KCP Chronicles: Return to Action Sees Similar Results for the Pioneers in Rocket League Open 5

KCP Chronicles: Return to Action Sees Similar Results for the Pioneers in Rocket League Open 5

Written by Trey Donovan

Spring is upon us, and the server has been active for the Pioneers recently as they competed in SSA Open 4 two weeks ago and now Open 5 over Easter Weekend. Looking to have another solid open, the Pioneers had a similar result to the rest of their opens, outside of Open 1.

The run began against Stanislas, and it wasn’t the most dominant start for the Pioneers. Stanislas came out of the gates fast in game one, and despite goals from 2Die4 and Sweaty, the Pioneers fell in game one 4-2. Game two saw a return to form for the Pioneers as Sweaty and LuiisP each had two goals while 2Die4 assisted on three goals en route to a 5-0 win to tie the series. The third game was closer, but the Pioneers held control for a majority of it as LuiisP scored twice to go up 2-1 in the series.

Game four against Stanislas would be another tight affair as the teams traded goals for most of it until it went into overtime, knotted at four. 2Die4 had a hat trick at this point, but the dagger was a goal 18 seconds into OT as LuiisP ended the series with the fifth goal of the game. The Pioneers won the series 3-1 and were set to face Rounds in the next match.

The start of the series against Rounds played out similarly to the Stanislas series. Game one would be a back-and-forth affair that saw the Pioneers get out to a 5-3 lead before Rounds tied it late in regulation. While the game was similar to game one against Stanislas, the Pioneers won it in OT as LuiisP scored to end it. That set the tone for the Pioneers and LuiisP as he had a hat trick in game one, and it set up a seven-goal series for him as the Pioneers swept Rounds 3-0.

With the series win, the Pioneers secured their upper bracket spot and readied themselves to face Astronic Esports. To start the upper bracket run, the Pioneers played a tight first game against Astronic. It was a 1-0 win for the Pioneers as 2Die4 scored with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. That win carried into their next game as the Pioneers' defense continued to stifle Astronic and shut them out in back-to-back games with a 2-0 win.

Game three would be the high-scoring game as both teams delivered slugs to one another, but Astronic got the final blow in OT to make it a 2-1 series. In a crucial game four, the teams slowed down offensively as the defenses took over. 2Die4 opened the scoring early and the Pioneers settled in and held Astronic for most of regulation, but with 11 seconds left Astronic broke through to tie. In OT, LuiisP sealed the game with a goal almost two minutes into the period.

Game five was another back-and-forth affair as the teams traded two goals each early in the game. The final goal of the series was by Sweaty with the clock winding down to take the series 4-1 over Astronic Esports. For the semi-finals series, the Pioneers faced off against Brocrocros for a chance to advance to the grand finals.

Like many of the first games in Open 5, the Pioneers played a close first match that went into OT. The match went into OT as the Brocrocros tied the game late, but Sweaty closed game one with the OT goal. Using that victory, game two saw LuiisP get a hat trick to give the Pioneers a quick 2-0 series lead.

Game three saw that momentum continue as goals from LuiisP and Sweaty halfway through regulation gave the Pioneers enough cushion to work with and coast to a 2-1 win. In a do or die game four, the Brocrocros scored a last-second goal to send it to OT, and they sealed the deal in the period to stave off elimination. The final game of the series saw the Pioneers have complete control, but not finish at the net. That would not bite them as 2Die4 scored late in regulation to send the Pioneers to the grand finals once again.

This set up a common grand finals matchup for SSA as it was the Pioneers versus Five Fears for the fifth time in the opens. Five Fears led the overall series 3-1 heading into the Open 5 grand finals. It was a slow start for the Pioneers as Five Fears dominated defensively throughout the first two games of the series, as they held the Pioneers to no goals in both games. Game three quickly became a key match in the series as the Pioneers needed something, and they got something going.

Sweaty opened the scoring with an early goal, before Five Fears answered back with two of their own. With a 2-1 lead late in the game, Sweaty struck once again as he scored in the waning seconds of regulation to tie it and give the Pioneers a chance to steal a game to get back into the series. In OT, however, the Pioneers never got a foothold, and Five Fears planted the early dagger, taking an insurmountable 3-0 series lead.

Game four was sealed by Five Fears early, as the only goal was scored within the first minute of play. Five Fears secured another open victory and, against the Pioneers, move to 4-1 overall against them in grand finals so far.

It was another solid showing from the Pioneers in Open 5, but they haven’t been able to break through to a gold medal finish since Open 1. With the second place, they still hold on to second in the SSA leaderboards with one more Open series to go. The Pioneers Rocket League team will return to action on April 17-19 for SSA Open 6, looking to break through to the top.