Loyola Esports begins season Monday

NEW ORLEANS – The Wolf Pack opened the fall season of the Esports season on Monday, beginning with a Call of Duty match against Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The Pack also took on Ashland University on Wednesday in the second Call of Duty match of the week. To close out the week, Loyola began the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate season, competing against Full Sail University in a close loss on Thursday. 
 

The Wolf Pack will continue the Esports season next week, taking on West Virginia in Call of Duty on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. and Texas A&M University-San Antonio in Super Smash Bros. on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. Wolf Pack fans can tune in to the matches live at https://www.twitch.tv/loynoesports. 
 

After last week's delay of the Call of Duty season opener, the Wolf Pack began the fall campaign on Monday against Texas A&M University-San Antonio. With a new roster, the Wolf Pack showed growth against TAMUSA, falling 3-0. Loyola regrouped on Wednesday for the second match of the season, facing Ashland University. 
 

After Ashland took the first set, the Pack fought back in the second set with the help of a kill from Ian Antequera. Wilhelmina Roccaforte-Kostecky, Brandon Brewer, and Jamie Zimmerman stayed alive to force a time-limit victory. However, the Eagles stayed strong throughout the match, claiming a 3-0 win over Loyola.
 

The Wolf Pack kicked off the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate season on Thursday night, competing against Full Sail University. Lily Neeley's Byleth got started against FSU's Snake. Snake took the opening fight, 3-1. Anthony Nodolski entered the match to defeat Snake, advancing to the Armada's second fighter with a 2-1 win. Next, Nodolski's Olimar was taken down by FSU's Lucas, 2-1. 
 

Malachi Lee stepped in for the Pack, defeating Lucas and keeping two of his stocks. Lee's Terry challenged FSU's R.O.B. and grabbed the 3-0 victory to string together the first run of the match. Taking on FSU's final fighter in Bowser, Lee managed to get his opponent down to his final stock. To finish the set, Samuel Spiegel entered the match as Roy, eliminating Bowser's last sock to secure set one.
 

The Armada began the second crew battle with Snake getting the very close victory over Nodolski's Olimar, 3-2. Lee started where Nodolski left off, taking down Snake and R.O.B. to put the Pack in front. Then, Lee traded stocks with FSU's Lucas to take him down to his final stock, 2-2. Lucas turned the tide by taking down Neeley's Lucina to force Loyola's final fighter. Spiegel's Roy managed to bring down Lucas but lost two stocks in the process. FSU's Bowser forced a tie-breaking third crew battle with his win over Spiegel.
 

Nodolski began the match's final set with a rematch against Snake, taking the win, 3-2. Nodolski made the most of his final stock, taking two stocks off of R.O.B. before falling, 1-2. Neeley entered the ring, this time with Pyra/Mythra. With a final hit from Pyra, Neeley forced Full Sail's third fighter, Lucas. With both fighters at three stocks, Lucas fought off the Pack's best efforts to even the score, 3-0. Lee's Terry faced Lucas in the next fight, getting FSU's fighter down to his final stock before falling, 3-2. Spiegel entered the third set as Loyola's last chance, taking down Lucas to face Bowser in the final fight of the match. At a one-stock disadvantage, Spiegel was unable to bring down Bowser, falling 2-1.
 

Results

First Crew Battle:

Snake (FSU) def. Byleth (Lily Neeley), 3-1
Olimar (Anthony Nodolski) def. Snake (FSU), 2-1
Lucas (FSU) def. Olimar (Anthony Nodolski), 2-1
Terry (Malachi Lee) def. Lucas (FSU), 2-1
Terry (Malachi Lee) def. R.O.B. (FSU), 3-0
Bowser (FSU) def. Terry (Malachi Lee), 2-2
Roy (Samuel Spiegel) def. Bowser (FSU), 1-0
Loyola leads match, 1-0
 

Second Crew Battle:

Snake (FSU) def. Olimar (Anthony Nodolski), 3-2
Terry (Malachi Lee) def. Snake (FSU), 1-0
Terry (Malachi Lee) def. R.O.B. (FSU), 3-1
Lucas (FSU) def. Terry (Malachi Lee), 2-2
Lucas (FSU) def. Lucina (Lily Neeley), 3-0
Roy (Samuel Spiegel) def. Lucas (FSU), 1-2
Bowser (FSU) def. Roy (Samuel Spiegel), 1-0
Full Sail ties match, 1-1
 

Third Crew Battle:

Olimar (Anthony Nodolski) def. Snake (FSU), 3-2
R.O.B. (FSU) def. Olimar (Anthony Nodolski), 1-2
Pyra/Mythra (Lily Neeley) def. R.O.B. (FSU), 1-0
Lucas (FSU) def. Pyra/Mythra (Lily Neeley), 3-0
Lucas (FSU) def. Terry (Malachi Lee), 3-2
Roy (Samuel Spiegel) def. Lucas (FSU), 1-1
Bowser (FSU) def. Roy (Samuel Spiegel), 2-1
Full Sail wins match, 2-1