Alston “Sanji” Pabico delivered a stellar performance to lead the Cavalry to their ninth win—and a ticket to San Juan.
Defending champions Team Liquid PH books their playoff spot after sweeping Twisted Minds PH to close Week 5 Day 2 of MPL Philippines Season 17.
Midlaner Sanji posted a combined six kills, 20 assists, and just three deaths across two games as his team extended their unbeaten run to nine matches.
TLPH dominated Game 1 from start to finish, wrapping it up in just 11 minutes. Sanji made an early statement, escaping death and even taking down Lance Aron “Lansu” Misa in a 1v2 fight in the third minute.
Jaypee “Jaypee” dela Cruz and Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya compounded Twisted Minds’ problems, as their Baxia and Terizla provided crucial cover for TLPH’s cores. Sanji’s copied ultimate from John Carlo “Caloy” Roma’s Khaleed, combined with Sanford’s engage, proved decisive as they dove into four opponents to secure control and eventually the win.
Game 2 was even quicker, with the Cavalry closing out the series in under 11 minutes. Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno led the charge on Leomord with seven kills and five assists.
Team Liquid set the tempo from the get-go, giving Twisted Minds no room to recover. KarlTzy and company sealed the sweep with the jungler diving into the base to pick up two of the final four kills.
For head coach Ong “Aeon” Wei Sheng, the result came as no surprise.
“We are really happy, of course, to secure the playoffs. It’s a small win, but there was never a question in our mind when we started the season,” said the Singaporean coach.
Elsewhere, Smart Omega bounced back against AP.Bren with a 2-1 victory, powered by Dean “Raizen” Sumagui. The Barangay improved to 3-5 and extended their win streak to two, while The Hive slipped to 2-6 with their sixth straight loss.
Reigning M7 world champions Aurora Gaming, meanwhile, suffered another upset, falling 0-2 to TNC Pro Team. Joshua “Chk4nu” Mangilog returned to comfort picks Atlas and Hylos to lead TNC to just their second win in eight matches. Aurora dropped to 3-6, winning only once in their last five outings.
AP.Bren and TNC will open Sunday’s slate, while all eyes turn to the clash between second-placed Team Falcons PH and third-placed ONIC Philippines to close Week 5.
