No. 4 WVU Tech vs. No. 1 Loyola Esports Green: NECC Semifinal Preview
When: Thursday, Nov. 20 • 9:00 p.m. ET
Stage: NECC Division VII East Semifinal (Best of 3)
Coverage: twitch.tv/wvutechgoldenbears
Note: All NECC matches are played remotely, with teams competing from their own campus labs.
The Matchup
No. 4 WVU Tech (6-1 NECC Division VII East B, 1-0 East Playoffs) meets No. 1 Loyola Esports Green (7-0 East A, 1-0 East Playoffs) in Thursday's Division VII East semifinal.
The Golden Bears are coming off a convincing 2-0 sweep of No. 5 Bowling Green in the quarterfinals. Tech has now won five straight NECC matches and carries one of the strongest late-season momentum profiles in the bracket.
Loyola enters as the top seed after an undefeated regular season in East A and opened the playoffs with a 2-1 win over No. 8 Georgia Tech Black to advance to this semifinal.
The winner moves on to the Division VII East final on December 4.
WVU Tech outlook
WVU Tech's League of Legends group has settled into a strong identity late in the season, with a core that blends stability and flexibility:
Tech opened with a 34-13 win, controlling teamfights and objectives behind clean engage from Sejuani and Lissandra, steady damage from Caitlyn, and strong peel and utility from Milio.
The Golden Bears closed the series with a 38-30 victory, again using their front-to-back teamfight setup. Hilbert's Caitlyn anchored the back line, while Biley and Bean absorbed pressure and set up Pompie to find key crowd control windows. Stover added another high-assist performance on Milio, stabilizing fights and protecting carries.
With updated season totals through the quarterfinal, WVU Tech has 496 kills, 297 deaths, and 920 assists as a team.
Loyola at a Glance
Loyola Esports Green has been one of the most consistent squads in Division VII East. The Greyhounds finished the regular season 7-0 in East A with a 14-4 game record (+10), picking up wins over UMBananas, Lesley, Mercyhurst, CCAC RED, St. Lawrence, AWPE Gold, and BGSU.
Their roster includes:
- Take Iantern
- Swim
- xNards
- IamBloo
- Athena
- CommodoreChadwic
- Killa Beez
Loyola opened the playoffs with a 2-1 victory over No. 8 Georgia Tech Black, showing composure in a three-game series and the ability to adjust over the course of a match. Their undefeated regular season and efficient game record make them a top defensive and macro test for the Golden Bears.
What's next
Division VII East Final
- Date: Wednesday, December 4
- Format: Best of 5 (Third place match Best of 3)
All NECC postseason matches continue to be played remotely under league policy.
