LOYOLA GAMING (LG) Hydra stunned rival De La Salle University Viridis Arcus (DLSU VA) Foncé, 2-1, to capture the AcadArena (AA) Alliance Games (ALLG) Season 3 League of Legends Championship. The Grand Finals match was held last June 4 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
This feat marked LG Hydra’s return to the pinnacle of collegiate esports since their 2021 championship at the AA National Campus Open.
Game one
LG Hydra came out guns blazing as they served up early in kills, 3-2, after a skirmish at the three-minute mark in which Josh “LG Znake” Dinio secured a double kill. Ateneo continued their momentum for the next five minutes as Zed “LG Swapito” Dy and Gabriel “LG good kid” Cruz both nabbed timely kills to keep the pressure on their archrivals. However, momentum shifted to the Taft-based squad as they secured a clean triple kill in the bot side at the 10-minute mark.
After tying the gold due to a clash in the bot lane, DLSU continued rampaging over Ateneo as Foncé secured all the important objectives early in the game. By the 24th minute, VA had all four Dragons and wiped out all of LG’s tier two turrets. VA’s gold lead also ballooned to as much as 10,000.
Unfazed by the deficit, the veteran Dinio stepped up and halted Foncé’s momentum after mustering up an impressive quadra kill in the 31st minute. After Dinio’s heroics, the game then shifted into a back-and-forth affair. Ateneo managed to come out on top and put the game to bed in the 44th minute, establishing a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
Game two
Similar to the opening game of the series, the Blue and White kicked off game two in commanding fashion as Cruz drew first blood in the fifth minute—finding Steb “VA Carnage” Tabujara alone at the bot lane for a quick pickoff. Just a minute later, LG then secured the first Dragon of the match. However, Hydra’s early run came to a halt in the eighth minute as Foncé posted three unanswered kills, helping them get back into the game.
Hoping to force a do-or-die rubber match, the Taft-based squad slowly built momentum versus LG, culminating in a Dustin “VA Izumi” Tan killing spree and Tabujara quadra kill in the 18th and 22nd minute respectively. Learning from their mistakes in their previous match, Foncé ended the game early after registering a 9,000-gold lead by the 26th minute.
Game three
The Blue and White struggled to find their footing throughout the early stages of the do-or-die match. Getting off to a strong start, VA opened with back-to-back kills within the first five minutes, leading Foncé to pick up the first Dragon of the game.
Choosing to focus on their objectives instead of pouncing unprepared, LG finally picked up their first kill of the match at the 17th minute, courtesy of Cruz. With the use of the champion Viktor, “LG good kid” notched a double kill shortly after a well-timed team attack in the jungle, which consequently closed the gold gap.
Having gained momentum with their string of pickoffs, the Atenean quintet looked to capitalize on an outnumbered VA side by perfectly executing a teamfight by the river at the 24th minute. The match then subsequently snowballed in favor of the Blue and White. Another double kill by Cruz allowed LG to capture the Dragon once again, leading to an opening in the mid lane for Ateneo to push.
In the 27th minute, a final fight at the top lane put the nail in DLSU’s coffin, allowing the Blue and White to seal the deal and bring the title back to Katipunan. For his impressive performance throughout the Finals for LG Hydra, Cruz was named the series’ Most Valuable Player.
When asked about VA Carnage’s prediction of sweeping LG Hydra before the Finals, Scarlata quipped in jest that the opposing team was no match for this year’s LG LoL squad. Nevertheless, Dy quickly followed this up by acknowledging their opponents. “Good game, well played. We significantly improved because of you,” he stated.
Team Captain Dinio noted the team’s composure as the key to their victory despite external factors plaguing the CONQuest Festival. “It was a very tiring run considering how hot it was and the [conditions of the surrounding environment]. But it feels great to be champions in an event like this—it’s definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity,” the senior stalwart shared.
LG Hydra lineup:
Zed Dy – LG Swapito
Gaetano Scarlata Jr. – LG Galatadiff
Gabriel Cruz – LG good kid
Josh Dinio – LG Znake (Team Captain)
Cheigh Kieghron Tan – LG Kieghron
