KENOSHA, Wis. — On Friday, Oct. 9, Carthage Esports wrapped up its Fall 2026 National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Week Two matches. Rainbow Sixx (R6) and Overwatch (OW) Red sit at 2-0 overall, while Marvel Rivals, OW Black, and Valorant are 1-1 overall. Additionally, Smash Bros. and Rocket League (RL) Black have fallen to 0-2. Lastly, RL Red (1-0) enjoyed a bye week.

The current schedule is:

- Valorant — Mondays — off-stream
- Smash Bros. — Tuesdays — streamed on Twitch
- Marvel Rivals — Tuesdays — off-stream
- Rainbow Sixx — Wednesdays — streamed on Twitch
- RL — Wednesdays — off-stream
- Overwatch — Fridays — Varsity Red streamed on Twitch

Overall, this pattern will continue until the last week of the Fall 2026 NECC regular season—Nov. 9 to Nov. 13. Be sure to follow the Carthage Esports [Twitch](https://twitch.tv/carthageesports) channel so you never miss a livestream during the Fall 2026 NECC season.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage Valorant (1-1) vs. Governors State University Jaguars (0-2)[Division V — Midwest A] — Monday, Oct. 5, at 7:00 p.m. CST Score: Carthage 2, Governors State 1

Carthage Valorant rebounded from a 2-0 shutout in Week One with a thrilling 2-1 series win over the Governors State University Jaguars. Unlike last week, two starters returned. Firebirds Valorant starters included senior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio), second-year transfer Charlie Post (Opt1mal), second-year transfer Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish), juniors Aiden Hecht (Hecht) and Ryan Rivera (Righreanden), and freshman Brayden Vandewalle (Aerodynamic). The only lineup change during the series was Hecht playing in Games One and Three, while Sullivan played in Game Two.

Map One (Lotus / 13-6 Loss)

- To open the series, Firebirds Valorant and the Jaguars battled on Lotus. This map features an ancient Indian-inspired temple with three distinct spike sites (A, B, and C). Lotus' layout includes two rotating stone doors, a destructible wall that opens new pathways when broken, and a silent drop ledge.
- Statistically, Governors State led in team kills (79-59), assists (43-25), and spike defuses (5-2). Although the Firebirds led in spike plants (9-7), they could not establish consistent momentum. In particular, Governors State made conditions treacherous for players such as Hecht (7-15; 0.47 K/D), Musaitef (8-17; 0.47 K/D), and Post (8-16; 0.50 K/D). However, Rivera (16-15; 1.07 K/D) and Vandewalle (20-16; 1.25 K/D) had solid performances.

Map Two (Abyss / 13-11 Win)

- Following a rough Map One, Firebirds Valorant and the Jaguars tussled on Abyss in a thrilling Map Two. This map features two spike sites, a central lane with significant verticality, and jump shortcuts that require precise navigation, making it ideal for both snipers and those who can utilize movement abilities.
- Although Governors State led in kills again (92-87), the Firebirds recorded more assists (37-32) and spike defuses (4-3). The timing of certain attacking and defensive rounds may also have made a difference. Nonetheless, Firebirds Valorant found a way to even the series 1-1. Carthage's best-performing player was Vandewalle, who finished with 24 kills, 19 deaths (1.26 K/D), and three assists. Post led the team with four spike plants and continued to serve as Carthage's primary objective player on offense. Lastly, Sullivan led the team with 11 assists.

Map Three (Split / 13-10 Win)

- To conclude the series, Carthage and Governors State faced off on Split. This vertical, urban-themed Japanese map is defined by its extreme verticality, narrow chokepoints, and the use of rope ascenders (ziplines) for rapid movement between high and low ground.
- Statistically, Firebirds Valorant outpaced the Jaguars in kills (90-72), assists (37-29), and spike plants (7-4). Carthage was consistent on both offense and defense. Once again, Vandewalle became a valuable asset. He finished with 24 kills, 15 deaths (1.60 K/D), and nine assists. Post tied him at 24 kills, while Rivera finished with 20 kills, 16 deaths (1.25 K/D), nine assists, and two spike plants.

Fall 2026 NECC regular-season player stats through Week Two — Carthage Valorant

- Brayden Vandewalle (Aerodynamic): 106 kills / 87 deaths (1.22 K/D), 29 assists, one spike plant
- Charlie Post (Opt1mal): 85 kills / 76 deaths (1.19 K/D), 40 assists, 20 spike plants, seven spike defuses
- Ryan Rivera (Righreanden): 77 kills / 81 deaths (0.95 K/D), 38 assists, nine spike plants
- Sergio Musaitef (Gio): 40 kills / 51 deaths(0.78 K/D), 16 assists, one spike defusal
- Aiden Hecht (Hecht): 38 kills / 63 deaths (0.60 K/D), 21 assists, five spike plants, three spike defuses
- Angel Lopez: seven kills / 36 deaths (0.19 K/D), 11 assists

Carthage Valorant (1-1, 2-3) will prepare for an off-stream, best-of-three NECC Week Three series against St. Ambrose University (0-2, 0-4) on Monday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage Smash Bros (0-2) vs. Carroll University Pioneers (1-1)[Division IV — Midwest A] — Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8:00 p.m. CST Score: Carroll 2, Carthage 1

Carthage Smash suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Carroll University Pioneers, a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) rival. Although the Firebirds forced a third set, a weakness in their play kept them from earning their first win of the Fall 2026 NECC regular season.

