OpTic Gaming came into today’s match riding high from yesterday’s victory over Clutch Gaming. Though Clutch was not the toughest match to start the Split with, 100 Thieves was not predicted to be much more of a challenge. Ending last split at the bottom of the table, 100T attempted to fix things in the off season, but their first game didn’t show much promise, which boded well for OpTic.
Looking to avoid some of the craziness that has been prevalent in the Bot Lane so far this split, 100 Thieves banned away both Yuumi and Taric from OpTic. Unfazed, OpTic chose a team with heavy engage from a Nautilus support and Jarvan IV in the Jungle, which their opponents attempted to counter with a Siver/Morgana Bot Lane. Giving Jayce to Niship “Dhokla” Doshi, OpTic committed to investing in their Top Lane.
Dhokla – Image from LoL Esports Flickr
OpTic secured first blood just before 4 minutes. As William “Meteos” Hartman drew their opponents’ attention in the Jungle, Dhokla pushed in his wave and roamed to the Mid Lane, diving Max “Soligo” Soong under his tower along with Lee “Crown” Min-ho. This early pressure allowed for deep vision for OpTic, hampering the efforts of Maurice “Amazing” Stückenschneider.
A 100T Gank Top Lane was immediately answered by a Teleport from Noh “Arrow” Dong-hyeon. While Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho did secure a kill, OpTic responded with two of their own. Despite the two-kill lead, the game remained fairly close as they headed into the mid game. Turret pressure and Rift Herald allowed 100T to keep the game within 2k gold, despite OpTic getting the first two Dragons.
Meteos – Image from LoL Esports Flickr
The game was quite even as the teams traded kills in skirmishes, posturing around objectives. After what seemed like several minutes setting up for a Mid Lane team fight, 100 Thieves finally evened up the kills at 5 apiece. With even Dragons, and a relatively small gold difference for 30+ minutes, the game could swing in favor of either team.
100 Thieves struck first, choosing to trade the Baron for their Bot Lane Inhibitor Turret. This would have been a poor trade for OpTic had 100T not decided to fight after securing the buff. With a key Teleport and great team play from OpTic, they secured a 4-for-1 team fight win, and transitioned it swiftly to a Bot Lane push that they took all the way to the Nexus, completing the victory.
OpTic fans could not have asked for a better start for their team. Begining the split 2-0 puts them at the top of the table, and chances are good that they will stay there in Week 2. Facing a struggling FlyQuest team as well as CLG, there is every expectation that they will continue their winning streak.
The team looked very much on the same page in today’s match, with each member playing their part. Though Dhokla gave up the majority of the team’s deaths, he created pressure that drew too many of 100T’s resources, resulting in an advantage for the rest of his teammates. If he can keep up this pressure, and the team can work together as they did when it mattered today, they might even continue their win streak when things get a bit tougher.
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