ESPORTS | 3/29/2021 9:04:00 AM
New York, New York – After a successful first six weeks for several top teams in the Borough of Manhattan Community College Esports program, week seven of NJCAA competition provided each squad with the opportunity to establish themselves as a championship contender with the playoffs two weeks away. The Panther's Call of Duty Cold War squad continued to play at an elite level and kept their perfect 7-0 record intact.
Overwatch strung together back-to-back victories to occupy the second-place spot in the Group 4 standings. Lackawanna College was a program immune to the bright lights, and the Panther's Rocket League played them tough for five games despite the result in the program's first-ever primetime matchup.
The Panther's Call of Duty Cold War team
Aisha Ellis (Queens, NY), Christian Vasquez (Brooklyn, NY),
Jarrett Thomas (Brooklyn, NY),
Jose Brazoban (Bronx, NY),
Justin Jacobs (Queens, NY),
Pablo Romero (Queens, NY), and
Raheem Redway (Yonkers, NY) concluded the week still unbeaten defeating Harrisburg Area Community College, 2-0 on Friday evening to stay locked up for the top spot in their group with Carl Albert State College. They will look to keep their record clean this Friday, April 2nd at 5 p.m. against Columbia-Greene Community College.
The BMCC Overwatch team
Farouk Abdel Rahman (Queens, NY),
Randy Arias (Bronx, NY),
Derek Andrews (Brooklyn, NY),
Marcial Garcia (Bronx, NY),
Nathalie Morales (Brooklyn, NY),
Travis Rosado (Brooklyn, NY),
Bryan Vallejos (New York, NY), and
Ivan Minaya (New York, NY) put together a complete performance for their second straight win 3-0 against Carl Albert State College to lock them in for the second spot in the Group 4 standings. Due to several teams maxing out their forfeits, the Panther's regular season is finished and will have a bye for the next two weeks before their first-round playoff matchup.
Last Thursday, the Panther Rocket League team Dakarie Downie (Brooklyn, NY), Kevin Martinez (Brooklyn, NY), and Jonathan Colvin (New York, NY) got to represent the BMCC Esports program on a national stage for the first time against Lackawanna College. BMCC got to measure their program against one who competed in the spotlight before and showed they belonged despite falling, 4-1.
In the first game, the Panthers responded to an early goal to tie it at one apiece. After back to back falcon goals made it 3-1, Downie scored from back in his own goal at the 3:47 mark to get within one, 3-2, before a Lackawanna tally extended the advantage back to 4-2 to give them the game one victory.
After both teams went scoreless for the first minute of the second game, Downie helped BMCC break the scoreless tie on a tap-in goal at the 3:37 mark. The Falcons buried back-to-back markers at 3:29 and 2:18 to lead for the first time 2-1 before the Panthers tied it at 2 six seconds later with another from Downie to tie it up at 2. Lackawanna got a go-ahead goal at 1:47, gave them the lead for good, 3-2 to take a two-nothing lead in the best of four series.
After the Falcons cruised to an 8-1 win in Game Three, the Panthers wouldn't go away in Game four. Colvin netted the first two goals in under a minute of the fourth game to put the Panthers out in front 2-0, and Downie added another at the 3:26 mark to extend the Panther advantage to 3-0. Lackawanna put together an offensive surge and dominated play for the rest of the third game, netting a goal at 2:32 to trim the deficit down to two, 3-1, but BMCC's defense withstood the onslaught to extend the match to a fifth game.
In the fifth game, the Falcons jumped out of the gate early with two goals and limited the Panther's possessions to take the match 4-1. The Panthers will look to get back to their winning ways this Thursday, April 1st, at 5 p.m. against Eastern Arizona College.
Thomas won his NBA2K21 match via forfeit and will look to get another victory alongside fellow individual competitor Caleb Miller (Brooklyn, NY) returning from a bye against Central Wyoming College at 6 p.m. In other Individual competitions, Abel Perez (Bronx, NY) swept Salt Lake Community College in four consecutive games, and Abu Sakil (Bronx, NY) was bested 2-0 against Crowder College. Jonathan Wegter (Brooklyn, NY), Perez, and Minaya all are back at it this Tuesday, March 30th, at 5 p.m. live on twitch against Fort Scott Community College. Sakil is on a bye for the next two weeks, and he will await his next matchup.
The BMCC Valorant squad's Imran Muhammad (Bronx, NY), Julio Lozano (Bronx, NY), Justin Too (New York, NY), Ryan Castro (Bronx, NY), Umair Irshad (Brooklyn, NY), Abel Sanchez (Bronx, NY), and Vasquez was defeated by Bergen Community College 13-1. They will look to bounce back Friday, April 2nd, at 7 p.m. against Nassau Community College live on twitch by clicking here.
For more information, please visit the BMCC Esports Schedule Page.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of seven varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For the latest news on the Panthers, please visit us at https://bmccathletics.com - The official site of BMCC Athletics. Follow the Panthers on Instagram (@bmcc_athletics) and Twitter (@BMCCAthletics), and Like Us on Facebook (BMCC Athletics).
