Bruins JV Eliminated from PACG League of Legends Tournament
- Cole Schwartz
- Apr 20, 2018
- 2 min read
UCLA Junior Varsity was eliminated from the League of Legends PACG tournament on Monday by University of Utah. The Bruins ended the series score of 0-3. The team had some strong individual performances, but no single play rivaled Utah’s overall team coordination.
The JV team started with a new roster at the beginning of the PACG and CSL seasons. Some players had previous experience in competitive League of Legends, but the whole team was initially unfamiliar with each player’s individual playstyle. JV overcame this obstacle by fostering a friendly team-oriented environment and by playing a a demanding match schedule. Consistent games gave the team plenty of time to learn and synergize with one another.
JV played in CSL up until playoffs, where they were eliminated by Butler University. Despite the loss, JV also had a strong performance in the PACG, as they made it to semifinals and ended the regular season with a 3-1 record. The Bruins’ ability to consistently make playoffs has made them one of the top teams in the league.
Patrick “Bachit” Le said that PACG was a great experience, as the tournament brought the team closer together. “Even though our season ended pretty harshly, I couldn’t have asked for a more chill team to play with” he added.
The Bruins felt that the highlight of the PACG season was the live match hosted at USC.
The USC LAN match especially fostered team pride and team bonding since the Bruins played side by side. Zachary “Kizuku” Zhao said, “I don't think I would have ever expected myself to be a part of something that cool, playing live in front of people for the first time”.
Junwei “OmaeWaMoShinderu” He added that the LAN event was an experience he will remember forever, and he hopes to have the opportunity to perform live again in the future. “Playing at a live event with a crowd of e-sports fans cheering us on was one of the most satisfying moments of my life,” He added.
The team said that their overall performance improved throughout the season. While players were skilled at their individual roles, consistent communication was a challenge the Bruins had to overcome as a team.
Le said that working towards better communication in-game dramatically improved their macro strategy and teamfight coordination. “Next year, we will take the experience from this year and aim to be a better team” He added.
The JV team thanked PACG organizers for creating and administering the tournament which gave them a chance to improve their skills. Patrick Le added, “This could be my last year playing League of Legends for UCLA, so I just wanted to thank the entire (Esports at UCLA) crew and my team for making it an enjoyable year”.
UCLA JV will compete in tournaments again at the beginning of fall quarter.
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