HARRISBURG, PA – Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is excited to announce that The HU Storm recently celebrated two wins at the Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference (MAEC) – a regional competition (centered on Pennsylvania and Virginia) within the Unified Collegiate League (UCL). The HU Storm Rocket League varsity team took first place and the HU Storm Valorant varsity team placed second in their respective brackets.
HU Storm Rocket League Team Takes 1st Place
The MAEC Rocket League bracket was packed with competitive teams this year, making for an exciting entry in this annual conference. The HU Storm ultimately bested an imposing roster that included Michigan State, Penn State, Penn West California, Radford University, University of Mary Washington, and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
“In our regular season, the Rocket League team went 6-0 and was the 1st seed heading into playoffs,” said Nick Sutton, Rocket League Head Coach. “In the first round, we took on VCU and had a clean 3-0 sweep to solidify our spot in the Semi-Finals. We then played Radford University in the upper bracket and maintained our clean slate with another 3-0 sweep.”
Radford University battled Michigan State in the Lower Bracket Finals and then returned to face The HU Storm again in the Grand Finals, where HU notched a decisive 4-1 victory in a best-of-seven showdown.
“Competing in UCL’s Mid-Atlantic Conference was a great opportunity for us to foster new regional friendships and rivalries with schools we haven’t played against before,” Sutton said. “In the current layout of collegiate esports, regional conferences are not standard but are starting to emerge. It provides a great opportunity to attend regional events such as the MAEC Clash, which is coming up soon. This regional Championship win was very exciting for us and demonstrated the capabilities of these talented players. We’re looking forward to next season and plan on defending the title of UCL Champs!”
HU Storm Valorant Team Takes 2nd Place
The Storm’s Valorant varsity team also came close to clinching the top spot as they made their way through the MAEC bracket but ended in second place to Columbia College.
“We lost to Columbia College both times in the playoffs whilst beating all the other schools,” explained Iyengaran (“Iyen”) Raju, Valorant Head Coach for The Storm. “The games against Columbia were extremely close and multiple games went into overtime. Columbia, unfortunately, were the better team that night, and some crucial mistakes cost us the game.”
“We are disappointed,” admitted Raju. “However – we are also proud of our achievement of reaching the Grand Finals and achieving a second-place finish. By rectifying our errors and refining our gameplay, we will come back even stronger than before.”
Later this month, both the Rocket League and Valorant teams will travel to the University of Mary Washington to face off in another regional MAEC invitational, MAEC Clash. This LAN event will feature many of the same schools from the UCL conference along with additional invited schools, such as Bryant & Stratton College, Glenville State University, Mount St. Mary’s University, and Randolph College.
The graphic above was designed and created by HU Interactive Media (IMED) student Jaida George ’25.
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Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
