SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall University esports Pirates won both Big East championships. League matches concluded with the Pirates claiming the spring 2022 title for League of Legends and Rocket League. With the wins, the Pirates have earned an automatic bid to the League of Legends National College Championship, scheduled to begin on April 23.
“We are extremely proud of our Esports Pirates and these Big East titles,” said Paul Fisher, associate chief information officer at the university. “Esports at Seton Hall is exceedingly popular among our student body and we have invested in it accordingly. Our state-of-the-art esports facility gives our team the ability to compete at the very highest levels. And at the end of the day, much like with traditional spectator sports, it’s about engagement and supporting our students.”
The 2022 Rocket League Big East Tournament concluded with top-seeded Seton Hall defeating fourth-seeded DePaul, 3-1, to claim the Big East title.
Entering the tournament with a perfect 8-0 conference record, the Pirates maintained form with a perfect 4-0 mark in matches, winning a total of 12 out of 14 individual games.
In the grand final against DePaul, Seton Hall struck first with a 3-1 victory in the opening round. However, the Blue Demons quickly responded with an impressive second-round showing, downing the Pirates 5-1.
Returning to their winning ways in rounds three and four, Seton Hall earned a 2-0 shutout to take the 2-1 lead in the series, before securing the Big East title with a 5-2 showing in the fourth and final match.
The championship matchup marked the second time in the tournament the two teams met, with the Blue Demons and Pirates first facing off in the semifinals of the winners bracket. In similar fashion, Seton Hall edged DePaul in that meeting with a 3-1 win, outscoring the Blue Demons 10-7 in four matches.
The spring 2022 League of Legend Big East Championship concluded on Sunday, March 27, with Seton Hall capping a perfect conference season with the Big East League of Legends title.
Entering the event as the No. 1 seed, Seton Hall (9-0) faced No. 3 seeded Connecticut (5-4) in the title game, with the Pirates earning the 2-0 victory and the championship.
Overall, Seton Hall finished the season undefeated in team play, winning 18 out of 20 total individual games over the course of the spring slate.
The Seton Hall team was a commanding presence throughout the Big East tournament. In the first semifinal contest, the Pirates got off to a blazing start with an 18.6 KDA, or “kills, deaths, assists,” ratio, collecting 29 kills compared to only five for St. John’s (4-4). Teammates Krop and Fleuber Burbler both finished the round without a single death with Krop posting a round-high 10 kills and a 20 KDA ratio, while Fleuber Burbler finished with 17 assists and a 19 KDA ratio.
The Pirates closed it out with another strong team performance in the second round, posting a 10.5 KDA ratio. Individually, IvernedThisRank led the way with a 17 KDA ratio, including 10 kills.
In the title match, Seton Hall earned its seventh sweep of the spring campaign, capping the two rounds with a 9.06 KDA ratio. Individually, Krop led the way with a 16.5 KDA ratio, while IvernedThisRank led the Pirates with 16 kills in the championship game.
Photos Courtesy of Seton Hall University
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