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Rocket League NWC Athletic Communications

Rocket League Claims Conference Title

Team compiles 10-1 NECC record

ORANGE CITY, Iowa  – The Northwestern Rocket League team completed their 2022 National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Emergents Great Plains season, defeating Wartburg (Iowa) to win the conference championship on Friday, December 9.

The varsity squad, consisting of Brady Wynia (Jr., Orange City, Iowa), Luke Lundquist (Fr., Omaha, Neb.), and Karlton Reuter (Fr., Orange City, Iowa), put together a 16-7 overall record, going 10-1 in NECC matches.
 
Northwestern opened the year at the Collegiate Esports Invitational in Mankato, Minnesota, where they took fifth place against the region's top competition.

"The tournament was a great way to kick off the season with a burst of matches that provided good game day experience and pressure all at once," noted Director of Esports Cole Prescott.

After defeating Southern Illinois – Edwardsville to start the season, the Raiders fell to Wartburg in their second match. The loss was a motivating factor as Northwestern did not lose an NECC game for the rest of the year.

The Raiders also are a part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), Star League, where they faced opponents from schools across the country. Although Northwestern dropped more matches in their NACE season, it provided a measuring stick for the team ahead of their conference tournament.

"We played a few extremely tough teams and experienced a lot of adversity," said Prescott. "That allowed us to come into the NECC playoffs playing at our peak without being overconfident and careless."

In the NECC Emergents Great Plains tournament, the Raiders defeated Hastings 3-1 in the quarterfinals before a hard-fought semifinal victory over Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.). Northwestern went up 2-0 before giving up the next two, setting up a decisive series finale. A 3-2 win placed the Raiders in the NECC Great Plains title match, where they avenged their loss to Wartburg with a 4-1 win.
 
"The CSP game the week before couldn't have been any better preparation for the finals against Wartburg," Prescott commented. "It kept us grinding hard that final week of practice, and we came in ready to play solid Rocket League. The game against Wartburg was competitive, but we held control for most of the series."

Prescott credits the work of Klayton Wielenga for the success of the team due to his expertise in Rocket League, and is also excited for the future of the Raider program. The team's three varsity members return to the squad for the spring and the 2023 season as they will look to defend their conference championship.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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Players Mentioned

Brady Wynia

Brady Wynia

Junior
Luke Lundquist

Luke Lundquist

Freshman
Karlton Reuter

Karlton Reuter

Freshman

Players Mentioned

Brady Wynia

Brady Wynia

Junior
Luke Lundquist

Luke Lundquist

Freshman
Karlton Reuter

Karlton Reuter

Freshman