Over two weeks, the University of New Haven's premier VALORANT, Super Smash Bros, and Marvel Rivals teams participated in the Connecticut Esports Showcase, a state-wide invitational tournament hosted by Sacred Heart University. Representatives from Fairfield University and the University of Connecticut also participated, fighting for the title of Champion.

The first 11 days of the tournament consisted of online qualifiers in the style of a Round Robin tournament to determine seating for each team and who would qualify for the in-person event at Sacred Heart's Esports Lab. For VALORANT, the University of New Haven first went up against Fairfield University, losing 1-2. Soon after, they faced Sacred Heart's VALORANT Black team, sweeping them in a 2-0 victory. Despite losing one of their matches, the University of New Haven qualified for the in-person event. 

Soon after, the university's Marvel Rivals team went up in their own Round Robin qualifier, facing off against 4 different teams for their event. In a dominating fashion, the University of New Haven went 2-0 against Fairfield University, Sacred Heart White, and Sacred Heart Red. It wasn't until they faced the University of Connecticut in the qualifiers that they faced trouble. The University of Connecticut ended up winning the series 2-1, leaving them in the number 1 spot and our team as the runner-up.

Both the VALORANT and Marvel Rivals teams realized that if they wanted to win this showcase and bring home a banner, they needed to prepare. Teams began practicing team compositions that they hadn't had a proper grasp on before, even learning brand new characters. They strategized both between themselves and under the guise of a coach, and before they knew it, the time had come to fight.

On Saturday, April 12th, two representatives from the Super Smash Bros team attended the in-person LAN event alongside the majority of the Marvel Rivals team. Alex "Majora" Calla and Brendan "Breb" Straut entered the singles bracket for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, unfortunately being placed against each other for the very first match.

From Left to Right: Brendan Straut (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury High School) and Alex Calla (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville High School) (Photo Credit: Cassidy Steiner (Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur High School))

Straut ended up winning the match against Calla in a 2-0 sweep, sending Calla to the Losers Bracket while Straut continued to make his way through the Winners Bracket. The next matchup was between Calla and SHU's "ShiroMiku," which went 2-1 in UNH's favor. However, Calla unfortunately did not make it past Losers Round 3, getting defeated by "GeneralChimp."

Straut's next matchup started soon after, facing off against SHU's "PokeJuan" and easily taking them down in a 2-0. His next opponent was Fairfield's "Dropleto" in the Winners Quarter-Finals, an interesting matchup as both Straut and "Dropleto" played Mii Brawler. It was an extremely tense match, but in the end, "Dropleto" won the series 2-1, sending Straut into the Losers Bracket. He easily took down "mjFear" in the next round, winning 2-0, but that led his next matchup to go against "GeneralChimp," whom Calla lost to in the round prior. Straut put up an excellent effort, but unfortunately, the round went to "GeneralChimp," and UNH's representatives were eliminated from the SSBU tournament.

Despite what may be seen as a hard loss, both Calla and Straut had an incredible time at the tournament. LAN events are always an easy way to bond with your team and connect with people who have similar interests. 

Soon after UNH's elimination from the Super Smash Bros tournament, our Marvel Rivals team took to the stage and began their bracket. Their first match was against Fairfield University, which had two different lineups. Map 1 consisted of Skyler "SKYLARKMAN" Johnson on Luna Snow, Hassan "GoodGuyBappo" Jannan on Magik, Connor "Monclover" Monclova on Invisible Woman, Nicholas "BigWarrior" Lever on Captain America, Christopher "Blackout_402" Iacobucci on Magneto, and Ali Ibrahim "Sorrow" Ak Al-Mohanadi on Hela. Map 2 featured 1 substitution, with Prince "Night" Patel coming in on The Thing in place of Jannan. Al-Mohanadi swapped to Mr. Fantastic, and Lever switched to the Human Torch to complete the Fantastic Four. They won their match against Fairfield 2-0.

