KENOSHA, Wis. — On Friday, Oct. 2, Carthage Esports completed its National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Week One matches. Marvel Rivals, Overwatch (OW) Red, Rainbow Six (R6), and Rocket League (RL) Red reigned victorious. Conversely, OW Black, RL Black, Smash, and Valorant suffered losses in the opening week of NECC action.

Once again, we'd like to remind supporters of Carthage Esports of the days on which certain teams compete in the NECC. Here is the current schedule:

• Valorant – Mondays – Off-stream
• Smash Bros. – Tuesdays – Streamed on Twitch
• Marvel Rivals – Tuesdays – Off-stream
• Rainbow Six – Wednesdays – Streamed on Twitch
• RL – Wednesdays – Off-stream
• Overwatch – Fridays – Varsity Red streamed on Twitch

Overall, this pattern will continue until the last Fall 2026 NECC regular-season week, Nov. 9 to Nov. 13. Be sure to follow the Carthage Esports Twitch channel so you never miss a livestream during the Fall 2026 NECC season.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage Valorant (0-1) vs. Concordia St. Paul Gold (1-0)
[Division V – Midwest A] – Monday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. CST
Score: Concordia St. Paul 2, Carthage 0

Carthage Valorant suffered a 2-0 loss against Concordia St. Paul Gold in its first-ever NECC Division V match. A couple of lineup substitutions altered the match's complexity.
The game-day roster for Carthage included second-year transfer Charlie Post (Opt1mal), junior Aiden Hecht (Hecht), junior Ryan Rivera (Righreanden), alongside freshmen Angel Lopez and Brayden Vandewalle (Aerodynamic). Notably, senior captain Sergio Musaitef (Gio) and second-year transfer Thalia Sullivan (Jellyfish) were not available.

Map One (Lotus / 13-10 Loss)

• To begin the series, Firebirds Valorant and Concordia St. Paul Gold competed on Lotus. This is an ancient, Indian-inspired temple map that features three spike sites (A, B, and C). Lotus is kitted with two loud rotating stone doors, a destructible wall that opens new pathways when broken, and a silent drop ledge.
• Statistically speaking, Concordia St. Paul slightly led in kills and assists (92-82 and 46-43). Both sides planted the spike 10 times. Firebirds Valorant defused the spike on defense twice, but Concordia St. Paul defused it four times. Relatively speaking, Lopez finished with four kills, 19 deaths (0.21 K/D), and seven assists in his debut. In his first-ever NECC Valorant match, it was a rough outing. Musaitef's absence was felt as Firebirds Valorant missed his Sentinel experience.

Map Two (Abyss / 13-5 Loss)

• Next, Carthage and Concordia St. Paul Gold played on Abyss. This is a map featuring two bomb 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.
• Statistically, Firebirds Valorant struggled to keep up with Concordia St. Paul Gold. Concordia recorded 78 kills compared to Carthage's 46. Additionally, the Golden Bears planted 10 times, eight more than Firebirds Valorant. Lastly, Carthage recorded three defuses, while Concordia had two. Overall, these statistics show that Concordia started hot and kept its momentum, which became difficult for Carthage to break.

Fall 2026 NECC Regular Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage Valorant

• Brayden Vandewalle (Aerodynamic): 38 kills / 37 deaths (1.03 K/D), 13 assists
• Charlie Post (Opt1mal): 37 kills / 31 deaths (1.19 K/D), 17 assists, seven spike plants, four spike defuses
• Ryan Rivera (Righreanden): 25 kills / 31 deaths (0.81 K/D), 15 assists, two spike plants
• Aiden Hecht (Hecht): 21 kills / 35 deaths (0.60 K/D), 11 assists, three spike plants, one spike defusal
• Angel Lopez: seven kills / 36 deaths (0.19 K/D), 11 assists

(Player Reflection: Ryan Rivera): "Although this loss is not the result we had hoped for, a couple of people from our main lineup were absent. As a result, it changed our philosophy in terms of which in-game agents we brought to our team composition within this best-of-three series."

