GREENWOOD - The No. 1-ranked Lander University Rocket League capped off its National Esports Collegiate Conference regular season in dominant fashion Tuesday night, defeating No. 2 Vanderbilt to claim its second regular-season conference championship of the year.
Both programs entered the matchup undefeated, but the Bearcats proved their top ranking was no fluke, securing the NECC Mideast regular-season crown to pair with their earlier Peach Belt Conference title.
Joel Guillen earned series MVP honors with a standout performance against Vanderbilt, recording nine goals, 10 saves, and 27 demos against the Commodores.
The Rocket League team, which competes across three leagues — the Peach Belt Conference, NECC Mideast Conference, and C3 Esports League — finished the regular season with an impressive 20-1 overall match record. The Bearcats went 7-0 in Peach Belt play to win the group stage title and split the C3 regular season with UNC Greensboro.
Up next, Lander will face Kennesaw State in the Peach Belt Conference quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 2.