From Left to Right: Connor Monclova (E Northport, NY/John Glenn High School), Christopher Iacobucci (Stratford, CT/Stratford High School), Skyler Johnson (Honolulu, HI/Creighton University) (Photo Credit: Cassidy Steiner (Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur High School))

Due to UNH being seated 2nd, winning the match against Fairfield sent them into the Winners Finals against the University of Connecticut, the same team that beat them in the online qualifiers. To many, UConn was the favorite to win, but New Haven was ready for a fight. The Marvel Rivals team was filled with synergy and passion.

Compared to their game against Fairfield, New Haven's team composition was drastically different, with Al-Mohanadi on Adam Warlock, Johnson on Rocket Raccoon, Lever on The Thing, Patel on Star-Lord, Monclova on Mantis, and Iacobucci staying on Magneto. It was very similar to UConn's composition during the online qualifiers, when they also ran Magneto, Star-Lord, Mantis, and Adam Warlock. New Haven used this to their advantage, learning the enemy's strategies and learning the composition themselves so that they would be able to play it against UConn. Map 2 stayed mostly the same, aside from Johnson taking on the role of Mantis and Monclova switching to Invisible Woman.

To someone on the outside, the communication and callouts from the Marvel Rivals team would sound like absolute nonsense. But to the team that had been together for months, they were in sync, practically finishing each other's sentences. Their energy, passion, and friendship with each other built an incredible foundation for their team.

One of their favorite ways of communicating with each other was the phrase "buttering the toast." Coined by Iacobucci, it was a way of informing the rest of their team that they were moving forward and making space for the rest of their team. As a follow-up, Monclova was credited with "the toast is burning," as a way of telling everyone else they needed to fall back or else they would lose the fight. The unique communication and phrases are a large part of what makes up the core of their team, despite Marvel Rivals only coming out in December 2024.

The University of New Haven won 2-0, sending the University of Connecticut into the Loser Finals. They quickly 2-0'd Fairfield, allowing for a rematch between the two teams to occur. Spirits were high for New Haven, especially knowing that their teammates Hassan Jannan (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah High School) and Joshua "Jraynor196" Raynor were commentating their entire match.

As if the complete team composition in the 1st UConn match wasn't enough, New Haven was bringing yet another surprise to the table. With Iacobucci moving to the Strategist role on Rocket Raccoon, Johnson and Al-Mohanadi playing Duelist as Spider-Man and Psylocke respectively, and Patel as a Vanguard playing Venom, they had completely changed it up. Monclova and Lever stayed in their original roles, continuing to play Mantis and Captain America for their team. 

New Haven easily demolished UConn, even after switching back to their original team composition that was seen earlier. After defeating the infamous university 2-0, the University of New Haven's Marvel Rivals team was declared the winners of the Connecticut Esports Showcase.

Christopher Iacobucci (Stratford, CT/Stratford High School) discussing their team's strategy for winning; Joshua Raynor (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow High School), Nicholas Lever (North Caldwell, NJ/West Essex High School), Hassan Jannan (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah High School), and Connor Monclova (E Northport, NY/John Glenn High School) laughing in the background. (Photo Credit: Cassidy Steiner (Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur High School))

In the post-match interview, New Haven explained how they had improved so quickly in such a short period, as well as expressing immense gratitude for each other and their coach, Bryson "BrysonG" Gundry, for putting trust and confidence in them. Although it was a long day for the team, they left the venue in good spirits and ecstatic with their win.

From Left to Right: Nicholas Lever (North Caldwell, NJ/West Essex High School), Joshua Raynor (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow High School), Skyler Johnson (Honolulu, HI/Creighton University), Prince Patel (North Grosvenordale, CT/Tourtellotte Memorial High School), Connor Monclova (E Northport, NY/John Glenn High School), Ali Ibrahim Ak Al-Mohanadi (Al Kharaitiyat, Qatar/Ibn Taymiyyah Independent Secondary School for Boys), Christopher Iacobucci (Stratford, CT/Stratford High School), and Hassan Jannan (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah High School) with their winning banner (Photo Credit: Cassidy Steiner (Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur High School))

On day 2 of the tournament, the University of New Haven's Varsity VALORANT arrived at Sacred Heart University, ready to face off against the teams they beat and ready to get revenge against the team they lost to. Due to the online qualifiers, only Fairfield University, UConn Blue, and UConn Red qualified alongside New Haven.

