ATK headed to ESL Pro League Conference
ESL Challenger League Season 42 came to a close last night, as ATK bested Nouns with ease in the grand finals of the league. With this victory, ATK have secured themselves another international outing, with the squad now set to compete in the ESL Pro League Season 17 Conference sometime in the future.
ATK headed into the grand final in a precarious position. Not only would they have to contend with an automatic map deficit in the series thanks to Nouns' upper-bracket run, but the international side suffered a narrow defeat to Nouns earlier in the playoffs. Since that loss to Nouns in the upper bracket, ATK went on a tear in the lower bracket, besting Iron Blood, oNe + LOS, and MIBR with ease, not dropping a single map in the process. So, although Nouns would have the upper hand thanks to the map advantage, this matchup was bound to be a tough one.
The series began on Nouns' pick of Inferno, where ATK managed to snag a strong 6-0 start on their CT-side. Nouns responded by claiming four of the next five rounds, but ATK rallied the remaining four rounds to make a statement with an 11-4 half. A pistol-round victory in the second half further propelled ATK's lead, as Nouns could only scavenge one more round before ATK stole away Inferno 16-5.
With the series now tied 1-1, the match headed to ATK's selection of Mirage. The first half of this map was far different from the first half of Inferno, as Nouns found themselves in charge throughout the early portion of the match, accruing a 10-5 lead on the defense. Nouns took this one step further by claiming the second pistol round, allowing the Americans to take a 14-6 scoreline, putting them within striking distance of taking the map. Ultimately, fourteen rounds was as close as Nouns would get, as dominant showings from Jonathan "b0denmaster" Bodenmalm and Gareth "MisteM" Ries on the defense fueled a ten-round streak from ATK, allowing the squad to clinch their pick 16-14, taking the lead in the series 2-1.
Now having the upper hand for the first time this series, ATK marched into Nouns' pick of Vertigo with their heads held high. Despite the unfortunate loss on Mirage, Nouns were not keen on letting this final slip away from their grasp, as a 1.96 rating from Jeorge "jeorgesnorts" Endicott on the T-side of Vertigo allowed Nouns to snatch an 8-7 lead heading into their CT-side. Once on the defense however, things quickly crumbled for Nouns, as they were unable to contend with the efforts of South African duo Rhys "Fadey" Armstrong and MisteM who spearheaded the ATK offense. Thanks to the duo's efforts, Nouns were only allowed three rounds before ATK finished off the map 16-11, completing the series with a 3-1 scoreline.
NounsATK| Nouns |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jeorge 'Jeorge' Endicott |
52 - 59 | -7 | 71.9 | 65.4% | 0.99 |
| Danny 'cxzi' Strzelczyk |
55 - 62 | -7 | 72.0 | 62.8% | 0.94 |
| Brendan 'Bwills' Williams |
49 - 57 | -8 | 73.6 | 69.2% | 0.93 |
| David 'cynic' Polster |
45 - 63 | -18 | 75.6 | 64.1% | 0.87 |
| Carson 'nosraC' O'Reilly |
42 - 53 | -11 | 56.8 | 65.4% | 0.86 |
| ATK |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gareth 'MisteM' Ries |
72 - 53 | +19 | 95.2 | 76.9% | 1.32 |
 Jonathan 'b0denmaster' Bodenmalm |
65 - 51 | +14 | 78.4 | 74.4% | 1.24 |
| Rhys 'Fadey' Armstrong |
61 - 49 | +12 | 86.2 | 79.5% | 1.21 |
| Michael 'Swisher' Schmid |
50 - 46 | +4 | 69.4 | 78.2% | 1.05 |
| Ian 'motm' Hardy |
45 - 45 | +0 | 69.0 | 71.8% | 1.04 |
The final standings for the ECL Season 42 playoffs are:
1. 
ATK - $20,000 + ESL Pro League Season 17 Conference spot
2. Nouns - $11,500
3. 
MIBR - $7,000
4. oNe + LOS - $4,000
5-6. EG Black - $2,500
5-6. Iron Blood - $2,500
7-8. Vendetta - $1,250
7-8. Brazen - $1,250
Teams in ECL will have little time to rest, as the next season of the top domestic league is set to begin tomorrow, October 25th.