Carthage Valorant (0-1, 0-2) will prepare for an off-stream NECC Week Two, best-of-three series against Governors State University (0-1, 0-2) tonight at 7 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage Smash Bros. (0-1) vs. SMSU Mustangs Gold (1-0)
[Division IV – Midwest A] – Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. CST
Score: SMSU Gold 2, Carthage 0

Next, Carthage Smash fell 2-0 against SMSU Mustangs Gold. Although the Firebirds showed flashes early on in Sets One and Two, the Mustangs pulled away in crunch time.
Carthage Smash's roster consists of senior captain Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedx), juniors Shannon Pasters (Mintmelee) and Rylee Preston (Ender14), alongside freshmen Angel Lopez (CH3CKM8TE) and Gianna Wiley (ATH33NA). The initial fear was that Chuluunbat would miss part of the season due to an academic schedule conflict. However, a mutual agreement was reached to ensure that he will compete every week.

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, they switch with a teammate, while the winner stays in and may face a new opponent from the other team. The match continues until one team loses all of its stocks. Each team consists of four players, each with three stocks, for a total of 12. In a best-of-three format, this process is repeated for each set.

Set One (2-0 Carthage Loss)
Lopez (Joker) started the match against SMSU player Ethan (Bowser). In his first outing, Lopez claimed all three of Ethan's stocks. The first came from a back-air maneuver off the Smashville stage. In retaliation, Ethan hit a forward air to launch Lopez to his left, off the stage. Lopez's final two kills came from Joker's Arsène—a powerful Persona that enhances his mobility, launch power, and special moves for a limited time. At this point, Carthage led 11-9 in stocks. Next, Lopez faced RoyAwesomeR (Young Link) with a one-stock deficit that carried over from the previous fight. Roy eliminated Lopez but lost one stock himself. Thus, Carthage led 9-8.

Following Lopez, Wiley (Pyra/Mythra) checked in for Firebirds Smash and took on Roy. Although Wiley claimed one of Roy's stocks, Roy controlled the tempo with several projectiles and ultimately eliminated Wiley from Set One. As a result, SMSU led 7-6 at this point.

With one stock left, Roy competed against Chuluunbat (Bowser), who came into the match with a fresh set of three stocks. However, Roy's confidence never wavered, and he racked up damage percentage on Bowser's giant frame via projectiles such as boomerangs, bombs, and fire arrows. Before Chuluunbat hit a forward attack to eliminate him, Roy took two stocks, widening the score margin to 6-4 in favor of SMSU.

Rydis (Zelda) came in for SMSU with three stocks and eliminated Chuluunbat, who was down to one stock. Chuluunbat attempted a ground-pound on the right ledge of Pokemon Stadium, but Rydis moved away in time and hit a clean back-air to establish a 6-3 SMSU lead.

Next, Preston (ZSS) entered to battle Rydis. In this fight, Preston eliminated Rydis while only losing one stock. Preston hit a back-air and then two stun-and-up-B combos. In the middle of that, though, Rydis hit a nice forward-air as Zelda. As Preston narrowed the score to 3-2 SMSU, he faced Zane (Shulk). As Shulk, Zane used the Monado Blade to hit two critical forward-airs on Preston to win Set One 2-0.

Set Two (2-0 Carthage Loss)
To begin Set Two, Pasters (MintMelee) made her season debut against Ril3yman (Joker). In the end, Ril3yman had a three-stock performance as he eliminated Pasters without dropping a single stock. Ril3yman kept Pasters airborne for the most part, which allowed him to use up-smashes and build Arsène charge. Thus, Set Two started with a 12-9 SMSU lead.

Next, Lopez and Ril3yman battled in a Joker ditto, meaning that both competitors selected the same character. Lopez fought hard to win the round and eliminate Ril3yman. Although he lost one of his own, Lopez took three stocks away from SMSU Mustangs Gold. The turning point came when both players had two stocks each. Lopez increased Ril3yman's damage percentage to 118. As Ril3yman was about to activate Arsène, Lopez timed a forward-smash perfectly as Ril3yman attempted a left-ledge recovery on Small Battlefield. The score became 9-8 SMSU.

With two stocks to his name, Lopez dueled with RoyAwesomeR (Young Link) on the Smashville stage. Lopez took an early stock with Arsène but could not fully eliminate Roy. When Lopez got the opening stock, he was at nearly 130%, which allowed Roy to pressure him into shielding on a ledge and eventually throw him forward twice. From here, Roy significantly damaged Lopez with neutral, forward-air, and projectile attacks, forcing an 8-6 SMSU lead.