Alongside their coach, David "speedrush64" Pendleton, the team was excited to compete at a LAN event and was ready to take home a banner. Having recently qualified for NECC Nationals, spirits were high. The Varsity roster consists of Charlie "0pt1mal" Post, Xena "aneXcks" Allen, Isaiah "Mr. Mamba" Delarosa, Gavin "Gavarone" Kornas, and Daniel "Sauced" Barberio.

New Haven's first match was against UConn's Blue team, whom they hadn't faced in the online qualifiers previously, and therefore were going in blind. With a first map of Haven, the team decided to run their normal team composition, with Delarosa in his normal role of Controller and playing Omen, Barberio and Post as their Initiators on Breach and Tejo respectively, Kornas as the resident Sentinel playing Cypher, and Allen as their renowned Duelist on Neon.

From Left to Right: Charlie Post (Palatine, IL/Palatine High School), Daniel Barberio (Levittown, NY/Holy Trinity High School), Gavin Kornas (Sparta, NJ/Sparta High School), Isaiah Delarosa (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep High School), Xena Allen (Otisville, New York/Minisink Valley High School) competing against the University of Connecticut (Photo Credit: David Pendleton)

In a very back-and-forth match, New Haven came out strong from game 1, winning 13-10 against UConn Blue. The series quickly continued as both teams moved off of Haven and onto Ascent, running an almost identical composition to their last game, aside from Yoru in place of Neon.

New Haven's teamwork and communication were impeccable as they strategized and made various plays together, swiftly taking out the enemy team. They closed out the series once again with a score of 13-10. It was close between the University of New Haven and the University of Connecticut, but in the end, New Haven came out stronger and secured their spot in the Grand Finals.

In the Grand Finals, we see a change to New Haven's team composition, with Delarosa and Post switching roles for their team. Allen is committed to her Duelist role, choosing to play Jett into their Icebox match, as well as Kornas on Killjoy, Barberio on Sova, Post on Viper, and Delarosa on Gekko, a surprising but welcome roster for the team. Although unconventional for New Haven, they ended up winning the match 13-11, only one map away from winning the showcase entirely.

The match point game took place on Split, a map that New Haven has an impeccable understanding of, which allows them to play with practiced skill and ease. Back on their original team composition, with Allen on Raze as her Duelist of choice, UNH shows just how skilled they are at their game. Whether it was incredible aim or extremely efficient utility usage, every choice was calculated and thought out. In an amazing turnout, the University of New Haven's Varsity VALORANT team took home the win with a final score of 13-3, securing their banner.

In the post-match interview, Captain Charlie "0pt1mal" Post talks about how in prior scrimmages and games, they could not get the drop on UConn, losing to them the year before. Part of their strategy for the Sacred Heart LAN was trying new team compositions, as seen on Icebox, with a spur-of-the-moment team makeup. The timeouts called by Coach David "speedrush64" Pendleton also helped the New Haven players regroup and voice their thoughts while disrupting UConn's flow when needed.

Words of appreciation and commendation from all around were given to Kornas' strategies and callouts to his teammates, helping guide them to a victory, as well as Allen's skills as a Duelist, and Barberio's, Post's, and Delarosa's use of utilities, and game knowledge. Their victory was truly a team effort.

From Left to Right: Gavin Kornas (Sparta, NJ/Sparta High School), Charlie Post (Palatine, IL/Palatine High School), David Pendleton, Xena Allen (Otisville, New York/Minisink Valley High School), Isaiah Delarosa (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep High School), and Daniel Barberio (Levittown, NY/Holy Trinity High School) with their winning banner.

With two banners coming home to the University of New Haven from both the VALORANT and Marvel Rivals teams, spirits are high for next season. We are excited to see where our players go in their futures and just how many more banners they can bring home. Congratulations once again!