FOLLOWING TWO rounds of action, the Ateneo Blue Eagles succumbed to FEU Tamaraws Esports, coming out winless with a series score of 0-2. The tournament’s inaugural matchups were held earlier today at the Arete’s Hyundai Hall in Quezon City.
Ateneo struggled to find their footing against the well-oiled Tamaraws, who came out the gates aggressive, as the Blue Eagles were forced to be on the defense for almost the entirety of the match-ups.
Game 1
Majority of the noise was made in the midlane, as junglers focused on early-game objectives while the midlane was under threat. It would be the Tamaraws that struck first blood following a team clash for the Turtle.
Dashmielle Farin of FEU, who used Nolan, would then step up to the plate after a clash in the midlane. Following the altercation, the Blue Eagles saw the kill count rise at 4-1 in favor of the opposing squad, leaving them looking for answers.
Seven minutes in, the Tamaraws managed to push their first tower following many attempted tower dives by both teams. To add insult to injury, the Recto-based squad once again slayed the Turtle to extend the gold gap.
FEU’s Micole Justin Wage, using Roger, began to show up in the midlane, leading a charge that took down two of Ateneo’s turrets at mid. The Tamaraws would later slay the Lord to attempt their first full-on push of the match. Although the Blue Eagles managed to guard their turf, FEU quickly countered by taking the Lord once again.
After a valiant effort by the Katipunan-based squad, the team ultimately faltered to the Tamaraws to lose the first match of the game after nearly 14 minutes, with a final kill score of 5-17.
Farin, who played Ruby and served as the Tamaraw’s jungler, took home Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors, with a kill-death-assist (KDA) score of 8-0-2.
Game 2
Despite the Blue Eagles’ attempt to even things out, the Tamaraws swiftly stopped them in their tracks. Using a risky tactic of playing without a true marksman, Ateneo relied on Zhask at gold lane to lead the way.
FEU’s Benedict Ablanida, this time playing Ruby, took to the jungle to provide his team with a much-needed buff while taking first blood in the process. The Blue Eagles’ Sebastian Antolin, using Zhask, responded with a kill of his own, evening up the kill score at one apiece.
With Ateneo lacking on defense, the Tamaraws slowly went their way to the Ateneo’s base and inhibitor turret. The turning point of the match came when both teams battled for the Lord. Ultimately, FEU won the battle, wiping out the Blue Eagles in the process.
Eager to hold the fort down, the Blue Eagles took position, ready for the Tamaraws’ charge. After an intense showdown, FEU’s final push for victory proved to be successful. The match concluded just before the 12-minute mark, with a kill score of 20-5.
FEU’s Farin was named match MVP anew, this time using the assassin Hayabusa, serving up six kills and 10 assists, without suffering a single death.
Following this result, the Blue and White find themselves at the bottom of the standings in Group A, yet to score a victory. The Blue Eagles will have many more opportunities to do so as they take on the National University Bulldogs tomorrow, August 18, at the same venue.
Ateneo Blue Eagles lineup:
Sean Jacob See – Hylos, Terizla
Lyandrei Go Duero – Hayabusa, Alpha
Eugene Dela Cruz (Team Captain) – Faramis, Kaja
Benjamin Louis L. Ang – Terizla, Valentina
Sebastian Archer S. Antolin – Karrie, Zhask
Group A Standings (W-D-L):
- FEU Tamaraws Esports (1-0-0)
- DLSU Viridis Arcus Esports (0-1-0)
- NU Bulldogs (0-1-0)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (0-0-1)
Group B Standings (W-D-L):
- AdU Falcons (1-0-0)
- UST Teletigers Esports Club (1-0-0)
- UE Zenith Warriors (0-0-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (0-0-1)