Carthage Smash's roster consists of senior captain Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedx), juniors Shannon Pasters (MintMelee) and Rylee Preston (Ender), alongside freshmen Angel Lopez (CH3CKM8TE) and Gianna Wiley (ATH33NA).

In the NECC, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate uses a crew battle format. Crew Battles are team competitions in which two groups of players face off in a series of one-on-one matches. When a player loses, a teammate takes their place, while the winner stays in and may face another opponent. The match continues until one team loses all its stocks. Each team has four players, each with three stocks, for a total of 12 stocks. In a best-of-three format, this process is repeated for each set.

Set One (2-0 Carroll Win)

Lopez (Joker) opened Set One for Carthage and netted an 11-9 stock advantage against JohnnyB (Mr. Game & Watch). Lopez impressed with a forward smash, back throw, and countering an attack with Joker's Arsené—a persona ability that grants a temporary damage boost. JohnnyB did hit a nice dash attack to take one stock away from Lopez. Next, Lopez battled AquaJohn (Little Mac) and took one stock off him before elimination. Lopez took advantage of Little Mac's weak recovery, pushing AquaJohn off the stage with an Arsené counter. However, AquaJohn utilized his fighter's greatest strength, agility, to position himself opportunistically to claim Lopez's stocks by throwing forward-smash punches.

Next, Pasters (Banjo & Kazooie) entered the virtual arena to fight AquaJohn with a 9-8 stock lead. Overall, AquaJohn eliminated Pasters by inputting down-grab or up-tilt combos into an up-B jab, giving Carroll a 7-6 lead. Pasters, though, recorded her first stock claimed by using Kazooie's egg launcher to push AquaJohn away from the left ledge on Pokémon Stadium 2. Chuluunbat (Bowser) faced off against AquaJohn, who had one stock remaining. Before a fiery death from Hollow Bastion's left ledge, AquaJohn took one stock away from Chuluunbat with a roll-through forward-smash.

At that point, the Pioneers possessed a 6-5 stock lead. Carroll sent in Bitty B (Young Link), who took the remaining two stocks off Chuluunbat. Much like last week, the Firebirds were beginning to show signs of discomfort against a Young Link due to his projectile-heavy moveset. Carroll narrowed the score to 5-3. The Firebirds' closer, Preston (ZSS), fought Bitty B on Small Battlefield. Preston earned a hard-fought round win, eliminating Bitty B, while losing one stock. Preston relied on his ability to control the right ledge for both of his knockouts—a powerful back-air to force Bitty B to miss his recovery, and a stun into a side-B combo. Notably, Bitty B secured a nice dash-attack knockout.

The last fight of Set One came down to Preston and Mistiltienn (Wolf). Mistiltienn drew first blood with a nice dash attack after he and Preston got well over 120% damage. Shortly after his recovery, Preston buried Mistiltienn into the ground and followed it up with an up-B move. Down 2-1, Preston did everything he could to battle and get another stock off Mistiltienn. However, Mistiltienn shielded off Preston's attacks and used a dash attack to take his last stock.

Set Two (3-0 Carthage Win)

Wiley (Pyra/Mythra) started for the Firebirds against Gromit (Pit). Both players delivered well-rounded performances. Gromit utilized Pit's dual-blade kit to secure dash and forward-smash eliminations. Meanwhile, Wiley mastered Pyra's heavy-hitting arsenal with back-air and forward-smash maneuvers. The round ended with Gromit falling under the left ledge of Pokémon Stadium 2. This gave Carthage a 10-9 lead. Shortly after, AquaJohn (Little Mac) entered and made quick work of Wiley. He used Little Mac's knockout meter to obliterate Wiley to even the stock count 9-9.

However, AquaJohn met Chuluunbat (Bowser) on Hollow Bastion again. As before, Chuluunbat won against AquaJohn. All three of his knockouts involved pushing Little Mac off the stage just far enough that AquaJohn did not have a favorable recovery. Carthage led 8-6 at this point, with Chuluunbat carrying over two stocks into his next fight. Bitty B (Young Link) battled Chuluunbat and eliminated him after losing two stocks. Once again, Bitty B relied on his fighter's projectile-heavy arsenal (i.e., bombs, boomerangs, and fire arrows) and combined them with forward-air moves. Despite the round loss, Chuluunbat got Bitty B down to one stock, contributing to a 6-4 Carthage lead.

