TSM Academy Wins the 2019 LCS Academy Spring Championship
By Wyatt Fossett ·
The minor leagues for North American professional League of Legends have long since been one of the best sources of high-tier action, and today's Spring Finals between TSM Academy and defending champs Cloud9 Academy offered the expected excitement.
The Academy League is Riot's answer to farm leagues. Pro franchises are given the opportunity to grow and develop their prospects through a tournament and series that mimics the official League of Legends LCS pro-leagues. Through 18 regular season games filled with hard work and intense growth, the LCS Academy finally reached its Spring Split Finals today.
After beating a very difficult Team Liquid Academy team in the semi-finals, the Cloud9 Academy team earned their right to fight for the league championship. A title that they have sought all season, as the league standings leader by a three-game margin.
The defending champions from the LCS Academy in Cloud 9 had multiple occasions to sub in for their main-stage LCS squad this season and went into the Academy finals this year the heavy favorites.
Unfortunately for C9 Academy, they would have to finish off the postseason tournament by playing TSM Academy, who finished the league second overall on the standings. TSMA earned their fight in the finals after destroying an Echo Fox Academy team 3-0 in the semi-finals.
The head-to-head between the Academy League’s two best teams didn’t disappoint, as the entire series went back-and-forth. Some amazing plays from the likes of the Cloud9 ADC Kieth (who got a PentaKill with Jinx in Game 2), and TSMA’s Ablazeolive in the mid-lane, kept the tension high all the way through the series.
After going up to match-point in Game 4 with a 2-1 score, TSMA seemed like they might hoist the trophy, but it wouldn’t come that easy. Cloud9 Academy picked up a heap of steam around the 10-minute mark before TSMA tore it all down on the back of some clutch team fights helmed by their jungler Grig on Rek’Sai.
It all came down to some slow-burning momentum that broke wide open when an attempt by Cloud9 to take a late-game Elder Dragon turned into a steal by TSMA, a couple of kills, and the victory.
The head-to-head boiled down to late-game compositions overcoming earl-game comps, with neither team truly doing a great job in the early stages of all 4 games. Even though their support player Treatz had to play remotely from Canada, his cardboard cut-out brought the TSM Academy team together on the mainstage, while his astounding play brought the wins together on the rift.
Defeating the reigning champions, the TSM Academy squad are your 2019 LCS Spring Academy Champions.
LCS Spring Split Playoffs continue tomorrow where the pro-league versions of both these teams will square off on the Riot stage to try and earn an appearance in the finals.