Thunder are Play-Off Bound in VAL Division 1
Team Norse Thunder’s League of Legends roster has claimed a playoff spot in their debut season in division one of the Valanth’s League after results went their way earlier this week.
Thunder’s adventure in the Valanth’s League started with two defeats - the first against the league’s reigning champions, and the second to Ronin Myra. However, three wins on the spin put the team back into play-off contention. Thunder beat Garlic Bread Mafia, DSPAN, and True Haven, all in three-game thrillers, to move to a 3-2 record for the split.
However, with only the top four teams in the division claiming a play-off spot, Thunder needed other results to go their way to secure a place in the post-season title fight. With two games of the regular season left, DSPAN needed two wins to knock Thunder out of the play-offs and claim the spot for themselves, but a defeat earlier this week ruled out the challenge.
Securing a play-off spot marks a high point in Thunder’s League of Legends adventure since the organisation’s first roster was launched in early 2020.
Since switching attention from the NA region, Thunder’s first EUW-based roster played in the Matrix League and finished in fourth place in division three, before a roster revamp and a move to The Anubis League. The roster went on to claim a play-off spot in the league’s single division, and another rebuild put them ready for the higher level of competition to be found in the Valanth’s League.
Speaking about the Valanth’s League campaign, Team Norse Thunder’s Dave Scotford said: “Getting into the post-season was something we talked about us wanting to achieve from the very early days of bringing together this roster. They’re all players who know the league well, so it was just about finding a way to get there.
“We’re by no means the finished article yet as a group. We have things that we want to build on, develop, tweak… and we’ve got some things to do after the split comes to an end too. But now we’re in the play-offs, and anything can happen. If we switch on, if we focus on working together, and if we play for the team, we’ll get ourselves in a good position to make something happen.
“A lot of credit has to go to the players, of course, but it doesn’t happen without Spirits and Xepherr - our coach and our manager. They’ve put a lot of time, effort, and work into getting us in shape and they’re doing a brilliant job. Hopefully, as a roster, we do ourselves justice and can repay that support.”