The Northwestern Overwatch team claimed a key victory over the hitherto undefeated Bradley University Braves Wednesday night. The Raiders advance to 4-1 on the season, and, with only two matches remaining, have their eyes set on playoffs.
 
The match began with a fierce showdown on Lijiang Tower. The Raiders started off strong on Control Center, the first point of the map, but the Braves managed to turn things around and claim the point. On point two, Lijiang Gardens, the Raiders were unable to counter the pharah play of the Braves, and Bradely University claimed the first map 2-0.
 
The Raiders selected King's Row for map two of the series. The Raiders started off the map with an explosive offensive, quickly capturing point A, and snowballing the streets phase without much difficulty. Northwestern's momentum on point three was stalled for a moment, but the Raiders recovered quickly and completed their attack with a whopping three minutes to spare. On the defense, things did not start out great for the Raiders. The Braves launched a very successful offensive of their own, capturing point A and pushing through the streets phase at a pace even faster than that of the Raiders. The situation looked dire for the Raiders as the Braves rapidly closed in on the end of point three. In a do or die effort, the Raiders pulled off a masterful recontest at the last minute, stopping the Braves' snowball and completely shutting down their momentum. This one stop was all the Raiders needed. Northwestern rallied their defenses and ended up shutting out the Braves on point three, taking the win on Kings Row and tying up the series 1-1.
 
For map three, the Braves selected Anubis. The Raiders carried their King's Row momentum into Anubis. Starting off the map on defense, Northwestern completely full held the Braves on point A. The Raiders did not fail the capitalize on this excellent opportunity. On their attack, Northwestern quickly captured point A, securing the map win and taking the series lead 2-1.
 
For what would be the forth, final, and most intense map of the series, the Braves chose Watchpoint Gibraltar. On their attack, the Raiders managed to capture the first point with relative ease, but Northwestern struggled on point two, losing precious time. The Raiders eventually captured point two, and after some struggled they also managed to secure point three, but they were left with no time remaining on the clock. The Braves saw their chance. On their attack, Bradely University quickly captured the first two points of the map, creating a dangerous situation for Northwestern. However, the Raiders, bringing back some of their map two magic, rallied their defenses and managed to stall out Bradely University and burn the clock on point three, leaving the Braves with only 8 seconds remaining once they finally captured the point. This critical defense sent the map into overtime rounds. Both teams were given one minute on the clock. The Raiders attacked first, and pulled off an incredible overtime attack by securing point one, point two, and half of point three. This unprecedented overtime offensive left them Northwestern in an excellent position to claim the map and the series. The Braves however, undeterred by the Raider offensive, put together an impressive overtime attack of their own. The Braves quickly secured points one and two of the map, and things looked rough for the Raiders as the Braves closed in on the end of point three. In the definitive and climactic fight of the match, the Raiders triumphed, stopping the Braves' offensive at the last moment; taking the map and winning the series 3-1.
 
Senior tank player Kit "WaggleDagger" Fynaardt was awarded player of the match for his standout Reinhardt and Winston performances across all four maps. In particular, his dominance on King's Row while playing as Reinhardt was critical in shifting the momentum of the match into Northwestern's favor. Kit has been a key component of the Raider's success this year. He serves as one of the Overwatch team's captains, and he is also an accomplished actor.
 
Next week, the Raiders look to continue their successful streak as they take on Graceland University.