Lopez (Joker) came in as Carthage's third player to take down Bitty B. Although he lost one stock, Lopez did his job, and Carthage went up 5-3. Bitty B brought the projectile fight, but Lopez's Joker gameplay limited his momentum. Next, Lopez fought Mistilteinn (Wolf) at a disadvantage. Mistilteinn, with a fresh three stocks, brought Lopez down to one with a powerful punt-kick. Despite this, Lopez took a stock from Mistilteinn with an Arsené charged dash attack. Ideally, Lopez made the ensuing fight for Preston easier. Then, Mistilteinn ended the fight with a perfectly timed back-air move.

In Set Two's finale, Preston (ZSS) got his revenge against Mistilteinn. With a one-stock advantage, Preston stayed level-headed and confident. In the end, he connected with a bury-and-up-b for his first knockout. Then, Preston stunned Mistilteinn near the Small Battlefield's left ledge with a blaster and subsequently finished him off with an up-b input. As a result, the Firebirds won Set Two by a 3-0 stock advantage.

Set Three (2-0 Carroll Win)

Wiley (Pyra/Mythra) started for Carthage for the second consecutive set. This time, she competed in a rematch against AquaJohn (Little Mac) on an even three-stock playing field. AquaJohn worked around Pyra/Mythra's moveset by hitting quick jabs and elusively navigating Pokémon Stadium 2. AquaJohn applied his signature down-throw and up-b combo a couple of times, and finished off Wiley with an up-smash. In the midst of AquaJohn's terror, Wiley did take one stock—a quick dash attack—immediately after she lost her second.

With an 11-9 lead, AquaJohn tussled with Chuluunbat (Bowser). In this fight, Chuluunbat cleaned out AquaJohn's momentum, taking both his stocks while losing one himself. Chuluunbat used a forward-tilt punch and AquaJohn's intentional self-destruct to his advantage. Chuluunbat cut the Firebirds' deficit to 9-8. Bitty B (Young Link) entered and fought Chuluunbat. Once again, Bitty B brought his trademark arsenal, with a neutral up-b and an up-air to effectively eliminate Chuluunbat. Although Chuluunbat took one of Bitty B's stocks with a side-b slam, Bitty B did his job well for Carroll.

Facing an 8-6 deficit, Lopez (Joker) returned to take on Bitty B with a one-stock advantage. After a promising start, Bitty B stole the show with projectile-favored maneuvers to build damage percentage onto his opponent. At one point, Lopez led two stocks to one in the round itself. Then, Bitty B battled back to make it one stock for both. Lopez had Arsené for enough time to do serious damage. However, Bitty B stalled Lopez out, shot a few fire arrows at him to build up damage, and finished him off with a forward-throw to give Carroll a 7-3 lead.

Preston (ZSS) became Carthage's last hope. First, he knocked out Bitty B without losing any of his three stocks. Bitty B got Preston up to 107% damage. However, Preston had ice in his veins and hit a duo of kicks before lining Bitty B up for a satisfying back-air knockout. Next, he took on JohnnyB (Mr. Game & Watch). Here, Preston claimed all three of JohnnyB's stocks while losing two. Two of the three knockouts came from back-air maneuvers, while the third came off a critical up-tilt when JohnnyB was at 141% damage. JohnnyB made Mistilteinn's night easier with two critical knockouts on Preston, including a down-air to even the round one to one.

With a 3-1 lead, Mistilteinn (Wolf) entered and played it smart for Carroll. On his first stock, Mistilteinn racked up 94% damage before Preston applied a back-air maneuver to eliminate him. Then, Mistilteinn condensed Preston's available space on Small Battlefield to the right ledge only. Here, Preston was forced to recover multiple times, and Mistilteinn timed a perfect side-b claw swipe as Wolf to gain the series-clinching knockout on Preston.

Fall 2026 NECC regular-season player stats through Week Two — Carthage Smash

- Angel Lopez (CH3CKM8TE): 16 stocks claimed to 15 falls
- Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedx): 16 stocks claimed to 15 falls
- Rylee Preston (Ender14): 15 stocks claimed to 11 falls
- Gianna Wiley (ATH33NA): Five stocks claimed to nine falls
- Shannon Pasters (MintMelee): One stock claimed to six falls

Carthage Smash (0-2, 1-4) will prepare for a livestreamed, best-of-three NECC Week Three series against Missouri State University Club Black (1-1, 3-3) tonight at 8:00 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage Marvel Rivals (1-1) vs. UW-Madison Badgers Varsity Red (2-0)[Division III — West Central B] — Monday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m. CSTScore: UW-Madison Red 3, Carthage 0

Carthage Marvel Rivals competed against UW-Madison Varsity Red in its second-ever NECC regular-season match. Last week, the Firebirds beat Texas Tech, 2-1, thanks to Michael Santiago's (Vader) stellar gameplay as a Vanguard. It included back-to-back in-game MVP honors.

