On July 19-21, Great Lakes CRL held the Summer Showdown.
An event showcasing 29 teams across three days in preparation for the 2024-2025 Season of Great Lakes CRL. Summer Showdown consisted of three components: Qualifiers, Swiss, and Playoffs. Sixteen out of twenty-nine teams were deemed member schools. In contrast, the remaining thirteen teams were non-member schools making their Great Lakes CRL debut. As a whole, Summer Showdown 2024 revealed a ton of masterful moments and storylines. Thanks to Colleague, Match Officials, the Production Team, Tournament Admins, and the Social Media Team, our blog can portray an in-depth recap of Summer Showdown 2024.
Open/Closed Qualifiers [July 19th at 5:00 pm EST]
To begin our roundup of Summer Showdown 2024, we look back at the Open/Closed Qualifiers. For this portion, 29 teams were placed into two separate pools. First, an Open Qualifier for non-member schools; eight teams from the Open Qualifier would move to the Closed Qualifier, where 16 teams would qualify for Swiss. Regardless of pool placements, matches were best-of-5 double-elimination. Lastly, these matches were not streamed through Great Lakes CRL's Twitch channel. Instead, results were live-tracked through start.gg. Thanks to our partners at Colleague, we had ranks for competing teams entering Summer Showdown Qualifiers:
Colleague's welcoming to Great Lakes CRL was first announced via our June 21 Summer Showdown 2024 Brings The Heat Blog. We are excited to have this amazing organization with us as we enter the future of Great Lakes CRL, with untapped potential. Now, with teams ranked 1-29, let's break down the results from Summer Showdown Qualifiers.
Open Qualifiers
On July 19th, Open Qualifiers matches were recorded through start.gg. Within the Winners Bracket, Illinois State University (ISU), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Shawnee State University (SSU), and Robert Morris (RMU) advanced to the Closed Qualifier.
Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Nichols College, and Kent State University, which were losers bracket reps, also moved on to the Closed Qualifier.
Closed Qualifiers
Transitioning to Closed Qualifiers later that night, we saw the following teams advance.
In the Winners Bracket, Rochester Christian University, MSU White, Wichita State, Purdue Gold, MSU Green, Indiana Tech, Davenport University, and RIT Orange progressed toward the Swiss Stage. Meanwhile, UM Pasta Mafia, UIUC, Eastern Michigan University, Nichols College, SSU, RMU, Purdue Boilermakers D, and ISU qualified for Swiss via the Losers Bracket.
Overall, the Open/Closed Qualifiers allowed returning members and fresh faces to show their stripes at Great Lakes CRL. Sixteen teams out of twenty-nine fought valiantly to progress during Summer Showdown 2024. This was only step one of three on the road to glory. Upon completion of Qualifiers, Swiss was right around the corner.
Swiss Stage [July 20th at 5:00 pm EST]
Traveling down the pipeline, we have the Swiss Stage, a pivotal component of Summer Showdown 2024. Unlike Qualifiers, Swiss matches were viewable on the Great Lakes CRL Twitch channel. Additionally, our partnership with Colleague was unleashed once more. Colleague ranked all 16 Swiss Stage teams. A graphic showcasing them can be seen underneath:
A star-studded lineup of teams forged the fuel for Summer Showdown 2024's thrilling showcase. Decorated teams of the past collided with fresh fish in the pond. All these teams had one goal: to win the Great Lakes CRL Summer Showdown.
On July 20, the Great Lakes CRL Twitch Channel held a broadcast for Swiss. Its format was directly inspired by the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). The bracket encompassed the core structure RLCS employs for its Minor and Major Events.
The Swiss Stage had teams competing against other teams with the same record. For example, Round 1 starts with teams ranked 1-16. The match order would be 1st seed vs. 16th seed, 2nd seed vs. 15th seed, 3rd seed vs. 14th seed, and continuing in that sequence. Upon Round 1's conclusion, eight teams had a 1-0 record, while the other 8 held an 0-1 record.
This Swiss-style pattern continued until a team won or lost three series. Each series was best-of-5. If a team won three out of five Swiss-style matches, it moved into the playoffs. However, if it failed to win three out of five, it was eliminated from the Summer Showdown.
Within the Swiss Stage, a good amount of talent served as Casters, Panelists, Match Officials, and Tournament Admins. All 5 rounds of Swiss had one featured match on stream. The match schedule consisted of:
Round 1: Michigan State University Green vs Michigan State University White
Round 2: Rochester Christian University vs Wichita State University
Round 3: Purdue University vs Davenport University
Round 4: Illinois State University vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Round 5: Robert Morris University vs Indiana Tech
For those who were not available to watch live, the Swiss VOD can be found here.
