No. 4 WVU Tech vs. No. 2 Arkansas State Black: NECC Third-Place Preview

When: Thursday, Dec. 4 • 9:00 p.m. ET
Stage: NECC Division VII East Third-Place Match (Best of 3)
Coverage: twitch.tv/wvutechgoldenbears
Note: All NECC matches are played remotely, with teams competing from their campus labs.

The Matchup

No. 4 WVU Tech meets No. 2 Arkansas State Black (regular-season East A No. 2, 1–1 East Playoffs) in Thursday's Division VII East third-place match.

The Golden Bears reached the semifinals after a strong 2–0 sweep of No. 5 Bowling Green in the quarterfinals before falling 2–1 to No. 1 Loyola Esports Green in a back-and-forth semifinal.

Arkansas State Black also enters at 1–1 in the postseason, defeating Lesley University 2–1 in Round 1 and dropping a 2–1 result to UMBananas in the semifinals.

Thursday's winner secures a third-place finish in the NECC Division VII East bracket.

WVU Tech Outlook

WVU Tech has leaned on its consistent late-season core as the Golden Bears continue their strongest NECC performance to date. This group powered Tech's 2–0 quarterfinal win over Bowling Green and pushed No. 1 Loyola to three games in the semifinal.

Arkansas State Black at a Glance

Arkansas State Black finished second in East A behind undefeated Loyola Esports Green, posting a strong regular-season record and a balanced game differential. The Red Wolves enter the third-place match with a 1–1 postseason mark and a 3–3 playoff game record.