Starting the new semester, Super Smash Bros Ultimate has not only gathered players from last semester but also added new players and a new coach.
All of the players are coming together to form a formidable powerhouse against all the other Esports teams competing this year in the next Super Smash Bros Ultimate tournament.
The new coach is planning to help the team unlock its full potential and secure another finals win after last year's victory.
The new coach Daniel Torrefranca has been playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate since it was released in 2018, but his interest in the franchise started ever since he was 12.
Torrefranca said he was very excited when he got selected as the new Super Smash Bros Ultimate Varsity coach.
“When I saw the application online for Smash Coach I immediately applied. And when I got it, it felt great, I was excited to meet the team and be a part of the esports scene,” he said. “The support from Humber Esports on training work-study coaches about things like leadership and esports psychology helps a lot. Overall, it's been a great experience so far coaching our current roster.”
A veteran player added to the team, Corbin Hayashi who has been playing games from the franchise for his whole life, said he is happy to compete in a game he is passionate about.
“It's very exciting to compete at a collegiate level in a game that I have tons of experience with,” he said. “It is very reassuring to have the support when trying to get better at the game. It is also very cool to represent Humber in our own way."
A returning veteran who is also a captain of the Esports team, Desyack Morales has been playing the game since 2018, he said he’s very excited once again to be back.
“This is something I’m passionate about, being able to represent Humber and trying my hardest to make a name for it to show that we have quality, not quantity,” he said.
So far, the new and previous players are already beginning to mix well to form a powerful team.
Torrefranca said the new team is becoming a tough opponent to beat, as a lot of new and strong talent is being brought to the table and very few struggles are being faced.
“The only struggle I would say we're facing is the occasional nerves during a set. But it's normal and it's definitely something we can overcome,” he said.
Hayashi said the team coming together is very strong and has the qualities to stand above the rest of the fierce competition.
“We all have the capability of having a crazy performance whenever we approach a set or get sent in a crew battle,” he said. “We also all have our own distinct play style that sets us apart from each other which is a strong advantage against many other colleges."
Last year the team secured a first-place victory at the NACE Open Plus Divisional Finals.
NACE is the National Association of Collegiate Esports, and every year many schools from both the U.S. and Canada compete in the championship bringing a variety of competitors to the competition.
With last year’s victory in mind, the team is starting to set some very lofty objectives for themselves to reach that goal once more.
“I feel like we have high expectations for ourselves. The competition is a lot stronger this year, however, we still believe we can claim victory again,” Hayashi said. “We are all very skilled players individually and I know we have the ability to get far in the NACE circuit."
Torrefranca said the competition is measuring up towards being a lot more challenging as this year’s competition will be bringing a more difficult division.
“I've been told last year we swept the competition without dropping a single match. This year we're in a more difficult division playing against tougher schools,” he said. “The level of competition is much higher. I did a bit of scouting and there are opposing players in the division that rank top 100 in the world. It'll be an interesting tournament, to say the least."
Morales said the team has so many excellent qualities going for it, he could see the team winning the NACE league once more.
“The team chemistry is always on top and we always try bringing the best energy, with new players as well, we have another good chance of winning the NACE league for the second time in a row,” he said.
Torrefranca said despite all of the powerful competitors competing in this tournament, he still has a lot of faith in his team going into the new semester.
“I have a lot of faith in the team. And they all have a lot of faith in each other. I believe we can make it far. Their passion for the game is clearly seen in their level of play,” he said.