During Swiss, several teams asserted their dominance early. Two examples were Michigan State Green and Shawnee State University. Both, led by excellent, highly rated players, went 3-0 during Swiss. Meanwhile, the rest of the bracket formed quite nicely. As seen below, our bracket depicts the Swiss bracket in its entirety.
Fan favorites Shawnee State and Rochester Christian kept pace with the young guns. Meanwhile, newer schools such as Nichols College and UIUC were putting their programs on notice for the Great Lakes Region to witness.
Although the Swiss Stage was exhilarating, it was only the second part of a three-course meal developing in front of spectators. Upon completion of the Swiss Stage, Playoffs loomed in the distance.
Playoffs [July 21st at 5:00 pm EST]
Upon July 21's arrival, Summer Showdown entered its Playoffs phase. After fighting their way in from Swiss, our Top 8 teams were one step closer to winning. Bragging rights and a $200 prize pool ($150 for 1st place and $50 for 2nd place) were there for the taking. In preparation for the quick shift in pace, Colleague assisted with matchup creation. An image showing this can be seen below:
Much like the Swiss Stage, Playoffs followed a similar seeding format. The 1st seed plays the 8th seed, the 2nd seed vs the 7th seed, the 3rd seed will play the 6th seed, and the 4th seed plays the 5th seed. The Playoffs were single-elimination. One key difference is that the Quarterfinals was a best-of-5 series. Henceforth, the Semifinals and Grand Finals will hold more weight as the best-of-7 series.
In addition to a seeding format, there was an on-stream schedule for Playoffs. Once again, our expansive Production Team was highlighted through Casting, Panelist, Match Official, and Tournament Admin roles. For the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, one match was selected to be featured on stream. Concluding Summer Showdown 2024, the Grand Finals were streamed as well. The following matches were featured:
Quarterfinal: Shawnee State University vs Nichols College
Semifinal: Michigan State University Green vs Rochester Christian University
Grand Final: Michigan State University Green vs Illinois State University
For those who were not available to watch live, the Playoffs VOD can be found here.
During the Playoffs, Michigan State Green, led by Opp_Bomb, wreaked havoc against all opponents until the Grand Final. Meanwhile, Illinois State University, led by Syth, went on a magical ride within the lower half of the bracket. Then, we had our Grand Final match made: undefeated Michigan State versus Illinois State University, a team that was a surprising participant in the Grand Final.
This matchup, called by Joseph "JTV" Schurian and Blake "Mr.Bepic" Phillips, was a close series. However, ISU's team, Syth, cg, and NoMansion, were too much for MSU Green to overcome. Illinois State University reigned victorious in the Summer Showdown, winning 4-1 over undefeated MSU Green. As a definitive result, the Great Lakes CRL scene has been put on notice. What does ISU do with this momentum heading into CRL Season 3 this September? Time will tell.
Game by Game Score from MSU Green vs ISU Grand Final:
To wrap up this section, here is an overview of the complete Summer Showdown 2024 Playoff:
Every team gave it their all, impressing people on an organizational and personal level. As we have revealed the results of Summer Showdown 2024, it is time to acknowledge our Top Performers during the event.
Summer Showdown 2024's Top Performers
This section offers an inside view of Player Statistics recorded during Summer Showdown 2024. Thanks to our Statistician, Ben "Shoe" Shuman, for recording this data. Special thanks to Kole "KAp3x" Allen for providing excellent visual aids to show off these Player statistics.
First, here are the Top 5 for Goals Per Game, Assists Per Game, and Shooting Percentage:
Goals Per Game Analysis:
Analyzing GPG, Opp_Bomb from Michigan State Green tops the ranking. Throughout the Summer Showdown, Opp_Bomb was a problem for most teams. EMU's Ka-Chow and Peaceful tied for second in GPG. In third place, Tacostash84 recorded 1.09 GPG. Lastly, NZO from Nichols rounds out the Top 5 with 1.08 GPG.
Assists per Game Analysis:
Moving to APG, Indiana Tech's Chip leads the pack with an average of 1.05 assists a game. During the Swiss Stage, Chip's presence was a blessing for teammates Miller and Bluey to score. The stout tactician ranked 2nd in assists with 23 and recorded a couple of playmakers.
We have Syth from the winning team ISU recording 0.90 APG in second place. A player who moved the needle for ISU to go from a slight underdog to a winner. Syth recorded 27 assists, which is the most of any player at the Summer Showdown. Judging by assists, one can see how valuable Syth was to Illinois State. Adding to his resume, Syth recorded 1 playmaker.
At the third place spot, RIT's Yom recorded 0.83 APG. Throughout, Yom recorded 15 assists, the most on his team. Although his team fell short of playoffs, Yom was ranked 8th for most assists, demonstrating his qualities as a passer.
