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 can be viewed here, so you can always catch up on what teams are competing weekly during the Fall 2025 season.