Huskies Esports Call of Duty team qualifies for major collegiate esports event
The Keyano Huskies Esports Call of Duty team accomplished a major program milestone during the College Call of Duty League (CCL) Division #2 Qualifiers last weekend. After a tough first attempt at the Division #1 Qualifiers in January, the Huskies bounced back strongly to take down the United States Air Force Academy roster in a clean sweep to close out their qualifier run. This is the first time the Huskies have qualified for the CCL, Call of Duty's most prestigious collegiate competition.
The CCL is home to some of Call of Duty's top competitive and broadcast talent. Each year, students compete for a chance at fame, glory, and thousands of dollars in scholastic awards. Collegiate esports programs from across Canada and the United States field their best rosters to compete in high-stakes competition over the course of a six-week-long season. At the end of the season, the top teams in each regional conference are invited to compete in regional online playoffs, the winners of which will progress to a live tournament to compete for scholastic awards.
The Huskies join over 100 CCL teams to fight for the chance to compete at the live event (known as a LAN tournament). Jeremy Corrigal, starting player for the Huskies Call of Duty team, shares how incredibly proud he is of his team's achievement. "It shows that every piece of hard work from the moment our season ended last year was all worth it. It shows that we're growing and that our roster is going to blow through the roof."
Jeremy joined the Huskies Esports program in 2021 during its inaugural season. He has been a pivotal member of the program, both as a team leader and avid promoter of esports competition on campus. "The journey's been amazing," said Corrigal. "Going from a brand new program to making it through the doors of CCL into Division 2... It's proof that our work hasn't been for nothing."
Corrigal, alongside teammates Brodie Chandler, Brayden Currie and Jedrek DeGuzman, have played a huge role in elevating the standard for esports talent development at Keyano College. Under the guidance of Call of Duty student coach, Chason Christie, the team participates in a rigorous training program, including team workouts and mental health workshops to help them grow holistically as athletes.
"It was crucial [that] we start off this Winter semester with a strong showing in the two CCL Qualifiers," says Christie. "We're the only Canadian team representing in the Western region... "To accomplish our goal, we set in motion a weekly regiment that consisted of 12-14 hours of practice a week." This being on top of the players' weekly matches, physical & mental training sessions, and academic commitments. It's a lot of work, but the players know just how important that level of commitment is to be successful at this level of competition.
The Huskies Call of Duty team has already made the mark on collegiate esports, and is eager to extend their reach even further this season. "I want to see us get the recognition we deserve," says Corrigal. "In Canada, and in the CCL."
Call of Duty is a First-Person-Shooter (FPS) game where teams of four combatants face off in a Best-of-Five series across a multitude of map types and game modes. The objective of each map changes from game to game, though all encourage similar tactics and strategies, such as controlling a location on the map and defending it from the opposing team. Teams must work together to accomplish each objective in a series of fast-paced, high-intensity bouts before they're eliminated or time runs out.
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