The Firebirds' Week Two roster for Marvel Rivals included senior Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm), junior Adam Hollis (Hollister09), alongside freshmen Jacob Cooper (Void), Hayden Nelson (Hazzick), Michael Santiago (Vader), and Anna Westbrook (BambeeBirdie).

For Carthage, Hollis and Michael Santiago primarily play Vanguards; Nelson and Matthew Santiago are Duelists; Cooper and Westbrook are Strategists. However, for flexibility purposes, players could swap roles from time to time.

For Game One Domination on the Hydra map, UW-Madison worked to set the tone early. Their efforts resulted in a 2-0 sweep. The Badgers completely disrupted Carthage's push attempts, spearheaded by an MVP-level performance from SilverForHire, who finished with 24 kills and only two deaths as a Duelist. Michael Santiago (Vader) fought hard to stabilize the Firebirds' frontline, earning SVP honors with nine kills and a whopping 54,469 damage blocked as a Vanguard. Despite this, the Badgers' superior team synergy limited the Firebirds to just 31 eliminations as a unit.

In Game Two Convergence on the Tokyo 2099 map, Carthage showcased their most resilient stand, scoring one point offensively. However, their defense became overwhelmed by UW-Madison's offensive pursuit. SilverForHire earned in-game MVP honors once again as he blistered through the Firebirds for a 36-kill performance. Santiago repeated as the SVP with nine kills and recorded nearly 19,900 damage blocked. Meanwhile, support players Anderson and Cooper combined for 38,669 healing under a high-pressure situation.

In Game Three on the Tokyo 2099 map, UW-Madison slammed the door shut on Carthage's comeback attempt. The Badgers' offense ran rampant as Chapyuzi dropped 34 kills and four deaths as a Duelist, while Turbo finished with 28 kills and no deaths to win MVP honors. For the Firebirds, Hollis earned SVP honors as a Vanguard, finishing with five kills, 10 deaths, 13,163 damage forced, alongside 23,900 damage blocked. An eye-popping statistic to note is UW-Madison combined for 125 kills as a team, while Carthage mustered only 22.

Fall 2026 NECC regular-season player stats through Week Two — Carthage Marvel Rivals

- Michael Santiago (Vader): 106 kills / 38 deaths / 59 assists, 136,339 forced damage, 280,648 damage blocked
- Matthew Santiago (Lumen): 76 kills / 12 deaths / one assist, 81,651 forced damage
- Hayden Nelson (Hazzick): 78 kills / 38 deaths / eight assists, 97,335 forced damage
- Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm): 72 kills / 27 deaths / 95 assists, 147,931 healing
- Anna Westbrook (BambeeBirdie): 61 kills / 41 deaths / 18 assists, 79,345 forced damage
- Jacob Cooper (Void): 47 kills / 35 deaths / 89 assists, 114,455 healing

Carthage Marvel Rivals (1-1, 3-3) will prepare for an off-stream, best-of-three NECC Week Three series against the University of Central Oklahoma [UCO] Broncos Varsity Blue (0-2, 1-6) on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 8:00 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage R6 (2-0) vs. Buena Vista University Beavers Club (1-1)[Division V — West Central B] — Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 8:00 p.m. CSTScore: Carthage 2, Buena Vista 1

Carthage R6 competed in a streamed, best-of-three series against Buena Vista University Club. Once again, this young team endured considerable pressure, but came out on the winning side of a 2-1 scoreline. This builds on their Week One win vs. Pittsburgh State University, which included a 7-5 Villa loss, 7-3 Clubhouse win, and an 8-6 Bank overtime win.

Carthage R6's roster contains junior captain Chris Vallee (Typhoon), senior Rey Trejo (Paltry), alongside freshmen Braden Haske (Shrimp), Connor Phelps (EliteRanger), and Aidan Tosch (Sircat). As always, the map pick-and-ban phase took place roughly an hour before game time. For Week Two, Buena Vista opted to play defense and pick Clubhouse for Map One. Then, Carthage selected Villa for Map Two and elected to start on the attacking side. After the remaining maps were canceled out, both teams left Fortress as the Map Three decider.

Map One (Clubhouse / 7-3 Win)

To open this series, Carthage performed well once again on Clubhouse, which became Buena Vista's choice as map pick-and-bans concluded. Firebirds R6 started with a 4-2 attacking half, which included a few excellent examples of team cohesion. On defense, the team won three of the next four rounds on Clubhouse. Although Carthage gained control of Clubhouse, it started with a 1-0 deficit created by Buena Vista's defense.

