AU Rocket League finishes inaugural season undefeated
By Noah Bowers | Sports Writer
The Augusta University Jaguars finished their inaugural Rocket League season undefeated in the Peach Belt Conference with another final dominant 3-0 sweep against Florida State University at Panama City (3-2) on Sunday, Oct. 15.
Next stop, the Peach Belt Championship.
The map scores were 5-2, 5-1, 3-1. AU finished the regular season 5-0.
Another roster shakeup occurred before the match, but the Jaguars’ substitutes have been able to seamlessly transition from the bench to stellar gameplay all season long.
“It's often hard to get comfortable with new teammates, especially since many of our players have never had experience competing before.” said captain Jordan Moratin. “Nonetheless, we have shown that we can overcome barriers as a team, which speaks to the future development of the program here at AU.”
Scheduling conflicts, sick days, spotty internet, all have been nullified with the teamwork and talent that AU has displayed.
Zack (realpyeguy) Pye put the team on his back with a career high performance totalling five goals, two assists, three saves, and a staggering 15 shots on net. Jordan (jrdn.) Moratin and Carson (Carsinho) Berry both tallied four goals each as well, with 13 and 11 shots, respectively.
It was a balanced performance as every player had their moments of defensive presence and offensive sensation through each map. All three maps had a different top scorer, showcasing the depth and equality across the roster. FSUPC had a single player who was able to effectively compete with AU, however, the team as a whole was shut down where it mattered, at the goal.
Looking back on the season, the Jaguars were a class above the competition. The team outscored opponents 65-17, good for a +48 point differential. AU lost only one map the entire season, finishing with an overall map record of 15-1. Moratin, the captain of the team, was the only member to play in every match of the season. He finishes the season with 24 goals, averaging exactly 1.5 goals per map, and looks to be the next PBC Rocket League MVP.
“I feel extremely blessed to be able to represent Augusta University and our new Esports Program by being undefeated in our Peach Belt Conference debut.” said Moratin after the inspired performance. “The establishment of the program has been a long road and to be able to outperform rival schools with well established Esports teams is surreal.”
The Jaguars will play the winner between Coker University and University of South Carolina at Aiken in the semifinals of the PBC Championship on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. If they win, they will travel to Florence, S.C. to play in the PBC Championship finals.
You can meet the teams and learn about the future of AU Esports at the Esports Grand Opening on Oct. 23 from 5-7 p.m. at the Georgia Cyber Center, in the Shaffer MacCartney Building Lobby.
Due to technical difficulties, the match was not live streamed, but you can rewatch the rest of the undefeated season here: https://www.twitch.tv/jordanrl__.
Contact Noah Bowers at nbowers@augusta.edu.
From left to right, Carson Berry, Jordan Moratin, Zack Pye pose in the Esports Arena set to be unveiled Oct. 23. At the top of the page, Captain Moratin puts the finishing touches on his setup before the match against FSUPC. (photos by Noah Bowers)
