ACC Clinches Spot in Championship Game
ALPENA, Mich. — It wasn't easy, and for a moment it looked like the season might be slipping away. But the Alpena Community College Rocket League team dug deep Wednesday night, rallying from a 2-1 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff semifinal to defeat Waynesburg University of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and advance to the NECC Eastern Division 8 Championship. The comeback victory — played in front of a spirited crowd at the ACC Besser Commons — is one the program won't soon forget.
The match had all the drama a playoff setting could deliver. Waynesburg drew first blood, taking Game 1 by a score of 2-1 before ACC answered emphatically with a 4-1 win in Game 2 to even the series. Then came the gut-punch — Waynesburg reclaimed the lead with a 3-1 victory in Game 3, putting the Lumberjacks in an uncomfortable spot. Down two games to one in a best-of-seven, ACC faced a must-win situation.
What happened next was a masterclass in composure.
The Lumberjacks rattled off three consecutive wins to close out the series — a 4-3 nail-biter in Game 4, a tight 1-0 shutout in Game 5, and a commanding 4-1 statement in Game 6 — denying Waynesburg any opportunity to force a decisive seventh game and punching their ticket to the finals in emphatic fashion.
Leading the charge was Charlie Best, who was nothing short of sensational across the six-game series. Best racked up 11 goals and 2 assists while also coming up with 9 crucial saves — a reminder that elite Rocket League players are asked to contribute at both ends of the field.
Isaac Zocco may have been the unsung architect of the night's offensive display, tallying 2 goals and a match-high 5 assists to go along with 12 saves — a complete all-around performance that set up teammates and protected the net when it mattered most.
Max McCarty rounded out the triumphant trio, adding 3 goals, 1 assist, and 8 saves of his own to give ACC a dominant collective showing across the board.
In a testament to the growing enthusiasm for ACC esports, the match was moved to the ACC Besser Commons to accommodate fan interest — and the crowd showed up. The energy in the room elevated the atmosphere well beyond a standard match-night setting, with students and supporters cheering on every aerial goal and clutch save as the comeback unfolded in real time. Being able to share that stretch run — three straight wins to close out the series — with a live crowd made it all the more electric.
With the win, the Lumberjacks improved to 7-2 overall — a mark that reflects consistent excellence and the maturity of a program that has hit its stride at exactly the right time.
The road ahead leads to one destination: the NECC Eastern Division 8 Championship. ACC will square off against Mercyhurst University of Erie, Pennsylvania, with the title match scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m.
Mercyhurst will present a worthy challenge, but if Wednesday night's performance proved anything, it's that this ACC squad knows how to handle adversity. Down and staring at a potential series deficit, they didn't flinch — they won three straight.