MAJOR AWARDS FOR THE SPRING 2025 SEASON

ECAC Esports is proud to celebrate the incredible students and staff who made the Spring 2025 season unforgettable. Our Seasonal Major Awards honor exceptional achievements, including awards for an outstanding Director of The Season, Coach of The Season, Most Improved Player of The Season, and Staff Member of the Season. Additionally, we recognized the academic success of 232 students through the ECAC All-Academic Honor List for Student Competitors who held a 3.2 GPA or higher Congratulations and well done to all of this season's winners!

## Director of The Season - Ryan "Flares" Doyle with Huntingdon College Ryan Doyle, Director of Esports at Huntingdon College, is a director who not only directed a program of over 40 players by himself but put in the work to care for each member of the program as an individual. As a director, Ryan has put in the work to make sure the program thrives. Multiple students can attest to his skills in recruitment and bringing the esports program at Huntington into the light it deserves, putting it on par with traditional sports. Many describe him as dedicated, caring, and a figure of unity.

Although he is the Director of Esports, he is also so much more than that. Ryan also pushed his players outside the servers and outside of school as a whole. One student explains how esports was not just a hobby but part of their life, saying “Ryan constantly motivated me to do better and be the best version of myselfHe also helped me achieve my academic goals and stay on top of my grades.” Not only does he care about his players development, but he also places importance on his player’s health and sanity, recognizing the mental toll esports can take. He is known for encouraging students to take care of themselves and checking in, ensuring his players are at top form for their own benefit.

A strong director knows not only their teams and their accolades, but the players who make up those teams and win those awards. Players express how Ryan put in the work to build personal connections with each player, each team, each game. As one highlights, “...he wanted us to win as much as we wanted to win.” Various testaments share that Ryan was always putting the players first, always doing what was best for them, and not letting the title of ‘Director’ separate him from them.

Student Testaments:

- Ryan brought this program up much further than was expected of him. He recruited like crazy, bringing our numbers almost as high as baseball or band. He also made sure to have a personal connection to every player and team. Safe to say he wanted us to win as much as we wanted to win.

- He supported his players to the best of his ability. Always put us first and made sure the player was the priority. Plus, he is a super kindhearted person where he does what’s best for the program.

- Not only helps the LoL team do their best through his coaching, but he also creates a welcoming family environment. He always finds a way to help any struggling players in game and out. He makes all these different teams and players into one united community.

- When mentioning Esports at the collegiate level, many people overlook the roles of the coach or director. But my esports had a major impact on my success inside and outside the classroom. Ryan constantly motivated me to do better and be the best version of myself. Without my esports coach i wouldn't have been able to place Top 8 and Top 16 in the ECAC Playoffs. Ryan also helped me achieve my academic goals this year. After a tough start academically in the first semester, I managed to stay on top of my grades. Another Reason Coach Ryan should receive this award is because he had to coach 40+ players by himself. I can't name another coach who has had greater success without any other help.

## Coach of The Season - Robinpreet “Zei” Sidhu from St. Clair College Robinpreet Sidhu, aka “Zei” is an exemplary coach who pushed not only the program as a whole, but the students as individuals to be the best they can be. Zei has taken his role as Head Coach at St. Clair College seriously, being incredibly dedicated and “always putting 110% into everything” as his students say. He brought the program to multiple awards, including 1st in Overwatch 2 Titans this past Spring season.

Multiple students sing his praises as someone who pushed them beyond their own expectations, recognizing that they can be more. He is not only a passionate coach, but a knowledgeable one, always willing to share said knowledge with players. As another student describes Zei as “(I) would not be where I am without himthe most caring and dedicated coach I have ever worked with.” He puts an emphasis on the health and wellbeing of his teams, pushing them to win but also recognizing that they can only do so if they themselves are thriving.

His talent to connect to players meant they could rely on him, in and out of the game, win or lose. Zei put everything he could to lead, even outside of normal coach roles. He is known for going above and beyond as he is not just a coach, but family to the players and the teams.

