Posts Tagged 'Overwatch'
SUNY Canton Esports Teams Prep for First 'Home' Exhibition After ECAC Tournament
Friday, April 5th, 2019
Three teams are set to play in a home exhibition match against Alfred State sponsored by Mountain Dew Game Fuel, April 5.
The SUNY Canton "Overwatch" team placed second during the Eastern College Athletic Conference Esports (ECAC) Championships at HV Gamer Con. Two of the teams' players picked up all tournament honors during matches, held Sunday, March 29 at the Capital Center in Albany.
My V. Dang, a Game Design and Development major from Syracuse, and Alexander DeLavergne, an undeclared major from Heuvelton, both received awards for their gameplay during the tournament. The team crushed competition in elimination rounds before falling to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the championship match.
Pictured are (l to r) My V. Dang, a Game Design and Development major from Syracuse, and Alexander DeLavergne, an undeclared major from Heuvelton, holding their Eastern College Athletic Conference plaques. The teammates play on SUNY Canton's "Overwatch" as part of the college's competitive esports program.
"HV Gamer Con presented a new level of accomplishment for our team," said Charles W. Murray III, SUNY Canton esports coordinator and Overwatch coach. "Our most defining match was played in the finals when we toppled Drew University before advancing to face RPI."
The team had posted a 6-0 record during the regular season and were seeded second going into the tournament. Their loss was the team's first recorded defeat in ECAC play.
SUNY Canton's "League of Legends" and "Fortnite" teams also competed at the event but came up short during quarter final matches. The "League of Legends" team finished 3-3 prior to the championship, and the "Fortnite" team closed out a 7-2 season.
The "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," "FIFA," and "Hearthstone" teams are still looking to finish their regular seasons strong.
Game Fuel Showcase Event
Although the majority of ECAC play is drawing to a close, the Roos esports teams are far from done playing. Mountain Dew Game Fuel has sponsored a series of exhibition matches against Alfred State beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5, in the SUNY Canton eSports Arena. The vast majority of eSports matches take place online, so this event marks the first time the college has hosted a live home game.
The college has recently partnered with Mountain Dew Game Fuel, which has rapidly become the preferred drink among SUNY Canton gamers. The company has provided drinks and branded merchandise to be used in the esports program and for prizes.
Other partnerships include a campus-wide connection with Extreme Networks, who provides the high-speed low latency connections for competitive video games.
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 18 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also offers varsity esports and cheerleading.
Tags: Alexander DeLavergne, ECAC, HV Gamer Con, My Dang, Overwatch
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SUNY Canton Esports Set to Play Historic All-Women's Match
Wednesday, December 5th, 2018
SUNY Canton has scheduled the very first all-female collegiate esports match against Stephens College, a women's college in Columbia, Missouri.
The two colleges will face off in Blizzard's Overwatch at 7 p.m. (Eastern Time), Thursday Dec. 6, with Canton's team playing from the college's Esports Arena in Nevaldine Hall. The event will be live-streamed at www.twitch.tv/sunycanton.
SUNY Canton is among the first colleges in the nation to recruit an all-women's varsity esports team.
"Nationally and in the college ranks, the majority of eSports participants are young men," said Head Esports Coach Robert J. Snow. "We've been fortunate to have the strong leadership of team captain Emily A. Oeser, who jumped at the chance to assemble an all-women's team and ensure we were including our female competitors who wanted to compete in varsity esports."
Upon creation of the team, Oeser and Snow began looking for other all-women's collegiate teams to compete against. They discovered the Stephens College team and reached out to their head coach, Ernest Utterback to orchestrate a match. Stephens has played a successful season against more than a dozen traditional mixed-gender teams.
"The beautiful thing about esports is that women and men can compete equally against each other whether its coed or single gender teams," Utterback said. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to compete against SUNY Canton as they seek to expand their offerings to more women."
SUNY Canton's Overwatch coed team, which includes members of the all-women's team, recently won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship after completing an undefeated season during conference play.
"Esports skills are based on teamwork, sound decision making, mental acuity, skills and reflexes," said SUNY Canton Director of Athletics Randy B. Sieminski. "We are tremendously proud of all the success that our teams have had since their inception, and we're pleased to be participating in this historic event featuring two all-women's teams."
All online matches are powered by Extreme Networks, the college's partner in competitive gaming.
