Carlow Black defeats King's College Gold in Overwatch2, 3-0

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University Black defeated King's College Gold in Overwatch2 Tuesday night.
Game 1 - Lijiang Tower
Result: W, Carlow University Black

The first game of the series took place on Lijiang Tower, where the team battled through a hard-fought three-map contest to secure the victory.

• Map 1 (Night Market): Carlow Black took an early lead and reached 99 percent, but King's College Gold managed to win the fight in overtime and flipped the point to secure the map.
• Map 2 (Garden): This time, the roles were reversed. King's College Gold had control and reached 99 percent, but the Celtics executed a well-coordinated overtime fight to turn the tides and take the map.
• Map 3 (Control Center): This was Carlow's strongest showing of the game, where they dominated control of the point, barely allowing King's College to contest, and closed out the match convincingly.

Player Highlights

• Tay Johnson: 42 eliminations, 11,110 damage, 9,197 damage mitigation
• Hason Chan: 36 eliminations, 20,736 damage
• Alena Hemminger: 32 eliminations, 37 assists, 14,240 healing 
• Lily Ibanez: 14 eliminations, 37 assists, 12,385 healing
• Elizabeth Knight: 27 eliminations, 9,301 damage

A great start to the series, with strong teamwork and resilience showing in the comeback and dominant third map. 

Game 2 - King's Row (Hybrid)
Result: W, Carlow University Black

Game two took us to King's Row, where both teams displayed strong defenses and clutch plays, but Carlow managed to secure the victory with critical adjustments and well-executed team fights.

Attack Phase:

The Celtics started on attack, but King's College held the first point with a solid defensive stand. However, once Johnson switched to Reinhardt, the Celtics broke through their defenses and secured the payload.

During the streets phase, King's College used strong ultimate combos – especially from Zarya and Mei – to slow Carlow's momentum. But Johnson's Earthshatter, combined with Knight and Hason's ultimates, helped the Celtics break through and push into the final phase.

On the final point, King's College stalled Carlow again, forcing long and scrappy fights. Here, Ibanez made a significant impact, consistently cleansing Ana's healing debuffs and keeping the team alive through the chaos. With just 13 seconds left, Carlow Black secured a Team Kill and pushed the payload to the finish line.

Defense Phase:

On defense, the Celtics held strong, delaying King's College's first-point capture for two minutes before they broke through. They then made a strong push through the streets phase, securing the second checkpoint.

At this point, Johnson switched to Junker Queen, and the defense locked down. King's College was down to less than a minute when they secured a Team Kill, looking poised to force extra time. But another key hero swap turned the tide – Hemminger switched to Lucio, allowing Carlow to speed boost back onto the payload and win the final teamfight. This secured the game-winning hold and put the Celtics up 2-0 in the series.

Player Highlights (From Match Stats):

• Johnson: 36 eliminations, 15,474 damage, 19,114 mitigated damage and huge frontline presence, soaking up damage and creating space
• Hemminger: 22 eliminations, 33 assists, 14,922 healing done, topping off teammates' health, while also confirming enemy kills
• Chan: 36 eliminations, 23,624 damage, leading the team in damage output, shredding enemy defenses
• Knight: 30 eliminations, 13,851 damage, and was a key playmaker in securing objective fights
• Ibanez: 6 eliminations, 36 assists, 17,978 healing done and consistently kept the team alive during prolonged fights

Another intense match, but with smart hero swaps and great teamwork, the Celtics took the win.

Game 3 - Colosseo (Push)
Result: W, Carlow University Black (3-0 Series Victory)

The final map took us to Colosseo, where both teams engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle. Carlow secured the initial lead by winning the first teamfight, capitalizing on an early ultimate advantage. However, King's College responded with a well-executed ultimate combo, temporarily flipping the bot in their favor.

In response, Johnson switched back to his signature Doomfist, diving deep into their backline and causing chaos. His aggressive playstyle opened opportunities for Carlow to regain control, and once the Celtics regained the lead, they never gave it back.

With one minute left, King's College mounted a final push, gaining momentum and putting Carlow's lead at risk. However, a perfectly placed Bastion ultimate from Chan shut down their advance, securing the final teamfight victory and clinching both the map and the series sweep (3-0).

Player Stats:

• Johnson: 23 eliminations, 9,008 damage, 5,051 mitigated damage
• Hemminger: 19 eliminations, 17 assists, 7,745 healing
• Chan: 17 eliminations, 9,112 damage
• Knight: 17 eliminations, 7,910 damage, 3 assists
• Ibanez: 13 eliminations, 21 assists, 6,191 healing

With this 3-0 series win, Carlow University Black took home the victory, showing adaptability, strong individual performances and decisive teamplay. Carlow University Black moves to (1-0) on the season, and King's College Gold is now (1-1).