Roy's reign of terror continued as Preston (ZSS) entered Set Two for Carthage. Roy relied on Young Link's projectile arsenal to get Preston to 140% before taking his first stock with a forward-air maneuver. As the stock count reached two for both parties, Roy and Preston traded stocks. Preston hit a gnarly side-B plasma whip move on Roy at 149%, while Roy hit a back-air in the middle of Small Battlefield later on. To end the fight, Roy hit multiple down-airs with Young Link's sword, threw boomerangs to cover distance, and sliced Preston with another forward-air. Thus, SMSU took a 7-3 lead.

Chuluunbat (Bowser) entered as the last player for Carthage in Set Two. Although Chuluunbat finally ended Roy's reign of terror, he lost one stock. Therefore, the score was 6-2 SMSU. Then, SMSU introduced Pav (Meta Knight) into the series. However, it did not go well for them as Chuluunbat hit a side-B knockout. Additionally, Pav self-destructed (fell off the stage) twice, which cut Carthage's deficit to 3-2.

For the match's last fight, Zane (Shulk) checked in for SMSU. Chuluunbat faced a one-stock deficit, but it increased to two after Zane hit an up-smash under Hollow Bastion's right ledge. However, Chuluunbat threw a powerful punch at Zane to keep Firebirds Smash within one stock. Despite his best efforts, Chuluunbat was denied by a late-round counter move by Zane as Shulk. Thus, SMSU walked out with a 2-0 Set Two victory.

Fall 2026 NECC Regular Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage Smash

• Angel Lopez (CH3CKM8TE): Eight stocks claimed to six falls
• Alex Chuluunbat (ParaMedx): Six stocks claimed to six falls
• Rylee Preston (Ender14): Five stocks claimed to six falls
• Gianna Wiley (ATH33NA): One stock claimed to three falls
• Shannon Pasters (MintMelee): Zero stocks claimed to three falls

(Player Reflection: Alex Chuluunbat): "Although we suffered a heartbreaking loss, it was our first week with this team composition. Because of that, there were some nerves felt throughout the team, and I think Angel and Gianna needed time to adjust. Going forward, we'll be watching our current players' techniques more closely, looking for habits to watch out for, and then correcting them."

Carthage Smash (0-1, 0-2) will prepare for a livestreamed NECC Week Two, best-of-three series against CCIW rival Carroll University (0-1, 1-2) on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage Marvel Rivals (1-0) vs. Texas Tech Scarlett (0-1)
[Division III – West Central B] – Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. CST
Score: Carthage 2, Texas Tech 1

Carthage Marvel Rivals competed against Texas Tech University Club Scarlett in its first-ever NECC regular-season match. As mentioned in last week's preview, Rivals competed in an NECC placement tournament and defeated Texas Tech University Club Scarlett (2-1) and Southern Mississippi Varsity Gold in a 2-0 sweep.

In Week One, the Firebirds played Texas Tech once more and came out with a 2-1 series win. The Fall 2026 NECC Week One rotational game-day roster for Carthage Marvel Rivals included senior Ethan Anderson (SnowStorm), sophomore Alek Miech (JeffQuake), alongside freshmen Jacob Cooper (Void), Jonathan Jasek (JJPower), Hayden Nelson (Hazzick), Matthew Santiago (Lumen), Michael Santiago (Vader), and Anna Westbrook (BamebeeBirdie).

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

In Game One, Texas Tech achieved a 2-0 Domination win on the Hell's Heaven map. Hell's Heaven features three distinct capture zones spread across heavily armored interior laboratories and exterior landing pads. It encourages tight, brutal choke-point brawls and favors heroes who can lock down territory or break through heavily fortified lines. Texas Tech's MVP was Megalink, who finished 20-2-2 (Kills-Deaths-Assists), accumulating 18,539 forced damage and 23,336 blocked damage.

In Game Two, the Firebirds earned a 2-1 victory in the Convergence game mode on the Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya map. Shin-Shibuya transitions from tight, cover-heavy corridors into wide-open neon streets and extreme vertical heights. The capture zone features high, destructible storefronts that create a sneaky flank route, followed by an escort street dominated by a massive central overlook building. Lastly, there is a final push section surrounded by towering, multi-level rooftops. Michael Santiago (Vader) secured MVP honors, going 38-1-28 (Kills-Deaths-Assists). Additionally, Santiago recorded 27,633 forced damage and 49,244 blocked damage.