Tags: Emily Oeser, Overwatch, Randy Sieminski, Robert Snow, Stephens College
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SUNY Canton Esports Wins ECAC Championships in FIFA and Overwatch
The SUNY Canton Kangaroos have won two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship titles in esports following games in both EA Sports' FIFA and Blizzard's Overwatch on Thursday, Nov. 29.
"These were terrific wins for our teams, and it was extraordinary to capture our first ECAC championships," said SUNY Canton Director of Athletics Randy B. Sieminski. "Our esports programs have come a long way in just over a year, and there is a lot to be proud of. We feel we're growing a great reputation for ourselves in the eSports college landscape."
The college's FIFA team includes four players from the school's traditional men's soccer team. The squad won four of five matches against Texas Wesleyan University, as a group of onlookers cheered on the team in the college's Esports Arena. FIFA is played one-on-one in a soccer simulation where each player picks a professional team to play. Wins are determined by goals scored. SUNY Canton's five match scores were 2-6, 2-1, 4-1, 3-1 and 1-0.
"One of the reasons we created our esports program was to give more students, including online students, the opportunity to compete and represent SUNY Canton," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "Our FIFA and Overwatch teams are perfect examples of this effort. They've exhibited championship caliber teamwork and skills."
Both the FIFA and Overwatch teams were undefeated during the ECAC season. The college's Hearthstone and Fortnite teams are currently waiting to be seeded for post-season play. The college is also planning an all-women's Overwatch exhibition match against Stephen's College and recently held an Epic Games' Fortnite tournament for its substantial population of online students.
The Overwatch match against esports rival Marist College was broadcast on the college's Twitch Channel (www.twitch.tv/sunycanton) and attracted its own crowd of spectators. Overwatch is played with six team members working together in first-person action-based scenario. The team works as a collective to capture points that the other team is defending. The total points at the end of a match determine victory. Each match is played on a different map in a best-of-five match scenario.
SUNY Canton's team was led by captain Emily A. Oeser, a Game Design and Development Major from Canajoharie. The six-person coed squad closed out a tied match on the first map with a victory and then easily swept the second map. Shane R. Girard, a Veterinary Technology student from Phoenix, earned the "Play of the Game" during the second match when he launched his character's ultimate ability in midair, helping to eliminate an attack from Marist.
Marist rallied to overtake SUNY Canton on the third map, pushing it to a four-match game. In a hard-fought win, SUNY Canton secured the final points necessary to win the championship during the fourth match.
"The extraordinary win is the result of long hours of dedicated practice," said Head Esports Coach Robert J. Snow. "Our success in the ECAC was determined by strong student leadership and exceptional teamwork. Our students were able to coordinate their strategies and work together as a team to earn their exceptional win."
All SUNY Canton esports matches are played on state-of-the-art computers in the college's new Esports Arena. The high-speed networking infrastructure is provided by Extreme Networks, the college's partner in competitive gaming.
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. The college's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 16 online degree programs. The college's 15 athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference.
Tags: Emily Oeser, FIFA, Overwatch, President Zvi Szafran, Randy Sieminski, Robert Snow, Shane Girard
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Two SUNY Canton Esports Teams Prep for ECAC Championships
SUNY Canton's FIFA and Overwatch esports teams have advanced to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) finals, with matches scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 29.
Both teams will be looking to continue their undefeated ECAC season record and earn the college's first championship titles in esports.
The FIFA team, comprised of students from the Kangaroos men's soccer team and other enthusiasts, is scheduled to play Texas Wesleyan University at 5 p.m., Thursday. FIFA was announced as a new esports offering at the beginning of the fall 2018 semester. The team is mentored by volunteer coach Morgan Elliott, the college's videographer.
My V. Dang, a competitive gamer with SUNY Canton's esports program from Syracuse, practices with the Overwatch team in preparation for an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship match. The team was undefeated during the ECAC regular season.
"It's been a great first season," Elliott said. "The students have been a pleasure to work with and they truly shine in the game. We love to see the integration and comradery between traditional student athletes and gamers."
Overwatch will take on the college's noted esports rival, Marist College, at 9 p.m., Thursday. Overwatch is one of the original three games the college adopted a year ago when beginning its venture into collegiate esports.
"Our season has really showed me what we are collectively capable of achieving," said Emily J. Oeser, Overwatch team captain and a Game Design and Development major. "The team has been dedicated to their practice and discipline. This season has showcased our growth as players, teammates and friends."
The 12-member coed team is overseen by Head Esports Coach Robert J. Snow, who is also an instructional support associate in the Canino School of Engineering Technology.
