Aurora clutches second upper bracket spot as ONIC PH settles for 3rd seed
Photo from MPL Philippines / Richard Esguerra
Aurora clutches second upper bracket spot as ONIC PH settles for 3rd seed
MAKATI — Aurora Gaming and ONIC Philippines pulled off impressive wins as they closed the MPL Philippines Season 15 regular season Sunday inside the Green Sun Hotel.
The Northern Lights warded off fellow powerhouses Team Falcons PH in three games, while the Super Family extended their win streak to 10 matches after sweeping Twisted Minds PH.
ONIC repeats over TWIS
The defending champions started their day with a slow Game 1 against Twisted Minds PH, which dragged to 23 minutes as the Minds kept soaking damage from the Sonics.
Twisted Minds, who opted to bring Stephen “Sensui” Castillo back to the jungler role, paired him with Jomarie “Escalera” delos Santos in a Faramis-Floryn combo. However, the duo combined for only 10 assists while Jhonville “Outplayed” Villar was handed all but one kill using Granger.
Their lack of late-game damage backfired as a mid-lane Kimmy surprise from Frince “Super Frince” Ramirez became a problem for the tanky Twisted Minds lineup.
Star boy Duane “Kelra” Pillas’ Harith took MVP honors, leading a crucial clash with a triple kill that spelled the end for Twisted Minds.
Game 2 told a different story as ONIC PH pulled off a cleaner performance. It became evident in the 12th minute after they picked off James “Jeymz” Gloria’s Masha alone in the bottom lane before rushing for the Lord.
King Cyric “K1NGKONG” Perez stepped up with a critical Lord steal using his Suyou, thanks to higher retribution damage than Sensui’s, forcing Twisted Minds to retreat and concede the match.
Aurora secured spot at last gasp attempt
The Northern Lights had a rocky start in Game 1 as they suffered a 15-minute loss against Team Falcons PH. Coach Robert “Trebor” Sanchez pulled out a counter-pick Esmeralda for David Charles “FlapTzy” Canon to challenge Aurora’s shield-heavy lineup, which earlier drafted Paquito for Edward Jay “Edward” Dapadap.
FlapTzy finished with four kills and four assists as Falcons dominated without losing a single turret or major objective.
But Aurora flipped the script in Game 2.
Jonard Cedrix “Demonkite” Caranto’s Suyou bounced back from a quiet opener, posting seven kills and four assists in a 15-7 rout while only conceding one turtle.
Michael “KyleTzy” Sayson’s Lukas couldn’t find his rhythm, ending with four deaths and participation in just five of Falcons’ seven kills.
Edward reemerged in Game 3 with a pivotal Cici pick, slicing through a bulky Falcons frontline composed of Hilda, Kalea, and Lukas. He racked up six kills before the 11-minute mark.
Aurora maintained their mid-game power spike up to the 16th minute, with Jan Dominic “Domeng” del Mundo’s Harith stepping up in the clutch. He bagged four kills in the final three minutes of play to help close out the series.
With the win, Aurora clinched the second upper bracket slot, denying ONIC PH the chance to climb higher. They now sit alongside Team Liquid PH as the regular season concludes.
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