Pyyros took fourth place from Nichols, averaging 0.76 APG. This value correlates with Pyyros' 19 assists, fourth best overall, and two playmakers. Nichols came in as a newer school looking to impress onlookers. Reaching the Quarterfinals and nearly knocking off Shawnee State accomplished the goal. Pyyros set the foundation for teammates NZO and Pulse C0mplex to light up the net.
Lastly, Morveu from MSU Green recorded a 0.75 APG. Morveu's dynamic abilities granted him a Top 5 finish in total assists with 18. Not only was his goal-scoring effective, but Morveu's versatility in passing encouraged MSU Green's dominant run.
Shooting Percentage (SP) Analysis:
Transitioning to Shot Percentage, Purdue Gold's Enchanted claims the top spot with 46.67% in shooting. In detail, Enchanted scored 14 out of 30 shots, leading the Summer Showdown in SP. As a result of excellent scoring ability, Enchanted increased Purdue Gold's overall SP to 0.32, second best behind MSU Green.
In second place, Para from Davenport University shot 45.71% from the field. Para scored 16 of 35 shots. Thanks to his scoring ability, Davenport's team shooting percentage of 0.30 was tied for third-best alongside ISU.
In third place, Opp_Bomb makes another appearance. As mentioned above, MSU Green's own had the highest GPG. His 40% shooting comes from scoring 28 goals off 70 shots. Depicting this, Opp_Bomb was one of the most aggressive players during the Summer Showdown. He ranked 10th in shots overall and helped MSU Green become the best team based on SP with 0.33.
A fourth-place tie between Nichols' Pulse C0mplex and RIT's Sean ends the ranking. Both players had a 34.69 shooting percentage. In particular, Pulse and Sean scored 17 times off 49 shots. Likewise, the average SP for both Nichols and RIT tied at 0.29.
Rounding out the statistics section, we have the Top 5 for Points Per Game, Shots Per Game, and Team Rating:
Points Per Game and Shots Per Game Analysis:
For Points Per Game, Peaceful from UIUC ranked first with 476.7. Taking second was B1LL from Purdue's D team with 450.8. Following that, Illuminous from RMU averaged 443.7. In fourth place, Morveu had 440 PPG. Luca from RCU averaged 433.9, which was fifth best.
Progressing toward Shots Per Game, Peaceful owns another category with an average of 3.95 shots. In total, he documented 75 shots, tied for 6th best. EMU's Ka-Chow comes in second with an average of 3.87 and 33 total shots. Miller from Indiana Tech placed third with a 3.59 average and 79 shots on the net. Illuminous places fourth with an average of 3.44 and accumulated 55 shots. In fifth, ISU's NoMansion had a 3.30 average with a whopping 99 shots, the most of any Summer Showdown player.
Team Rating Statistic Explanation/Analysis:
Wrapping up this section, we will now discuss Team Rating statistics. In short, this statistical value combines the averages of Shooting and Save percentages. Furthermore, a 1.00 scale examines how Summer Showdown teams performed offensively and defensively. If a team ranks above 1.00, they are considered above average. In contrast, if a team ranks below 1.00, they are below average.
Starting from the top, MSU Green earned the highest Team Rating. This powerhouse was first in Shooting Percentage (33%) and Save Percentage (79%).
Next, Davenport University achieved the second highest Team Rating. The Panthers were tied for third in Shooting Percentage (30%) and second overall in Save Percentage (77%).
Continuing, Purdue Gold obtained the third-highest Team Rating. The Boilermakers were second in Shooting Percentage (32%) and eighth in Save Percentage (72%).
Moving down the ranking, Shawnee State University accumulated the fourth-highest Team Rating. The Bears were eighth in Shooting Percentage (28%) and second in Save Percentage (77%).
Finishing this ranking, RIT Orange claimed the fifth-highest Team Rating. The Tigers were seventh in Shooting Percentage (29%) and fifth in Save Percentage (73%).
Although Illinois State was not listed in the Top 5, its numbers were still sufficient, with a 1.02 Team Rating. Our champion was fourth in Shooting Percentage (30%) and seventh in Save Percentage (72%).
Once again, Team Rating allows a deeper understanding of how effective teams were offensively and defensively. Analyzing the numbers, we can infer that a team with a higher rating has an increased chance of getting a top podium placement.
Closing Remarks:
The Summer Showdown reignited the flame of competitive Rocket League at Great Lakes CRL. A well-organized event resulted in a positive reception from community members. Special thanks to Colleague and our talented individuals within Great Lakes CRL.
We look forward to CRL Season 3 this September, a season primed to be electrifying. To stay up to date on all things Great Lakes CRL, follow us on X. To ensure you do not miss our Lake Talk Podcasts and dedicated Event streams, follow us on Twitch.
Andrew Czysz Jr. is an aspiring Esports Journalist and Rocket League Commentator for Carthage College, Great Lakes CRL, and WIHSEA. If you like his content, follow him here
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