Links:  Open Qualifier No. 2 - East Pool 1 Bracket  |  Collegiate Rocket League (CRL)

BOSTON – Running the table with a 6-0 record during Sunday's Open Qualifier, the Northeastern Rocket League team championed the 99-team East Pool 1 winners bracket, earning one of the 16 Eastern Conference bids to the 32-team league play stage of the fall 2020 Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) National Championship.
 
Coming off a sudden exit during the first CRL Open Qualifier (Sept. 20), Northeastern buckled down during its second and final attempt to qualify on Sunday, scorching six opponents with a masterful, 61-21 goal advantage.
 
Seeded again with a bye into winners round two (round of 64), the Huskies made quick work of their opening two matches, earning best-of-three sweeps against Staten Island and Ohio State by a combined 16-2 scoring margin. After splitting a pair of one-goal games with Kentucky, NU clinched the match in 6-1 fashion during the decisive third game, charging into the best-of-five winners quarterfinals.
 
Squaring off there against UMass Lowell, Northeastern bounced back from its match-opening, 3-2 defeat to prevail in four games, stringing together three consecutive one-goal victories (2-1, 3-2, 3-2). NU posted another one-goal win (2-1) to open its winners semifinal match against Drexel and proceeded to turn on the jets, sweeping the Dragons with consecutive 5-0 and 4-0 results.
 
Northeastern began the winners final against Georgia Tech with a convincing, 6-1 victory and despite conceding game two, 2-1, rallied to win game three, 3-1. Surrendering a lone goal in defeat to the Yellow Jackets during game four, the Huskies recovered well during the decisive fifth game, clinching the match with a 5-1 victory to punch their ticket to the next stage.
 
Upon qualifying for the 16-team CRL Eastern Conference field – as pitted opposite the 16-team Western Conference field – Northeastern secured its first CRL league play bid as a varsity program. As a club team, the Huskies won the fall 2017 national championship, last progressing to league play during the spring 2019 season.
 
UP NEXT
The Northeastern Rocket League team (8-2) will start CRL Eastern Conference play during the week of Monday, Oct. 5. NU will contest a complete, 15-match round-robin against the Eastern Conference across a six-week season that culminates on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The top six teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences will then advance to the CRL regional playoffs.
 
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