The Winthrop Esports program traveled to Harrisburg, PA to compete in “the biggest tournament in collegiate esports,” the HUE (Harrisburg University Esports) Invitational, on Sept. 18-19.
“It serves as a sort of kick–off for the new school year. Only the top teams in the country are invited, so it gives a great first look into how the best of the best match up with one another,” head esports coach Josh Sides said.
Open to teams from Canada, Mexico and the United States, 31 other teams met alongside the Eagles to participate in the League of Legends and Overwatch competitions.
The invitational had a prize pool of $20,000, split between both games and then by ranking, with first place earning $5,000, second place earning $2,500, and third and fourth place each taking home $1,250.
Winthrop’s League of Legends team finished in third place, while the Overwatch team finished in fifth place.
“This was around general expectations for us coming into the tournament with our teams having a lot of new faces this semester,” Sides said. “For the League of Legends team, it really felt like we could have won the whole thing. Extremely close games in the semifinals.”
At the end of the 2021 spring semester, the Eagles won both the Collegiate Esports National Championship at Northwood University and the League of Legends College Championship at Maryville University. These successes finalized their season ranking with 13 wins and only a singular loss.
With the fall season now underway, the Eagles have a jam-packed schedule but will not be traveling for any further matches. This past weekend, the team competed virtually for a $10,000 prize in the Collegiate Showcase Series Invitational.
The Eagles were successful competing against Columbia College, but a loss in the second round sent the University of St. Thomas and Maryville University to the grand finals.
Fans are welcome to watch Winthrop’s Rocket League team in action in a few weeks at the EsportsCircus event on Oct. 16-17 at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center.
The team has also been working hard to present a “new and improved team stream” for fans to watch their competitions, but until then, viewers should continue to check the @WinthropEsports Twitter account for updates.
“[I’m] feeling great about the players we have in here, such a great group of guys and girls,” Sides said. “I think we have a lot to live up to from the results of last season, but I’m excited to see what this bunch can do.”