The Beavers' first-half highlight came in Round One. Essentially, Buena Vista defended the second-floor CCTV-and-Cash bomb site in Round One. Midway through, GuysPlace (Bandit) and JJawesome (Goyo) prompted a four-versus-two advantage as Vallee (Snake) died on the Cash rooftop, while Haske (Dokkaebi) fell in the first-floor lobby. However, Trejo (Capitão) narrowed it to a two-versus-two, taking out the aforementioned pair of Beaver players in the Cash room while circling from second-floor Construction.

Then, Phelps (Kali) spotted Zaastin (Azami) on second-floor Garage Rafters, narrowing things down to a two-versus-one. However, FullyHectic (Tubãro) held an angle from the Garage Rafter window to CCTV. With six seconds left, Trejo danced around the CCTV bomb and instinctively vaulted through the CCTV window into Garage Rafters in an attempt to kill FullyHectic. However, it was the wrong call as FullyHectic lay on his stomach with a pistol out and hipfired Trejo for the win.

From there, Carthage won four out of the next five rounds by double-pushing as a team. Haske, Phelps, Tosch, Trejo and Vallee spread out on offense to pressure Buena Vista's defense from multiple angles.

In Round Six, Carthage R6 attacked the second-floor Bedroom-and-Gym bomb site with efficiency and patience. With about 1:20 left, Tosch (Ace) found his way into the Gym by clearing out Hammurai (Jäger) from Bedroom Hallway. Subsequently, Vallee (Sens) held an angle from the Central Sub-roof's window that led right into Bedroom, taking down JJawesome (Goyo). Because of this push, Tosch had a chance to plant in Gym. However, FullyHectic (Mute) emerged from the second-floor Central Stairs to kill Tosch in Gym. While this is happening, Trejo (Grim) rotated from the sub-roof to the second-floor Logistics Office. Vallee then tried to plant in Gym, but FullyHectic eliminated him. Instead of rushing FullyHectic, Trejo used Grim's tracking bees to spot him while traveling from Bedroom to Gym through a rotate hole. Trejo then planted and caught FullyHectic through footholes in the Bedroom wall leading into the Gym to secure the win.

On attack, Buena Vista won Round Eight only, which included a terrific roam clearing effort by GuysPlace (Monty) against Trejo (Castle) as he attempted to flank from the second-floor Red Stairs near CCTV. This created a three-versus-two scenario for the Beavers as they pushed toward Bedroom-and-Gym. Hammurai (Lion) knocked Haske (Tubãro), and then Tosch (Kaid) came into contact with GuysPlace, who stuck his full-body shield right in front of him. It forced Tosch to panic and accidentally blow himself up with a C4 charge.

Conversely, Firebirds R6 battled to a 7-3 victory, showcasing more cohesive teamwork on defense. Their best performance came in Round Nine while defending the basement Arsenal-and-Church bomb site. With less than 30 seconds left, both teams engaged in a four-versus-four. Guysplace (Twitch) wiped out Tosch from Central Stairs, while Phelps (Mute) feverishly traded him out in the Arsenal room to force a three-versus-three. Phelps then claimed Hammuri's (Thatcher) life before Zasstin (Buck) killed him from behind in the Arsenal room. Meanwhile, the clock stopped as FullyHectic (Ace) attempted to stick a plant in Church. However, Haske (Mira) found him and obliterated him to stop a plant and secure the victory.

Map Two (Villa / 7-5 Loss)

Next, Carthage suffered a heartbreaking loss on its comfort pick, Villa, a map that they won 7-2 against Missouri State Maroon in Fall 2026 NECC Placements on Wednesday, Sept. 23. However, the Beavers dissected the Firebirds, making them second-guess their "work-as-a-team" mentality, splitting them up and forcing late-round uncertainty. Buena Vista started the map 4-2 on defense. However, the Firebirds' defense kept the score close, nearly pushing overtime at 6-5. Ultimately, a well-coordinated Round 12 attack by the Beavers sealed the deal.

Carthage's first-half highlight came in Round Five. While attacking the second-floor Statuary-and-Trophy bomb site, Vallee (Snake) swept through Hammurai (Jäger) and JJAwesome (Denari) from the second-floor Landing doorway, hitting two crisp headshots. From here, Vallee pushed into Statuary with Haske (Lion), Phelps (Blackbeard), and Tosch (Monty). Meanwhile, Trejo (Twitch) flanked from first-floor Back Stairs all the way to second-floor Astronomy room to eliminate GuysPlace (Castle) and Zasstin (Thorn). FullyHectic (Mute), the last Buena Vista player alive, became trapped in the second-floor Walk-In Closet and Haske sprayed him through a soft-wall rotation leading into Statuary.

