SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse Valorant (0-1) lost its opening Power Esports Conference (PEC) match to red hot West Virginia Wednesday night in Marley Auditorium. With the loss, Syracuse Esports is now tied 1-1 with the Mountaineers heading into the final competition day of the Orange's opening PEC week, with just Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League left to play.
 
West Virginia, coming off a 2-0 sweep against reigning champion Boise State in its first week of conference play, earned its second win with another 2-0 sweep over Syracuse. Syracuse Valorant, a young, newly constructed roster, will look to learn from the defeat in preparing for its next Power Esports Conference contest against the University of Washington next week.

How It Happened:
Game 1: The Orange started Game 1 on defense on Haven. Syracuse struggled to get into rhythm and dropped all 12 defensive rounds. Cuse Valorant lost its first attack round, and the Mountaineers took Game 1, 13-0.
Game 1 Syracuse Lineup:
Aidan Shapiro – Sova
Mekai Vazquez – Phoenix
Olivia Mok – Omen
Ben Fogarsi – Chamber
Hyojun Kim – Neon
Game 2: Syracuse changed its team composition heading into Game 2 with Shapiro switching from Sova to Fade and Vazquez selecting Raze instead of Phoenix. Cuse again started on defense, this time on Lotus, and fell behind 9-1. The Orange was able to take the last two rounds on defense giving, them hope to mount a second half comeback on attack. Syracuse made a push for the comeback but fell short, losing Game 2 13-4, giving West Virginia its second PEC win.
Game 2 Syracuse Lineup:
Shapiro – Fade
Vazquez – Raze
Mok – Omen
Fogarsi – Chamber
Kim – Neon
 
Up Next:
Now tied 1-1 with West Virginia, Syracuse Esports wraps up its first week of PEC competition Thursday, Oct. 15, with Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. matches. The Rocket League team faces the Mountaineers in person at 11:30 a.m. in Atlanta, with the match streaming live on Twitch. The Super Smash Bros. team closes out the week at 8 p.m. in Marley Auditorium. The match doubles as the Super Smash Bros. Homestand, featuring giveaways and Syracuse Esports swag for everyone in attendance, and admission is free for all Syracuse University students. The match will also stream live on Twitch and YouTube.

Socials: For more information on Syracuse Esports, visit SUesport/home. Fans of the Orange can follow @cuseesports on Instagram, X and Facebook.