The series concluded with a 3-2 Carthage win in Convoy at the Museum of Contemplation. This map challenges players to escort a 1970s-styled "Bats Mobile" vehicle. The route transitions from a chaotic interior labyrinth of narrow exhibit corridors into a massive, wide-open exterior arena defined by immense verticality, floating platforms, and deadly cliffs. Once again, Michael Santiago (Vader) stepped up tremendously and achieved back-to-back in-game MVP honors. This time, Santiago went 39-3-25 (Kills-Deaths-Assists). To complement his KDA, Santiago accumulated 37,940 forced damage and a whopping 88,593 damage blocked.

Despite dropping Game One, Carthage outperformed Texas Tech Scarlett across the entire series.

• Firebirds: 375 kills, 72 deaths, 234 assists, 107 final hits, 311,073 forced damage, 374,541 damage blocked, and 197,792 healing.
• Texas Tech: 230 kills, 108 deaths, 146 assists, 72 final hits, 311,765 forced damage, 380,286 damage blocked, and 201,318 healing.

After Game One, Carthage substituted Jasek and Miech out for Anderson and Cooper, which stabilized their backline for the reverse sweep. This swap paid dividends as Anderson and Cooper combined for more than 143,000 healing between Games Two and Three: 77,837 for Anderson and 65,647 for Cooper. Moreover, Michael Santiago (Vader) played incredibly well as a Vanguard, logging 84 kills, 88,349 forced damage, and blocking 190,267 damage.

Conversely, Texas Tech ran a fixed six-player lineup. ApeKing80 led the team in raw damage output (89,482). As a Vanguard, TNK Pikachewi recorded 180,103 damage blocked but struggled under pressure, dying 25 times across the series. Another area to note is that Ave and Teen both surpassed 93,000 healing: 104,632 for Ave and 93,574 for Teen.
Despite a Game One loss, Carthage refined its lineup and found quality over quantity with its overall damage output. Because of this strategy throughout the series, the Firebirds prevailed and knocked off Texas Tech Club Scarlett.

Fall 2026 NECC Regular Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage Marvel Rivals

• Michael Santiago (Vader): 84 kills / 10 deaths / 53 assists, 88,349 forced damage, 190,267 damage blocked
• Matthew Santiago (Lumen): 76 kills / 12 deaths / one assist, 81,651 forced damage
• Hayden Nelson (Hazzick): 64 kills / 17 deaths / seven assists, 59,598 forced damage
• Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm): 54 kills / seven deaths / 74 assists, 77,837 healing
• Anna Westbrook (BambeeBirdie): 51 kills / 15 deaths / nine assists, 48,549 forced damage, 91,709 damage blocked
• Jacob Cooper (Void): 37 kills / five deaths / 73 assists, 65,647 healing

Carthage Marvel Rivals (1-0, 3-0) will prepare for an off-stream, NECC Week Two, best-of-three series against UW-Madison Varsity Red (1-0, 3-0) on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage R6 (1-0) vs. Pittsburgh State University [PSU] Gorillas (0-1)
[Division V – West Central B] – Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 8 p.m. CST
Score: Carthage 2, PSU 1

Carthage R6 showcased its newly formed team last Wednesday against Pittsburgh State University. As mentioned last week, Firebirds R6 finished 4-3 overall with an 8-6 map record in Division IV – West Central B. They clinched a Division IV – West Central playoff berth as the No. 8 seed but were defeated 2-0 by No. 1 University of Houston Red. Heading into Fall 2026, there were questions about the roster. Senior Jalyn Green (Astro), along with juniors Major Andrews (Major) and Samuel Bergamo (Scorp), had departed after the Fall 2025 NECC season ended.

To counteract these losses, Carthage R6 retained senior Rey Trejo (Paltry) and junior Chris Vallee (Typhoon) and brought in three freshmen: Braden Haske (Shrimp), Connor Phelps (EliteRanger), and Aiden Tosch (Sircat). Thus, a new roster became official for the Fall 2026 NECC season on Sept. 17.

In their first NECC match as a team, Carthage R6 proved its endurance to earn a gritty 2-1 series victory against PSU. Throughout the best-of-three series, Carthage and PSU competed on Villa, Clubhouse, and Bank. Before the series began, both teams participated in map bans. Essentially, Carthage picked Villa as its choice map, while PSU chose Clubhouse. As PSU banned Nighthaven Labs, Bank became the decider.