"I'm extremely happy that two of our teams made it to the finals in the ECAC's inaugural season in competitive video gaming," Snow said. "It has been a joy watching strangers come together through their love of the game and work as a team to succeed in competition."
The college will be live streaming both final matches on its Twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/sunycanton.
The college's Hearthstone team also had a successful season and currently has a 5-1 record. The team will be playing their final regular season match against Marist College at 9 p.m. Wednesday, which will seed them in for their championship matches. The League of Legends team posted a 3-2 ECAC record and Fortnite also finished with at 3-2 record to close out the semester.
All esports matches are played in the college's brand-new eSports Arena equipped with 25 high-end Alienware computers, competition-ready peripherals and high-speed network connections provided by Extreme Networks. Online students also participate in matches from off campus.
Tags: ECAC, Emily Oeser, eSports Arena, FIFA, Morgan Elliott, Overwatch, Robert Snow, Twitch
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SUNY Canton Unveils New 'eSports Arena'
The college has partnered with Extreme Networks and Alienware to outfit a competitive gaming space.
SUNY Canton has opened the first collegiate esports arena in the State University of New York system. It is one of the largest dedicated gaming installations in the Northeast.
The 1,800 square-foot gaming room went online with the start of classes as the home for the college's growing esports program. There will be a grand opening for the "eSports Arena" featuring competitive gameplay in October.
"Our arena is modeled after a professional gaming environment," said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. "The atmosphere and technology provide an overall immersive experience. It will give our students a competitive edge as they face off against rival college teams."
"This space is one of a kind in SUNY," said Kyle Brown, assistant vice president of information technology. "We've partnered with industry leader Extreme Networks to provide high-speed networking for the room and Alienware to equip the space with high-end Area 51 computers."
Extreme's Smart OmniEdge and Automated Campus solutions deliver high-speed WiFi, management and analytics capabilities so SUNY Canton can optimize network resources and troubleshoot on the fly, ensuring optimal performance.
"Every millisecond counts during an esports game, and a robust network is a prerequisite when it comes to preventing potential performance issues, such as connectivity glitches or slow Internet connection," said Bob Nilsson, director of vertical solutions at Extreme Networks. "By deploying our high-density, low-latency network solutions that are used by professional sports venues across the nation, SUNY Canton can ensure a seamless, stable connection whether practicing or in the heat of competition."
With 25 high-end gaming rigs, SUNY Canton now has the largest installation of Alienware machines in New York state, according to company representatives.
Each station is equipped with ergonomic gaming chairs, multicolored LED backlit mechanical keyboards and mice. The room itself has been retooled with indirect lighting, lockers for the students and a team meeting space that will double as a streaming station for live broadcasts. In addition to the high-end gaming computers, the college added stations with both Sony PS4 Pro and Microsoft Xbox One X consoles to add future gameplay options.
The room was funded through the SUNY Canton Provost's Office to facilitate further growth in the programs closely related to esports. In addition to Game Design and Development, the college offers Cybersecurity, Graphic and Multimedia Design and Technological Communications.
"Academically speaking, the addition of esports enriches the student experience," said Douglas M. Scheidt, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "It also adds more opportunities for our online students, who account for more than 25 percent of our overall population."
SUNY Canton became the first SUNY College to offer varsity esports in December 2018. Teams play as members of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the most prominent nationally recognized organization dedicated to competitive collegiate video gaming. The college also orchestrates matches through the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Association (ECAC), in addition to University League of Legends (ULOL).
"The new Roos eSports Arena is one of the top college competition spaces in the nation," said Randy B. Sieminski, director of athletics. "By adding this space, SUNY Canton has shown its strong commitment toward our esports future. As a result, we will continue to see an increase in student recruitment, engagement and retention, mirroring our traditional athletic offerings."
The college recently added both FIFA and Fortnite to its fall lineup. Other teams include Overwatch, League of Legends and Hearthstone.
To learn more about SUNY Canton's eSports, please visit the eSports website.
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service and recently received number one rankings in library resources, library services and tutoring services in the SUNY Student Opinion Survey. The college's faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 15 online degree programs. The college's 15 athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level and are joining the North Atlantic Conference beginning in the 2018-19 academic year.
Tags: Alienware, Bob Nilsson, Dell, Doug Scheidt, Extreme Networks, FIFA, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Kyle Brown, League of Legends, Overwatch, President Zvi Szafran, Randy Sieminski
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