As one student perfectly put, “He is what a coach should be; not an isolated point of power, but a pillar of knowledge and reliability that ensures a path towards success within the community of his team.”

Student Testaments:

- Zei is an extremely dedicated coach who puts in 110% effort in everything they do. They truly care about their work and the health and well-being of the team.

- This guy has pushed me so far, and past my own expectations of myself. would not be where I am without him. The most caring and dedicated coach I have ever worked with.

- Zei goes above and beyond as not only just a coach, but as a leader and as big brother on St. Clair Colleges' Overwatch 2 team. Doing anything and everything required and not required of him to ensure his team's success. This truly sets him up as what I believe to be Coach of the Season material.

- There is no coach I have seen that puts as much heart into the game as Zei. Win or lose he is there mentally right alongside the players putting everything on the line. He cares for each of his players immensely and goes above and beyond to make sure they can be the best version of themselves. He is what a coach should be, not an isolated point of power but a pillar of knowledge and reliability that ensures a path towards success within the community of his team.

## ECAC Staff of The Season - Gabi “Queenie” with ECAC Esports Every season, ECAC Esports calls upon the community to vote for the Staff Member of the Season — someone who is recognized for going above and beyond to support our community and our organization. This season, we are proud to announce that honor goes to Gabi “Queenie”!

As the Assistant Manager of Competition, Queenie played a vital role in keeping the Spring 2025 competitions running smoothly. From early morning messages explaining the rules to players, to mentoring the interns under her supervision, she consistently shows dedication to the ECAC community. While this season came with its difficulties and challenges, Queenie was always there to handle them with professionalism and care. Thanks to her, both the regular season and playoffs ran efficiently and effectively. We can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the seasons to come. But don’t just take our word for it — here’s what the community had to say about Gabi “Queenie”:

Community Testimonials:

- "Some would call her a “Savior” after all the late nights she has spent dealing with competition issues to make esports a fair competitive environment."

- "All seriousness, always super helpful and willing to help out with anything—even if it is outside their expertise (I don’t know if I spelled that right). Always professional and courteous. Also, Piplup gang on top."

- “Queenie puts in so much work — not just for ECAC competitions but for the staff, interns, and everyone that is a-part of the community. She’s hilarious, kind, and genuinely a joy to work with. She is more than deserving to be the recipient for the staff member of the season”

- She has played a vital role in the success of this year’s esports conference. From supporting teams and ensuring a smooth operation for competitions, their dedication, and professionalism, made a significant impact.

## Most Improved Player of The Season - Liam “Boss” Doran from Husson University Liam Doran, aka “HU Boss” entered the year with new roles and new challenges. As a senior in Accounting and Captain of the Valorant Varsity team, Liam was placed in charge of a group of eager, confident freshmen which let him be where he needed to be the sentinel. Previously a duelist player, the playstyle was a big shift, but Liam filled those shoes perfectly. His learned patience and util usage made significant improvements in skill but also in value to the team. Midseason, the team decided to make big changes and bring in new agents such as Deadlock, Tejo, and Breach to help build stun combos and synergy and Liam adapted well.

Despite the team being majorly freshmen, this was Liam’s first year playing besides teammates of equal or better skills, and he took that as a challenge to stay on top of his game. He made sure to practice and meet the skill level the team demanded of him as well as to adjust to the new role. It was an impressive shift to make, especially in his senior year.

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## Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Rookie of the Season - Jon-Joel “JJ” Ocfemia, John Jay College of Criminal Justice JJ is wrapping up his first year with the John Jay ESports program. JJ has been an exceptional player, carrying a huge weight for our team. JJ is a local competitor in the NYC SSBU scene, and has brought a ton of knowledge and experience to our SSBU team. Our team knows JJ can always be depended on if a shift in momentum/round win is needed. JJ's leadership as Captain helped our SSBU team accomplish a 5-2 regular season record and secure its first playoff appearance in program history.

## Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Player of the Season - Jadon “AstroBoost” Rivera, Post University Jay joined the Smash team this season and immediately made an impact. Despite missing a few matches during the season, he still managed to take an impressive 27 stocks on his signature Incineroar- the most of any Post Smash player this season.

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## College Football Rookie of the Season - Joseph “Pew” Sims, Bellarmine University Joseph was recruited to come to Bellarmine after his state championship victory in Madden his senior year. He has been a dedicated player on and off the game, helping with the growth of our program and contributing to recruitment efforts for the program. In the Fall, Joseph finished 2nd in Madden, bringing Bellarmine our first ECAC trophy. This spring, with the addition of College Football 25, Joseph rededicated himself to the game. He went 5-2 on the season, and in the tournament, became our first national champion. His dedication, focus, and passion are exemplary, and I cannot wait to see what his future holds with ECAC.

## College Football Player of the Season - Ian “MunDayne” Day, Post University MunDayne came out of the gate swinging in the inaugural College Football season. An 8-win season and +224-point differential solidified his 2nd place finish as he set the bar for Post in College Football.

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## EA Sports FC, Player of the Season - Daniel “duk3_2211” Laguna, Campbellsville University Daniel Laguna is the captain of the FIFA team at Campbellsville University. He has worked very hard to make sure that not only him, but the rest of the Campbellsville FIFA team made it to playoffs; this has been true for multiple seasons since Campbellsville has joined ECAC's FIFA league. This season, Laguna finished 1st placed in the conference with a record of 11-1.

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## Fortnite Rookie of the Season - Elijah “Reqzy” Neel, Concord University As the team’s primary fragger, he was the driving force in every engagement. Once a fight began, he was the reason we came out on top his ability to consistently out-build, out-box, and outplay opponents was nothing short of elite.

His aggressive playstyle and clutch mechanics ensured that when we committed to a hard engage, we weren’t just entering a fight we were winning it. Without his impact and presence in those critical moments, we don’t win the championship. He was a game-changer in every sense of the word.

## Fortnite Player of the Season - Liam “arcticfnr” Almor, Endicott College As the in-game leader of our top trio and coach of two other trios Liam got 60% of the kills in both regular season and playoffs. His trio placed top 5 in just our second season as a program, building from our 14th place in our inaugural season. Arctic led in damage, kills, least damage taken, and most solo clutches (clutching a top 5 or higher as a solo for a significant portion of the endgame).

Overall, he was the only player from Endicott to qualify to both builds and no builds finals on top of leading the program in total kills by a very large margin. He is a natural born leader that the other players gravitate to; we expanded from just three varsity Fortnite players in the fall to nearly two-dozen this spring thanks to his recruitment of his peers. He is also our serving captain and president of our Esports Management Club."

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## Hearthstone Player of the Season - Ethan “CritECal” ‘Neal, Northeastern University Ethan has consistently been one of our highest performing Hearthstone players within the Northeastern Esports program and has been one of the most dominant players in the singles era of collegiate hearthstone. This past academic year '24-'25 Ethan has been standalone the most dominant player in ECAC hearthstone winning the Fall title and winning back-to-back ECAC championships with a win spring over fellow Husky Matthew "RockedYou" Rock after an undefeated regular season. Ethan has continued to push and improve in what many consider to be a dying esport and in his senior year wanted to make the most of the amazing opportunity to compete that ECAC provides. He has managed this level of success while balancing other on campus commitments and graduating from an elite institution with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been dedicated to creating a home for Hearthstone at Northeastern and advocating for other students on campus to join the scene and continue to compete. This drive combined with his incredible competitive success this past academic year makes him far and away in my mind an outstanding player for this past season.

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## Madden NFL Rookie of the Season - Adonis “Adallday” White, Post University Adonis joined both the Madden and College Football teams this season and let his gameplay do the talking. A 7-2 overall record, Top 8 finish and sizzling +200-point differential will make Adonis the player to beat this upcoming Fall.

