KENOSHA – On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Carthage LoL competed in Spring 2026 Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC) Week One action. Unfortunately, they suffered a loss at the hands of MSOE's Raiders. Additionally, OW was given a bye, while Smash Bros received a forfeit win from Chippewa Valley Technical College.

For further analysis on Spring 2025 WEC season performances from Overwatch Red and Smash Bros, click the respective hyperlinks attached to the game title names. The article's main focus will be on highlighting League of Legends' Spring 2026 WEC Week One performance.

Spring 2026 WEC Week One Recap – Carthage League of Legends (0-1) vs Milwaukee School of Engineering [MSOE] Crimson (1-0)
Score: MSOE Crimson 2, Carthage 0

Carthage League of Legends (LoL) entered this match with hopes of starting their Spring 2026 WEC campaign strong. However, the MSOE Raiders spoiled those plans, claming a 2-0 sweep. 

The Firebirds' roster includes senior captain Quentin Zeller (Wolfstrike), senior Gavin Johnson (Cahara), junior Christian Delgado (Bravo), sophomore Owen Johnson (OwenThePotato), sophomore Katherine Rieckmann (Firerose22), sophomore Michael Pankratz (Fuhzzee), and freshman Ian Saner (Toothless).

Game One (MSOE – 25 Eliminations; Carthage: Seven Eliminations) 

Carthage's lineup contained Gavin and Owen Johnson, Saner, Rieckmann, and Zeller. Throughout a 28-minute battle, MSOE established control early and never relinquished it, defeating Carthage, thanks to 25 team eliminations and 45 assists. Outside of traditional metrics, MSOE accumulated over 17,000 more gold than the Firebirds (60,874 to 43,690). Notable performances from Can't Type (3/1/7) and Superultraray (5/1/7) allowed the Raiders to prioritize damage and low-death efficiently, while Toad (4/0/10) controlled mid-game fights with a stellar KDA. One final piece to the puzzle was Pakit, who posted a 12/3/5 KDA paired with 16,045 gold.

The Firebirds consistently farmed as Zeller achieved a 234 CS, but finished 0/3/0. Teammates Gavin Johnson (0/6/1) and Owen Johnson (4/7/2) struggled to keep the midline at bay. Carthage's eight assists paint a clear picture of their deficiency in coordination and engagement. Consequently, MSOE took advantage and locked down neutral objectives at a fluid pace.

Game Two (MSOE 29 Eliminations; Carthage: Nine Eliminations)

After MSOE's dominant Game One showing, the Firebirds decided to make a support change, swapping in Delgado for Rieckmann. Despite this lineup shift, the Raiders remained disciplined and dominant. En route to their sweep, MSOE forced another large gold disparity (62,400 to 50,900), roughly 11,500 more than their opponent. Additionally, MSOE secured 53 assists in comparison to Carthage's 16. Yet another statistical gap showcased how much pressure the Firebirds faced head-on. Toad tallied an 11/1/11 stat line when controlling MSOE's midlane. Although Zeller continued to farm as Carthage's ADC (253 CS), he was unable to gain impactful eliminations as he finished 0/4/3. In all, MSOE secured important objectives first after forcing Carthage into a strong economy, but with no kill participation scenario.

With this loss, the Firebirds aim to rebound in WEC Week Two action. Among the facets to work on, Carthage will aim to curb its negative kill differentials by establishing momentum early and engaging in teamfights with confidence.

Spring 2026 WEC Week One Player Stats – Carthage League of Legends

• Owen Johnson (OwenThePotato): Eight Kills, 12 Deaths [0.67 K/D], Six Assists, 243 AVG CS
• Ian Saner (Toothless): Four Kills / 10 Deaths [0.40 K/D], Five Assists
• Katherine Rieckmann (Firerose22): One Kill / Five Deaths, [0.20 K/D], Five Assists
• Christian Delgado (Bravo): One Kill / Six Deaths, [0.17 K/D], Two Assists 
• Gavin Johnson (Cahara): Two Kills / 14 Deaths [0.14 K/D], Three Assists
• Quentin Zeller (Wolfstrike): Zero Kills / Seven Deaths [0.00 K/D], Three Assists. 244 AVG CS 

Carthage League of Legends (0-1, 1-2) will return on Monday, Feb. 23, at 7:00 p.m. CST, for an off-stream Week Three, best-of-three series against a to-be-determined opponent.

Carthage Esports has Spring 2026 WEC Week Two competition on Monday, Feb. 23, with League of Legends, Overwatch on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and Smash Bros. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Weekly regular-season matches will continue until after the week of April 13. Keep your eyes peeled for weekly recaps written by Andrew Czysz Jr.

Follow @carthageesports on all social platforms for updates, and follow the Carthage Esports Twitch channel here to receive notifications when we go live for non-WEC broadcasts.