(Hooksett, N.H.) - The Southern New Hampshire Esports program capped its fall season with a pair of East Coast Conference (ECC) championships.  The Penmen defeated New York Tech and the College of Staten Island to win the title in Valorant.   SNHU also won the title in Overwatch with playoff wins over Hood College and New York Tech.

Fall 2021 Recaps:
Valorant – Coach (Sultan Akhter)
Over the last few months, I had the unique and amazing opportunity to coach a group of students for the first time in-person and not online. It's funny to say but I didn't expect to start my career in Esports last year behind a screen at home. I was looking forward to our space on campus where students could compete, improve and make meaningful relationships that would last once they were done with their time at SNHU. I finally realized that dream this semester while working with this team and amazing group of individuals.

Like the beginning of most seasons, we were off to a rocky start. Getting used to playing in person, the environment, sharing the space with other teams and the noise levels was a difficult transition, but no one wanted to go home. We played week after week with the mindset to improve and get better and that's exactly what we did. Chris (CoughE) Labella and Jordan (Pupfall) Friedly were a big factor in the success for the team, both bringing their own unique backgrounds and experiences but also guiding the team with their leadership and knowledge. With the combination of a team driven to improve and the opportunity to finally play on lan in front of friends, family and fans we accomplished our goal of winning the ECC Championship. We still have a lot of work to do and look forward to upcoming larger tournaments in the Spring.
 
Overwatch – Coach (Robert Wiemer)
My most unique challenge of this season was entering the roster as a player-coach. There was a fine line to toe on not being overly authoritative outside of the server, as I felt it could have a negative impact in-game on individual decision making. We had a more communal feel for our review and coaching sessions, with all players from starters to substitutes able to suggest strategies and compositions they felt played to our strengths and to our opponent's weakness. This group review and having time explicitly designated for more casual practice together did well to keep the team motivated and pushing themselves in practice.

While the players would have been happy with this season on an individual level regardless, with most climbing at least one whole division in the game's competitive mode, having another trophy from ECC will be a great reminder of what they have accomplished these last few months and help them strive for more.

SNHU opened its Esports Arena in October.  Here's a story (link) that appeared in the Penmen Press.

Competition will resume for SNHU Esports in the Spring.  For more information about the program, contact Tim Fowler, Director of Esports, at t.fowler1@snhu.edu.

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