ACC eSports are Champions!
Alpena, MI — April 15, 2026
Alpena Community College's Rocket League team captured the NECC Division VIII East Playoff Championship Tuesday night, defeating Mercyhurst University 4-2 in a best-of-seven series that kept an engaged crowd in the ACC Commons on the edge of their seats from the opening kickoff to the final goal.
The three players who made it happen — Max McCarty, Isaac Zocco, and Charlie Best — delivered a complete team performance across six games, combining dominant shooting, clutch defensive saves, and championship-level composure when it mattered most.
The atmosphere inside the Commons rivaled any traditional sporting event on campus. Athletes and coaches from across ACC's athletic programs filled the room alongside fellow students and fans. Also in attendance were ACC President Don MacMaster and Trustee Lisa Hilberg — a testament to how far this program has come in such a short time.
How It Unfolded
Game 1 — Lumberjacks 2, Mercyhurst 0
ACC came out with a statement. Isaac Zocco set the tone by scoring both goals in a dominant shutout, while Max McCarty contributed two assists and Charlie Best made a key save as the Lumberjacks held Mercyhurst off the scoreboard entirely. It was a complete team performance and the perfect way to open the series.
Game 2 — Lumberjacks 3, Mercyhurst 2
ACC pushed their lead to 2-0 in a tight one. Zocco continued his hot scoring with 2 more goals, while Best added a goal, an assist, and 2 saves. McCarty was outstanding defensively with 3 saves and an assist. Mercyhurst kept it close with strong goaltending, but the Lumberjacks held on for the 3-2 win.
Game 3 — Lumberjacks 3, Mercyhurst 2
On the doorstep of a sweep, ACC won their third straight in another close battle rallying from a 2-0 deficit. Best scored two goals to tie it and McCarty scored the game winner. Best also had an assist and Zocco contributed an assist and a save. ACC led the series 3-0.
Game 4 — Mercyhurst 4, Lumberjacks 3
Mercyhurst refused to be swept, putting together their best offensive performance of the series in a hard-fought 4-3 win to pull within 3-1. For ACC, Zocco scored twice and Best added a goal, an assist, and three saves in a valiant effort.
Game 5 — Mercyhurst 2, Lumberjacks 1
The Warriors kept the pressure on, winning their second straight, this one in overtime, to pull within 3-2 and make things genuinely tense. Mercyhurst's offense was sharp, scoring twice while holding ACC to a single goal from Zocco. The momentum had completely shifted.
Game 6 — Lumberjacks 5, Mercyhurst 2
When the moment was biggest, the Lumberjacks were at their best — and it was McCarty who rose to the occasion. After a quieter series offensively, he exploded for 3 goals and 2 saves in the championship clincher. Zocco and Best each added a goal and two assists as all three Lumberjacks contributed to a complete team performance. The Jacks won in commanding fashion.
The Players and Coach
Charlie Best was the team's most consistent all-around performer throughout the series, contributing goals, assists, and saves in nearly every game. A Grand Champion-ranked player, he delivered when it mattered most.
Isaac Zocco was the team's offensive engine early, scoring four goals in the key first two games and scoring in five of the six games.
Max McCarty was the quiet backbone of the team — making key saves, setting up teammates with assists, and saving his most explosive performance for last. When the championship was on the line in Game 6, he scored three goals to put it away.
Coach Aaron Guitar - in his first year at the helm of this program, put two teams together, not just in Rocket League but also in Rainbow Six Siege on short notice, from students already at ACC. The Rainbox Six squad was respectable, and this Rocket League team is making history. Coach Guitar deserves a ton of credit for his recruitment, his management and his leadership of this program.
The Road to the Title
The championship capped a remarkable playoff run for a program that entered the East bracket as the No. 7 seed. ACC rolled into the Finals, and defeated a Mercyhurst team who came in as the #1 seed and who had defeated ACC in the regular season. While the Warriors were a regular season powerhouse, the Lumberjacks were better on Tuesday night.
For Alpena Community College — a two-year institution competing in the NECC, comprised mostly of four-year colleges and universities — the title represents something far larger than a bracket win. In their debut NECC season, the Lumberjacks didn't just compete with programs that have been established for years. They beat them. It is proof that this program belongs, and that the students who built it have earned every bit of the celebration that followed.
What's Next: An Eye on Nationals
With the East playoff championship under their belts, the Lumberjacks move on to the Division VIII nationals with a shot at the division national championship. There are nine divisions in NECC play and moving on from the East, ACC may face schools such as USC, Loyola Marymount, San Diego State and Fresno State. Bellevue University (Nebraska) was the only undefeated team in Division VIII headed into their West championship game tonight against Missouri Valley College. Despite losing to the Jacks tonight, Mercyhurst did enough to qualify for the nationals and may face ACC again.
Needless to say, there are more exciting esports times ahead at ACC as the games get more competitive while the Lumberjack faithful gets larger and larger in number. As soon as released by the NECC, game dates and times will be released here. Stay tuned!