Map One (Villa / 7-5 Loss): First, Firebirds R6 brought the Gorillas to Villa, a map they won 7-2 against Missouri State Maroon in NECC Placements on Wednesday, Sept. 23. This included seven straight round wins. The last three round wins came on defense, clinching a victory. Carthage started well on defense in Villa's first half but won a single attacking round.

On Villa, Carthage eclipsed a 4-2 defensive half before they swapped roles with PSU. The Gorillas started 2-0 on attack. This included a Round One post-plant clutch by Ezspencez (Lion) against Haske (Bandit) in the second-floor Aviator-and-Games bomb site. In Round Two, Bryan (Twitch) helped PSU secure an early plant in the second-floor Statuary-and-Trophy bomb site. He hopped into the second-floor Master Bedroom and eliminated Phelps (Skopos) and Tosch (Kapkan) to give the Gorillas a 5v3 advantage. Before the round ended, Bryan eliminated Vallee while his teammate, who played as Zofia, took care of Haske and Trejo.

From here, the Firebirds tightened up their defense and earned four round wins in a row by halftime. Particularly in Round Three, Haske (Wamai) wiped Bryan (Twitch) and Zapper (Sentry) off the board. To end it, Trejo (Thorn) traveled down first-floor Pantry Stairs to eliminate Ezspencez (Thatcher), who had the bomb defuser. A three-kill outing by Haske (Bandit) defined Round Four, including the final kill onto PSU's Zofia player on an angle from second-floor Study to Main Stairs. Tosch (Alibi) showcased his ability to hold a long angle from Statuary-and-Trophy, taking advantage of large archways between the two bomb sites to kill Ezspencez (Lion) and NinjaKid (Ash) in Round Five.

To end the first half, Vallee (Clash) held down Old Office in the basement, deploying a CCE Shield that zaps enemies from a distance. The shield blocked most of the doorway connected to Pantry Stairs. Vallee crouched behind the shield and waited for the right moment to shoot Ezspencez (Monty) and PSU's Sens player. Thus, Carthage won a two-versus-two situation as Trejo kept himself alive in the basement Wine Cellar.

However, the second half for Carthage became a nightmare as Bryan emerged as an elite roaming threat. PSU went on to win five of the next six rounds. One highlight from PSU came in Round 10. Bryan (Caviera) recorded a triple kill—Trejo (Twitch) on Red Stairs with an impact grenade, raced into Aviator room to take out Haske (Lion) and Vallee (Rauora) with a shotgun, and defused a Firebirds plant. In Round 12, Bryan (Caviera) wreaked havoc once more. This time, he used Caviera's Silent Step ability in the first-floor main hallway to catch Tosch (Thatcher) and Vallee (Thermite) off guard. Then, Bryan used a specialized silenced pistol and an impact grenade to kill them.

Map Two (Clubhouse / 7-3 Win): After losing on their pick, Carthage faced a 1-0 series deficit against PSU on its choice map, Clubhouse. Both teams showcased their strengths as Carthage started 3-1 on attack, while PSU picked up the pace on defense to even the score 3-3 at the half. From here, Carthage won four straight defensive rounds.

One first-half highlight for each side included a Round Four post-plant for Carthage and a Round Six one-versus-two clutch for PSU. In Round Four, Tosch successfully planted the bomb defuser in the second-floor Cash room. Although Henry (Valkyrie) brought it to a four-versus-four, he eliminated three Gorilla defenders in CCTV as they tried to enter from the second-floor Garage Rafters. Although Braynnikolas (Aruni) narrowed it to a one-versus-one, Phelps (Kali) dropped down from the roof and swung him in CCTV to secure the round win. For PSU, Round Six was defined by Ezspencez (Fenrir) clutching a one-versus-two situation in Master Bedroom-and-Gym. He took out Phelps (Kali) and Tosch (Thermite).

For the second half, it was all Carthage. One major highlight came in Round Nine. Bryan (Twitch) caught Haske (Kaid) off guard with an immediate entry from first-floor Red Stairs to an open rotate hole in the second-floor Cash room; Carthage salvaged the round. Trejo (Sentry) and Ezspencez (Thermite) secured kills for each other and their teams. Ezspencez brought it to a one-versus-two but had a small amount of health left. With NinjaKid (Fuze) knocked in second-floor Construction, Phelps confirmed the kill and focused on Ezspencez. Phelps held an angle from CCTV to Red Stairs and stopped Ezspencez in his tracks.

