The New York Excelsior clinched their spot in the stage one playoffs in Week 3. The team maintained their undefeated reign and are looking stronger with every week that passes. Moving into Week 4, the Excelsior aim to continue their win streak.
Graphic courtesy of the Toronto Defiant
In an intense four map match up, the New York Excelsior dominated against the Toronto Defiant. The Excelsior steamrolled through the first three maps but faltered on Dorado, where the NYXL brought out fan favorite Jong-ryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park. Saebeyolbe, well known for his dominant performances on Tracer, was forced into playing the typical 3-3 composition the team has been getting used to. Because of this, the Excelsior were full held on Dorado.
Seonghuyn “Jjonak” Bang’s impeccable Zenyatta plays are what earned him the title of MVP last season, and rightfully so. The support consistently was able to secure critical picks on the Defiant that made the team crumble before they were even really able to push.
2018-03-25 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
In the playoff-clinching match up, the NYXL continued their dominant performance against their opponents. Against the Seoul Dynasty, the Excelsior played smart, aggressively and catching enemies out of position and separating supports from their tanks. The team had a minor fall on Numbani before coming back with a vengeance to win the series.
Dong-gyu “Mano” Kim’s tank play has really cleaned up in the past few matches, and this game was a prime example of that. Mano’s disruptive and aggressive playstyle ensured fight-winning first picks and helped separate and dismantle the Dynasty on more occasions than one.
This week, the NYXL are set to protect their win streak against the San Fransisco Shock, a team that is currently placed at fourth overall in the current league standings with three wins and two losses. Coming off of a pretty strong week, the Shock are set to give the NYXL a run for their money on Friday. However, if the Excelsior’s growth continues at the rate it has been, the team will certainly bring their A-game.
Prediction: NYXL wins 3-2
2018-04-19 / Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment
Tae-Sung “Anamo” Jung’s incredible performance thus far has lacked recognition in the league this season. However, with a 25-2 kill/death ratio as Lucio on Busan during the NYXL’s matchup against the Toronto Defiant, there’s no denying his skill as a support. Keep an eye on Anamo this week, because his performance has only gotten better with the weeks that have passed, and his skill can only grow.
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