Buena Vista's first-half highlight came in Round Six. While defending the second-floor Statuary-and-Trophy bomb site, FullyHectic (Noor), GuysPlace (Castle), Hammurai (Kapkan), JJawesome (Denari), and Zaastin (Lesion) forced Haske (Lion) into a one-versus-five scenario. Haske positioned himself in the second-floor Landing room and began picking off the Beavers one by one, peeking into both Statuary and Trophy Hallway. He reached a quad-kill, reloaded his powerful V308 drum-mag assault rifle, but walked into an Entry Denial Device (EDD) explosive charge set by Hammurai. Thus, Buena Vista salvaged the round even though FullyHectic aimed at the exact doorway Haske came in from.

In the second half, Buena Vista's FullyHectic (Thermite) recorded an ace—a feat in which a player eliminates every opponent on the opposing team. It occurred in Round Nine while Firebirds R6 attempted to hold down the basement Art Storage-and-Old Office bomb site. FullyHectic achieved this feat by clearing first-floor Pantry Stairs, gaining access to Art Storage, and tearing through Carthage's players.

However, Vallee would record a similar feat, shrinking the Beavers' scoring advantage from 6-3 to 6-4. In Round 10, Vallee (Fenrir) served as an extension player while defending the second-floor Aviator-and-Games bomb site. Vallee used tight angles in adjacent rooms from the aforementioned bomb site (i.e., second-floor Red Stairs). Hammurai (Grim) and Zasstin (Dokkaebi) were his first pair of victims as they quietly traveled up Red Stairs and ran into Vallee. He then eliminated GuysPlace (Monty) and JJawesome (Ace) on Red Stairs as they came through the first-floor Main Hallway. Lastly, Vallee sensed that FullyHectic (Thatcher) entered through Statuary. Instinctively, Vallee held a timely angle at the doorway to his right, fired a barrage of shots, and gunned down FullyHectic.

Although Carthage used its roaming defense effectively to force a 6-5 score, Buena Vista closed out Map Two with a disciplined Round 12 performance. Ultimately, the Firebirds' defense peeked a few head-holes too frequently across the Art Storage-and-Old Office bomb site. Phelps (Kapkan) did his best to narrow it to a one-versus-three, but became overwhelmed by the Beavers' post-plant hold.

Map Three (Fortress / 7-4 Win) 

Much like Week One vs. Pittsburgh State University, the Firebirds battled back in a series to win 2-1. On Fortress, a newly reworked map, Carthage went 4-2 on defense.

It was highlighted by an exceptional Round Three play by the veteran Trejo (Bandit). In the second-floor Dormitory-and-Games bomb site, Trejo hid behind a double-decker bed that was loaded with crates. With 10 seconds left, Trejo lunged a C4 explosive into the second-floor Central Hall doorway that led into the Dormitory, blew up the charge, and killed Hammurai (Thatcher) and JJawesome (Nomad) in a flash. As time ticked, FullyHectic (Thermite) opened up a wall behind Trejo, but Trejo instinctively swung and confirmed the kill for Carthage as Tosch (Lesion) took a bullet for the team.

Buena Vista's first-half highlight came in Round Four. FullyHectic (Thermite) earned a quad-kill as he sniffed out the Firebirds' second-floor roaming strategy near the Commander's Office-and-Bathroom bomb site. However, after the 2-2 tie, Carthage won the next two rounds to force the aforementioned 4-2 halftime lead.

On attack, Carthage won three out of the next five rounds. Although Buena Vista showcased the ability to flank on defense, the Firebirds stayed locked in, never wavered, and even used shield operators such as Blackbeard against them. After a near one-versus-one clutch from Haske against Zaastin in Round Nine with seconds remaining in the second-floor Commander's Office, Round 10 became the endpoint for Carthage.

On defense, the Beavers elected to lockdown the first-floor Cafeteria-and-Waiting Room bomb site; the first time either team chose a first-floor bomb site. At the 1:17 mark, Trejo (Dokkaebi) drew first blood from the second-floor Briefing Room as he killed JJawesome (Fenrir) from above as he sat in the Waiting Room. Immediately after, Shrimp (Ying) met Zasstin (Wamai) in the first-floor Infirmary room and gunned him down to force a five-versus-three.

Although FullyHectic (Goyo) stopped Vallee (Snake) on Central Stairs, Phelps (Blackbeard) snuck into Cafeteria from the Waiting Room and distracted GuysPlace (Castle). Meanwhile, Haske wiped out Hammurai (Maestro) in the Waiting Room after Vallee (Sens) planted. To confirm the last kill, Phelps bashed GuysPlace with Blackbeard's ballistic, making him fall on the ground and become vulnerable to inevitable death.