Map Three (Bank / 8-6 Overtime Win): On Bank, Carthage and PSU played an instant classic that ended with a Firebirds overtime win. The Firebirds and Gorillas tied twice: 3-3 in the first half and 6-6 in the second half. The Firebirds won because of Haske's survival instincts and Vallee's game sense in overtime.

One highlight for each team during the first half included a Round Four Carthage post-plant in the CCTV-and-Lockers bomb site in the basement and a Round Six CEO Office-and-Executive Lounge defensive hold by PSU.

In Round Four, Tosch (Hibana) helped Trejo (Monty) enter the basement CCTV bomb site after eliminating Bryan (Caviera) in the first-floor Admin Office. With open space, Trejo planted a CCTV, which prompted a four-versus-four post-plant. Within the fight, Vallee (Grim) recorded a double kill as Trejo had Ezspencez (Mira) and NinjaKid (Aruni) distracted by his full-body shield.
To force a 3-3 tie, Bryan (Rook) held down the second-floor Stock Trading room and found two kills—Phelps (Fuze) and Tosch (Grim). From here, PSU narrowed it down to a one-versus-four. Although Vallee (Hibana) picked up two kills, time expired as he could not retrieve the bomb defuser.

For the second half, PSU's highlight came in Round 10 when they caught the Firebirds R6 defense off guard in the first-floor Open Area-and-Staff room bomb site. Bryan (Buck) walked right into the Staff room uncovered and squashed Haske (Wamai), Phelps (Frost), and Tosch (Mute). NinjaKid (Jackal) then eliminated Trejo (Lesion). Thus, Vallee (Vigil) faced a one-versus-four situation, where he recorded one kill but was shortly wiped out by Ezspencez (Finka). Carthage's highlight came in the very next round, as Haske (Valkyrie) and Trejo (Bandit) clutched a two-versus-two on the second-floor CEO Office-and-Executive Lounge against NinjaKid (Zero) and Zapper (Sentry) with seconds left.

In overtime, Haske (Valkyrie) and Phelps (Aruni) found themselves in a two-versus-two in the CEO Office-and-Executive Lounge bomb site. As Zapper (Brava) and PSU's Glaz player moved toward them with about eight seconds left, Zapper killed Phelps, but Haske rotated from CEO into Janitor's Closet through a rotate hole and dodged all of Glaz's bullets to survive. Thus, Carthage went up 7-6.

In the match's final round, Vallee (Grim) secured three kills, which helped clear out PSU's first-floor roamers and anchoring defenders. Ezspencez (Azami) found themselves in a one-versus-two situation when Vallee went for a plant in the basement Lockers bomb site. Phelps (Rauora) sat in front of a tight doorway and killed Ezspencez to clinch an 8-6 Firebirds Map Three victory.

Carthage R6 Week One Postgame – Chris Vallee Interviewed by Andrew Czysz Jr.

Fall 2026 NECC Regular Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage Rainbow Six

• Chris Vallee (Typhoon): 107 EPS, 41-27 (+14) KD, 78% KOST, 10 multi-kills
• Rey Trejo (Paltry): 105 EPS, 34-26 (+8) KD, 78% KOST, seven multi-kills
• Connor Phelps (EliteRanger): 100 EPS, 22-22 (0) KD, 61% KOST, five multi-kills
• Braden Haske (Shrimp): 98 EPS, 19-24 (-5) KD, 64% KOST, five multi-kills
• Aiden Tosch (Sircat): 93 EPS, 18-30 (-12) KD, 64% KOST, three multi-kills, three objective kills

Carthage R6 (1-0, 2-1) will prepare for a livestreamed NECC Week Two, best-of-three series against Buena Vista University (1-0, 2-1) on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage RL Red (1-0) vs. University of Arkansas [UARK] White (0-1)
[Division III – Central A] – Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. CST
Score: Carthage Red 4, UARK White 0

Carthage RL Red swept UARK White 4-0 in an off-stream, best-of-seven series. The team's roster contains a sophomore trio of captain Owen Perry (Kor), Kyle Branski (xray), and Jimmy Prims (ItsSlurp17, aka ThePrimReaper). Throughout the series, Firebirds Red faced Chuck, Landon, and Norm from UARK White.

