Despite the Cavalry missing their marksman, his deputy stepped up in a big way.
Defending champions Team Liquid PH open their MPL Philippines Season 17 campaign on a winning note after a close 2-1 victory over M7 World Champions Aurora Gaming.
The Cavalry secured the win despite a fightback from the Northern Lights, even without Indonesian gold laner Sultan “AeronShikii” Muhammad and coach Ong Wei “Aeon” Sheng in the opening game.
Academy graduate Kim “Daiki” Sebanes stepped up in AeronShikii’s absence, delivering a strong MPL Philippines debut with a 5/1/5 performance on Moskov. Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno also made a huge impact from start to finish, tallying 10 kills on Leomord.
Last season’s MVP Dylan “Light” Catipon led Aurora’s response in Game 2. The roamer posted a 0/3/19 line on Grock to even the series, while Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo’s Zhuxin and Jan Dominic “Domengkite” del Mundo’s Harith combined for 15 kills and 18 assists in just 16 minutes.
However, it was the back-to-back MPL champions who prevailed in Game 3.
Despite Aurora drafting Lesley for Domengkite, Team Liquid PH closed out the series in 11 minutes behind KarlTzy’s flawless 5/0/5 performance on Suyou. Alston “Sanji” Pabico added a solid 5/1/7 showing on Zhuxin.
Both teams return to action on Saturday. Aurora Gaming looks to bounce back against TNC Pro Team, while Team Liquid PH aims for a second straight win against Twisted Minds.