Interviewed by Andrew Czysz JrHaske Two Postgame — Braden R6 Weekage arthC

Fall 2026 NECC regular-season player stats through Week Two — Carthage Rainbow Sixx

- Chris Vallee (Typhoon):111 EPS (Avg.), 81-49 (+32) KD, 75.6% KOST (Avg.)
- Rey Trejo (Paltry):105 EPS (Avg.), 61-46 (+15) KD, 72.6% KOST (Avg.)
- Braden Haske (Shrimp): 103 EPS (Avg.), 47-43 (+4) KD, 68.4% KOST (Avg.)
- Connor Phelps (EliteRanger): 98 EPS (Avg.), 40-45 (-5) KD, 60.8% KOST (Avg.)
- Aidan Tosch (Sircat): 93 EPS (Avg.), 28-53 (-25) KD, 60.8% KOST (Avg.)

Carthage R6 (2-0, 4-2) will prepare for a livestreamed, best-of-three NECC Week Three series against Missouri State University Club Maroon (0-1, 1-2) on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8:00 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage RL Black (0-2) vs. Ashland University Eagles Varsity Purple (1-1)[Division III — Central B] — Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7:00 p.m. CSTScore: Ashland Purple 4, Carthage Black 1

Carthage RL Black completed an off-stream, best-of-seven series against Ashland University Varsity Purple. Unfortunately, they suffered a crushing 4-1 loss. The team's roster includes senior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), senior Lucas Menzer (Joystik) and junior Kaliek Wade (Akko). Throughout the series, Firebirds Black went head-to-head with Conspire, G70, and SilentWolf from Ashland.

Ashland strung together a 5-2 Game One victory to open this series. It started with two straight goals by Conspire, one of them assisted by SilentWolf. Before Firebirds Black could score, SilentWolf gave the Eagles a 3-0 cushion. To answer Ashland's air-raid offense, Menzer scored back-to-back goals—both assisted by Gilchrist. However, those were the only goals that Eagles Purple allowed. Later in the game, G70 and SilentWolf each found the net once more. As a whole, the Eagles' defense limited Firebirds Black to just six shots on net.

In Game Two, Firebirds Black turned the tables on Eagles Purple, winning 3-2. Gilchrist started hot for Carthage, scoring two goals within a minute, with Menzer and Wade assisting those efforts on quick kickoffs. It took nearly two minutes for G70 to score. However, Gilchrist remained consistent and secured his hat trick, putting Game Two on ice. Defensively, Carthage limited Ashland to just five shots on net—four fewer than Game One. Despite only five shots on net, Gilchrist went three-of-four, which equalled 75% shooting from the field.

Game Three presented an interesting turning point. Eagles Purple earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory after a 17-second overtime goal from G70. Offensively, Firebirds Black were held to a single shot on net, which came early from Menzer. Ashland's offense forced eight shots on net. Ultimately, a frustrating Game Three loss for Carthage despite five combined defensive saves from Menzer and Wade.

Game Four included another miraculous overtime win for Ashland—this time 5-4 after 31 seconds. Offensively, Firebirds Black started with a 3-0 lead. Menzer scored twice, while Wade added one himself. However, Eagles Purple rallied for a comeback. The Eagles scored four unanswered goals in the final minute of regulation—three from G70 and one from Conspire. Most of them came by pressuring Carthage's goalie. Menzer saved the day and forced overtime with a buzzer-beater double-tap. However, G70 won the game for Ashland after a defensive double commit from Gilchrist and Menzer.

Ashland wrapped the series up with a 2-1 Game Five win. It looked like Firebirds Black were ready to go on another offensive spree as Gilchrist scored 51 seconds in. However, Eagles Purple neutralized that offensive pursuit, flipping the field once again. SilentWolf became Ashland's hero, scoring twice in this critical Game Five. As a whole, Eagles Purple limited Firebirds Black to five shots, while their offense pressured with 12 shots. Even though Carthage walked out empty-handed, Menzer left it all on the field with a five-save performance.

As a team, Carthage Black was outperformed in these statistical categories: goals (15-10), assists (14-8), demolitions (21-14), and shooting (33% to 32%). On defense, Firebirds Black allowed 15 goals on 45 shots across the entire best-of-seven series. So far in Fall 2026 NECC, Carthage Black has allowed its opponents to shoot 30%.