Firebirds Red started with a 4-0 Game One win. Branski and Perry both scored twice, while Prims recorded two assists. Carthage recorded more shots on net than UARK White, 7-4. For Game Two, Carthage won 4-2, albeit a come-from-behind victory. Nearly one minute into Game Two, UARK White held a 2-1 lead as Chuck and Landon scored. Perry added one himself in between the previous scores. However, Firebirds Red picked up the pace and scored three unanswered goals—one from each player. Although UARK White accumulated more shots on net (11-10), Firebirds Red found shot quality and recorded more saves (8-6).

Game Three ended with another 4-2 win for Firebirds Red. Branski and Prims helped establish a 2-0 lead. However, Landon cut the deficit thanks to a Chuck assist. To build on the lead, Branski scored his second goal. In retaliation, UARK White's offense narrowed the score to 3-2 after Norm scored off an assist by Landon. Although UARK White came within one score, Perry slammed the door on a potential comeback, providing Carthage with a late 4-2 lead. Each team had six saves, but Firebirds Red outshot UARK White 13-7. The series concluded with a 4-0 Carthage win in Game Four. Overall, Branski scored twice, while Perry and Prims scored once. Firebirds Red forced 12 shots compared to UARK White, which had six, establishing their offensive success within the first three minutes.

As a unit, Carthage Red accumulated 16 goals, nine assists, 21 saves, 42 shots, and 14 demolitions on 38% shooting. On defense, Firebirds Red allowed UARK White to score four times on 28 shots across the entire best-of-seven series. So far in Fall 2026 NECC, Carthage has held its opponents to 14% shooting.

Fall 2026 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage RL Red

• Owen Perry (Kor): six goals, four assists, seven saves, 16 shots, eight demos, 38% shooting
• Jimmy Prims (Slurp): three goals, three assists, eight saves, 12 shots, four demos, 25% shooting
• Kyle Branski (xray): seven goals, two assists, six saves, 14 shots, two demos, 50% shooting

Carthage RL Red (1-0, 4-0) will enjoy a Week Two bye on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Then, they will compete in a Week Three off-stream, best-of-seven series against the University of Illinois Chicago Red on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage RL Black (0-1) vs. University of Evansville Purple (1-0)
[Division III – Central B] – Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. CST
Score: Evansville 4, Carthage Black 2

Carthage RL Black suffered a 4-2 loss against the University of Evansville Purple in an off-stream, best-of-seven series. The team's roster includes senior captain Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr), senior Lucas Menzer (Joystik), and junior Kaliek Wade (Akko). Throughout the series, Firebirds Black took on Elijah, Naty, and Prodigy from Evansville.

In Game One, Carthage Black exited with a 3-2 victory. Gilchrist built a 2-0 cushion for Firebirds Black after two unanswered scores, one assisted by Menzer. To make it 2-1, Prodigy found the net off an assist from Naty. Menzer then responded, providing Carthage with another two-goal lead. Before time expired, Naty and Elijah connected for a goal. For Game Two, the Aces earned a 3-1 victory. It included a 3-0 start with Prodigy scoring twice and Naty hitting paydirt once. Naty also tallied three saves to cool off the Firebirds Black offense.

Evansville Purple continued its momentum with a 5-3 Game Three victory. Although Firebirds Black took a 2-1 lead at one point, Elijah and Prodigy maintained offensive consistency to construct a 4-2 lead. Although Gilchrist added a second goal to cut the deficit by one, Naty scored an insurance goal for Evansville Purple. Although Carthage Black forced 15 shots on net, Evansville had seven shots and found quality. Additionally, Prodigy had six saves alone.

The Aces made it three straight with a 3-2 Game Four win. Both teams traded goals going from 1-1 to 2-2 thanks to contributions from Elijah and Gilchrist. Although Firebirds Black and the Aces fought to end it in regulation, overtime came into the picture. Within 51 seconds, Prodigy set up a crucial passing play for Elijah, who scored, secured his hat trick, and gave Evansville Purple a 3-1 series lead.

Then, Carthage won 2-0 in Game Five to keep its hopes alive. Gilchrist and Menzer scored while holding Evansville Purple to only three shots on net, a hallmark defensive performance considering the last three series games. However, Evansville Purple put the dagger into the hearts of Carthage Black as it took Game Six by a 2-0 score. Naty and Prodigy were credited with goals and combined for seven saves.