## Madden NFL Player of the Season - Shawn “GUMMYxTOES” Bennet, Concord University GUMMYxTOES has achieved many great achievements this season. In ECAC, he made it to the Madden NFL playoffs going 5-2 in the regular season. For Concord University, he was awarded “Team Leader of the Year”. As the semester has not finished yet, he is on track to achieve anywhere from a 3.4 to a 3.6 grade point average. He is a team manager for Concord who is in charge of the sport game titles.

Outside of Esports, he works two jobs being an admissions ambassador and a maintenance driver. GUMMYxTOES is also a member of the Track & Field team competing in Discus, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw, Weight Throw, and Shot Put. Shawn is one of the hardest workers at Concord University

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## Overwatch 2 Rookie of the Season - Drew “MountainDrew” Paskanik, Post University Drew joined the Overwatch team this season, making the swap from League of Legends, and didn’t miss a beat. Rotating in on support while constantly learning new heroes and strategies, he was a huge reason why Post qualified for the playoffs.

## Overwatch 2 Player of the Season - Kelvin “MultiKel” Mizhquiri, Post University Kel stepped back fully into the Tank role and focused exclusively on OW this year and it has paid off massively. In addition to leading the OW team as the captain and shot-caller, he broke records left and right during the season setting the new record for Eliminations in one map (51) AND damage in one map (22,951). To cap it off, he is now the #1 winningest player in Overwatch team history with 31 career match wins.

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## Rocket League Rookie of the Season - Shaun “Crispy” Murindagomo, Concord University Shaun “Crispy” Murindagmo was the driving force and vocal leader of our ECAC Rocket League roster this season. His mechanical skill consistently set the tone on the field, often being the difference-maker that carried the team to victory when it mattered most. But what made Crispy truly special wasn’t just what showed up on the scoreboard. His ability to communicate under pressure, keeping the team calm, focused, and composed, was invaluable.

## Rocket League Player of the Season - Jack “Caz” Pruden, Endicott College As a top 1000 ranked Supersonic Legend, Jack vaulted Endicott's still young esports program to unprecedented heights this spring. With Jack accounting for roughly 80 percent of the scoring, Endicott went undefeated in Division A regular season and reached the Division A Final. It's the first time in program history any team from any title recorded an unbeaten regular season, and also the first time any team has reached the championship. Jack has laid down an incredible foundation for us to build on!

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## Teamfight Tactics Rookie of the Season - Zackary “Tisuri” Claunch, Bushnell University Claunch had 12 top four placements in Teamfight Tactics during the regular season and spent three consecutive weeks in second place on the Division A leaderboard. He won his group in the playoff round with a second, second and third place finish and went on to place sixth in the finals. He was also an honor roll student both semesters (3.5 GPA or above).

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## Valorant Rookie of the Season - Ethan “Lethal” Apple On top of being an excellent student Ethan was by far the star of the show on the Keiser University Valorant team. He is an amazing communicator, immaculate for team culture and over all ""vibes"", and the team can always count on him to pull his weight (and then some).

Since adding Ethan to the roster, Keiser University has attended and won a LAN event (ECAC Spring showdown 2023), finished 4th in ECAC Titans division, and is now ranked in the top 50 Collegiate teams on VLR. He is a shining example of what an esports athlete should be and it has been a pleasure to have him on our roster. The coaching staff at Keiser University wholeheartedly believe he has been a major difference maker on this team, and we would love for him to be recognized by ECAC for all his hard work.

## Valorant Player of the Season, Sebastian “Tropic” Orbegoso, John Jay College of Criminal Justice Tropic was our senior captain this year for our Valorant Bloodhounds team. Tropic went above and beyond to ensure our team was always on the same page and motivated to perform on a high level. Tropic's leadership helped our Valorant Bloodhounds team accomplish a 9-2 season, which concluded with a 3rd place finish, the first podium finish in Bloodhounds ESports history. Tropic also showed himself as the teams' emotional leader, always ensuring our team is in the right mind state to perform and excel.

Along with his leadership, Tropic was a top performer for the Bloodhounds, scoring double digit kills in 20/24 maps played during the season, while achieving 20+ kills on 6 of those maps.