Fall 2026 NECC season player stats through Week Two — Carthage RL Black

- Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): 11 goals, seven assists, 14 saves, 32 shots, 14 demos, 34% shooting
- Lucas Menzer (Joystik): Nine goals, eight assists, 22 saves, 32 shots, 18 demos, 28% shooting
- Kaliek Wade (Akko): one goal, three assists, nine saves, 23 shots, 13 demos, 4% shooting

Carthage RL Black (0-2, 3-8) will prepare for an off-stream, best-of-seven NECC Week Three series against Robert Morris University [RMU] Academy Red (2-0, 8-4) on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage OW Red (2-0) vs. Wright State University Raiders Gold (0-2)[Division II — West Central B] — Friday, Oct. 9, at 7:00 p.m. CSTScore: Carthage Red 3, Wright State Gold 0

Carthage OW Red completed a streamed, best-of-three series against Wright State University's Gold team. In Week Two, the team achieved a quick 3-0 sweep. OW Red's roster includes senior captain Mason Stenger (zXc), senior Joy Schultz (JumpyWizard), alongside juniors Billy Flanagan (ChickenFries), Adam Hollis (Hollister09), and Deacon Kirvan (FerociousPig). Together, this team achieved unparalleled success in the 2025-26 competitive year, winning back-to-back Division IV NECC conference titles (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026), and the [first NECC national championship](https://athletics.carthage.edu/news/2026/5/26/2026-necc-nationals-recap-ow-red-wins-carthage-esports-first-national-championship.aspx) in Carthage Esports history.

Last Friday, Carthage and Wright State Gold played on the following game modes in order: Control (Samoa), Hybrid (Neon Junction), and Flashpoint (Suravasa). Firebirds Red achieved a close 2-1 Control win. Then, Raiders Gold could not unlock the payload in Hybrid, which meant all Carthage needed to do offensively to win 1-0 was unlock it themselves. Lastly, Firebirds Red outlasted Raiders Gold in Flashpoint on Suravasa, winning 3-1 after starting 2-0.

Although Firebirds Red received a solid fight from Wright State University Gold, they are still communicating well as a unit and ready to continue stacking wins as their Fall 2026 NECC Division II — West Central campaign progresses. No matter who the opponent is, they always rise to the occasion.

Carthage OW Red (1-0, 3-0) will prepare for a livestreamed, best-of-five NECC Week Four series against William & Mary University (0-1, 2-3) on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. CST. Week Three's best-of-five series against CCIW rival Illinois Wesleyan University [IWU] Titans Varsity Silver (1-0, 3-0) has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. CST due to Carthage's campus-wide Fall Break on Oct. 15 and 16.

Fall 2026 NECC Week Two Recap — Carthage OW Black (1-1) vs. Illinois College Varsity Blue (1-1)[Division VI — Central B] — Friday, Oct. 9, at 8:00 p.m. CSTScore: Carthage Black 3, Illinois College Blue 2

Carthage OW Black completed a streamed, best-of-five series against Illinois College Varsity Blue. In Week Two, this team rebounded in a major way. After falling 2-0 in the series, Firebirds Black mounted a tremendous comeback to win 3-2.

Carthage OW Black's Week Two roster included senior captain Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm), juniors Ryan Rivera (Righreanden) and Kaliek Wade (Akko), sophomores Alek Miech (Stewie) and Jena Pillman (Jenny), followed by freshman addition Brayden Vandewalle (Aerodynamic).

Between Carthage Black and Illinois College Blue, they played the following game modes in order: Control (Busan), Push (Esperanca), Flashpoint (Suravasa), Escort (Shambali Monastery), and Hybrid (Neon Junction). Illinois College began the series with a 2-0 Control win, followed by a full 141-meter capture on push, holding Firebirds Black to zero. Then, Carthage Black rallied. This included a 3-1 Flashpoint win, a 4-3 Escort victory in overtime, followed by a 3-0 Hybrid performance.

Fall 2026 NECC regular-season player stats through Week Two — Carthage OW Black

- Jena Pillman [Tank]:132 eliminations, 70,150 forced damage, and 40,662 mitigated damage
- Alek Miech [Tank]: 24 eliminations, 19,510 forced damage, and 16,146 mitigated damage
- Ryan Rivera [DPS]: 162 eliminations and 65,860 forced damage
- Kaliek Wade [DPS]: 143 eliminations and 68,347 forced damage
- Ethan Anderson [SPT]: 75,335 healing and 152 assists
- Brayden Vandewalle [SPT]: 74,442 healing and 138 assists

Carthage OW Black (1-1, 4-5) will prepare for an off-stream, best-of-five NECC Week Three series against Waldorf University Club Purple (2-0, 6-1) on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Carthage Esports is currently competing in the NECC and WEC seasons. We have scheduled Fall 2026 NECC livestreams for Smash Bros. (Tuesdays), Rainbow Sixx (Wednesdays), and Overwatch (Fridays). This pattern occurs for regular-season matches from the week of Sept. 28 to the week of Nov. 9. 

Follow @carthageesports on all socials to stay updated on content involving the upcoming Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 seasons. Follow the Twitch channel for notifications when broadcasts go live. Look for recaps on the Carthage Athletics — Esports page as the Fall 2026 NECC and WEC seasons continue.