As a unit, Carthage Black was outgained in these statistical categories: goals (15-11), saves (36-23), and shooting (35% to 20%). On defense, Firebirds Black allowed 15 goals on 42 shots across the entire best-of-seven series. So far in Fall 2026 NECC, Carthage Black has allowed its opponents to shoot 35%.

Fall 2026 NECC Season Player Stats Through Week One – Carthage RL Black

• Penn Gilchrist (Pixlr): seven goals, three assists, seven saves, 24 shots, six demos, 29% shooting
• Lucas Menzer (Joystik): four goals, five assists, 10 saves, 19 shots, 14 demos, 21% shooting
• Kaliek Wade (Akko): zero goals, two assists, six saves, 13 shots, 11 demos, 0% shooting

Carthage RL Black (0-1, 2-4) will prepare for an off-stream, NECC Week Two, best-of-seven series against Ashland University Purple (0-1, 3-4) on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage OW Red (1-0) vs. University of Tulsa Hurricanes Gold (0-1)
[Division II – West Central B] – Friday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. CST
Score: Carthage Red 3, Tulsa 0

Carthage OW Red achieved a 3-0 sweep against the University of Tulsa Hurricanes Gold in its first taste of NECC Division II competition. The team'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-ever NECC National championship in Carthage Esports history.

Last Friday, Carthage and the University of Tulsa played the following game modes in sequential order: Control (Busan), Flashpoint (Aatlis), and Push (Colosseo). In all, Firebirds Red secured a 2-0 Control, 3-0 Flashpoint, and 126.20m to 35.62m Push victory across the best-of-five series. Overall, Firebirds Red put their stamp on the series by establishing excellent communication and winning the majority, if not all, of the team fights. No matter who the opponent is, Carthage OW Red always steps up and puts its best foot forward.

Carthage OW Red Week One Postgame – Billy Flanagan Interviewed by TJ Buchmann

Carthage OW Red (1-0, 3-0) will prepare for a livestreamed NECC Week Two, best-of-five series against Wright State University Gold (0-1, 0-3) on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. CST.

Fall 2026 NECC Week One Recap – Carthage OW Black (0-1) vs. Buena Vista University Gold (1-0)
[Division VI – Central B] – Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. CST
Score: Buena Vista 3, Carthage Black 1

Lastly, Carthage OW Black fell 3-1 against Buena Vista University Gold. In the 2025-26 competitive year, this team impressed everyone by qualifying for the playoffs in Fall 2025 (Division IX) and Spring 2026 (Division VIII). In Fall 2026, they were placed in Division VI, which will be a great test of how they can continue evolving as a team.

The Firebirds Black roster includes senior captain Ethan Anderson (Snowstorm), juniors Ryan Rivera (Righreanden) and Kaliek Wade (Akko), sophomores Chris Duffey (LitheCash), Alek Miech (Stewie), and Jena Pillman (Jenny), followed by freshmen additions Kelvin Hernandez (ZoroFace) and Madison Manning (UhhYeah).

Between Carthage and Buena Vista, they played the following game modes in sequential order: Control (Nepal), Hybrid (Neon Junction), Flashpoint (New Junk City), and Push (Colosseo). Buena Vista began with a 2-0 series lead after winning 2-1 on both Control and Hybrid. Then, Firebirds Black kept the series alive with a 3-0 sweep on Flashpoint. However, Buena Vista won Push to prevent a fifth game and claimed the series 3-1 overall.

(Player Reflection: Jena Pillman): "In all honesty, our first match in Division VI was a bit rough. It showed us everything we need to work on as a team. Going from Division VIII to Division VI will be a difficult transition, but I believe we can overcome any potential setbacks. We are happy to have taken one map against Buena Vista. For Week Two, the team hopes for a victory."
Carthage OW Black (0-1, 1-3) will prepare for an off-stream, NECC Week Two, best-of-five series against Illinois College Blue (1-0, 3-0) on Friday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. CST.

Carthage Esports is currently in-season with NECC and WEC competition. We have scheduled Fall 2026 NECC livestreams for Smash Bros. (Tuesdays), Rainbow Six (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 our Twitch channel to be informed when broadcasts go live. Lastly, be on the lookout for recaps on the Carthage Athletics – Esports page as the Fall 2026 NECC and WEC seasons continue.