Auburn, ME – The CMCC Esports Valorant team knocked off SUNY-Polytechnic Institute 3-0 in their semifinal match on Tuesday night, booking their spot in the ECAC Division C Championship Match to be played Tuesday, December 10^th at 8:00 pm EST. The Mustangs recovered from a slow start to sweep the Wildcats, taking the final map 13-3.

The series opener was on Haven, a notoriously offensive-sided map due to its three plant sites that force the defense to spread thin. Central Maine got the advantage of starting on offense but still fell behind 3-6, with the team playing a little slow out of the gate following a long Thanksgiving break and an interrupted practice schedule.

A few notable clutch plays from Lillianna "Beanz" Noel and Owen "Glakknar" Brousseau helped turn the tide. The Mustangs combined good management of their economy with an advantageous post-plant positioning on site C, evening the odds and getting the score back to 6-6 at halftime. On defense, CMCC Esports only allowed SUNY-Poly to take three rounds off of them before they finished the map with a 13-9 win.

Map two took place on Bind. Central Maine jumped out to a 5-0 lead forcing the Wildcats to spend their first timeout of the series. Brayden "Bumble" Hiltz had an outstanding effort with a 29/11/4 kills-deaths-assists ratio in 18 rounds as the squad's main duelist and raze player, ten more kills than his closest competitor. His 2.6 kills per round was extremely efficient.

The Mustangs took a big halftime lead, but their 9-3 advantage was notorious for losing in the second half. In fact, CMCC had never won on Bind when leading 9-3 when changing over to offense. This time though the squad picked up the four rounds it needed to end the map before SUNY-Poly could gain momentum, ending with a 13-5 win to take a 2-0 lead.

Sunset was the third map. Needing a big effort to start a comeback in the best-of-five, the Wildcats fizzled out. Central Maine once again went up 9-3 at the half, but this time having started on defense in an offensive-heavy map. That put the Mustangs in pole position to complete the sweep barring a massive collapse. The #2 seeded team did not disappoint taking four quick rounds to close out the map 13-3 and the match 3-0.

Caden "Asylum" Bedney and captain Kason "MARAUDER" Dalton both had a fantastic third map playing in support roles. MARAUDER went triple positive with a 3.0 K/D having gone 15/5/3. Asylum was one kill shy of joining him after a 20/7/6 kills-deaths-assists performance.

"With the additions of Caden and Kason, the Valorant team has taken a huge step forward this season," said Esports Coordinator Andrew Garza. "Both of them having experience in competitive esports has not only led Valorant to the cusp of a national championship, but has set the standard for Mustangs Esports teams in terms of team chemistry, time management, and commitment to the program."

CMCC Esports advances to the ECAC Division C National Championship Match against #1 St. Clair College out of London, Ontario. The Valorant team is now 12-2 on the year having already reached the semifinals in C-Val. A win on Tuesday, December 10^th would give Mustangs Esports its first championship across any title.

View the match here: twitch.tv/videos/2317703261

Mustangs Esports is on a quest to win 60 matches this year to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of Central Maine Community College. Valorant's win brings the program's total record to 36-24 through the first 60 matches of 2024-25.