When the Northern Lights saw the danger from the Cavalry, two Raiders heed to the call.
Dylan “Light” Catipon and Nathanael “Nathzz” Estrologo delivered MVP-level performances as Aurora swept Team Liquid PH 2-0 Saturday, handing the Cavalry their second loss of the MPL Philippines Season 18 regular season.
The two former RSG Philippines players stood at the center of Aurora’s breakthrough, combining their frontline presence to survive TLPH’s best punches before tearing apart the defending champions in the second game.
Light holds the line as Aurora steal Game 1
Team Liquid PH controlled much of Game 1. The Cavalry maintained the advantage through the early and mid game, eventually reaching the third Lord with a chance to close out the opener.
Then Kyle “Koyl” Reyes stole the objective. Aurora’s Nolan secured the Lord, but TLPH immediately fought back.
Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno went down in the ensuing clash, leaving the Northern Lights under heavy pressure as the Cavalry looked ready to turn the fight around.
Light and Nathzz had other plans. Playing Gloo and Esmeralda, respectively, the two frontliners bought enough time to keep the remaining TLPH members away while Aurora waited for its fallen players to respawn.
Once the Northern Lights were back on the map, the entire situation flipped.
TLPH rushed back to defend its base, but Aurora had already found the opening. The Northern Lights marched straight for the Nexus and ended the game in under 17 minutes.
Light earned Game 1 MVP honors after finishing 1/2/7 on Gloo while absorbing a game-high 101,000 damage.
Nathzz takes over the demolition
If Game 1 was about Aurora surviving Liquid, Game 2 was about never giving the Cavalry a chance.
Aurora controlled the game from start to finish, with Light’s Gloo and Nathzz’s Esmeralda repeatedly blocking TLPH from finding a clean engagement.
KarlTzy and Dave “Teddy” Viana each fell three times as the Cavalry struggled to create any meaningful fight.
Aurora eventually closed the game in just 13 minutes without conceding a single kill.
Nathzz took Game 2 MVP honors with a 1/0/2 performance on Esmeralda, but his impact went beyond the scoreboard. His positioning around the major objectives repeatedly forced Team Liquid PH to hesitate, allowing Aurora to secure control of the map.
Koyl’s Nolan added two kills and two assists as the Northern Lights completed the sweep.
Aurora enters the upper-bracket race
The victory moves Aurora to 5-4, putting the Northern Lights provisionally in fourth place and firmly in the hunt for an upper-bracket spot.
TLPH, meanwhile, drops to 7-2 and temporarily loses the league lead to Team Falcons PH.
Falcons claimed the provisional top spot earlier Saturday after handing Twisted Minds PH its eighth straight loss, with Michael “Kyle” Sayson combining for a 6/1/10 KDA across the two-game sweep.
AP.Bren also snapped a six-match losing streak by sweeping TNC Pro Team. Brian Milez “SpiderMilez” Santos made an immediate impact in his first series with the team, combining for a 2/1/11 KDA across Minotaur and Carmilla.
Sunday brings another test for the teams at opposite ends of the standings, with AP.Bren facing ONIC Philippines and TLPH taking on Smart Omega. The Cavalry’s match will also serve as their final MPL PH series before the Philippine representatives head to Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games.
