EPT![[image loading]](http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/USXWiNNinG54/CSLHQtl.png)
CSL+: Midpoint
What's been going on in the world of CSL? With the season more than halfway completed, clear favorites have emerged in every division, but it's all still very much up in the air right now as teams contend for the top two spots in their division for a ticket into playoffs!
![[image loading]](http://media.cstarleague.com/img/standings-r4.png)
University of Victoria leads Western Division 1, boasting an impressive score of 4-0, with UCSB and UCLA following closely at 3-0 and 2-1, respectively.
In Western Division 2, UC Irvine has been on a roll taking down San Diego State in round 3 and UCSD in round 4. Xeris, on the other hand, had the following comment about his team's performance:
(8:23:11 PM) Duran Parsi: T_____________T
Western Division 3 is still very much in the air due to its smaller size, with University of Texas leading at 3-0. Round 3 saw brother against brother and friend against friend, as UT faced off against Rice.
Here in a never before released interview, a member of the Rice team reveals their secret strategy against Texas:
(11:15:32 PM) [Rice]Menace: guess what our plan for Ut is
(11:15:45 PM) [Rice]Menace: were cheesing them the First 3 games
(11:15:56 PM) [Rice]Menace: 1: proxy, 2: 4 pool, 3: gas steal
(11:15:57 PM) [Rice]Menace: LOL
(11:16:08 PM) hazelynut: LOL
(11:16:10 PM) hazelynut: so bad
(11:15:45 PM) [Rice]Menace: were cheesing them the First 3 games
(11:15:56 PM) [Rice]Menace: 1: proxy, 2: 4 pool, 3: gas steal
(11:15:57 PM) [Rice]Menace: LOL
(11:16:08 PM) hazelynut: LOL
(11:16:10 PM) hazelynut: so bad
![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/vdraconis/shh.jpg)
It's a secret to everybody.
The end result? Sadly for Rice, 3-1 for UTexas, with Rice's only set victory (and Texas' only set loss) from the Menace himself.
In the meantime, UChicago has been very busy, recently defeating UIllinois and keeping their position as leader of the division, while planning a local SC tournament/workshop with guest speakers for this upcoming weekend, AND managing to still bake delicious SC-related food. Let's hope that they aren't too busy, though; with the division being smaller, the match scores are tighter, so anything can happen.
![[image loading]](http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq251/hazelynut/Dragooncake.jpg)
UChicago Secret Project #287: Sugar-based Dragoon Exoskeletons
Meanwhile, halfway across the country, two titans are about to clash in what will likely be one of the most epic matches of this season's CSL. This week, Duke and Georgia Tech face off to determine just WHO is the alpha team in East Division 1.
![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/vdraconis/LgTheBattleBetweentheGodsandtheTita.jpg)
A completely accurate representation of what will happen between Duke vs. Georgia Tech.
In East Division 2, UToronto, fielding the legendary
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/Picon_small.png)
Iefnaij, will likely have no trouble securing a playoff position in the following weeks. However, the second spot still looks like a huge tossup, with Western Ontario and Ohio State currently looking to be in the best position. However, don't count out Waterloo or UMichigan just yet - they could just as easily come back and destroy everyone else in 2009.Similarly, Rutgers commands a dominating 4-0 lead in East Division 3. Immediately below them, Princeton, Johns Hopkins and Cornell will likely be fiercely duking it out for the right to the second spot in the following weeks to come.
In East Division 4, both McGill and Tufts are leading at 4-0 and 3-0 respectively. The closest team, MIT, sits at 2-2, having suffered an upset at the hands of Harvard in Round 3. While the situation looks grim, MIT still has a chance to make it to the playoffs, depending on the outcome of McGill vs. Tufts.
For last season's stars, the results have been mixed. The loss of StrykeR from MIT and Yosh from UC Berkeley has left these two schools struggling. Playoff veterans Emory University, which made it to the playoffs in Season 1, suffers from a different problem: having to contend with an additional rival in the form of Duke University along with Georgia Tech. The chances for these schools to make it into playoffs are slim, though not impossible. We'll have to see what happens in the next few weeks.
Amongst the newcomers to CSL, Duke and UToronto stand out particularly, if only for the star power that each team wields in the form of NoNy and Iefniaj. Be sure to be on the lookout for these teams in the playoffs.
Some of our playoff veterans from last season are looking their best, with Georgia Tech, Rutgers, McGill, and University of Texas all boasting impressive records this season. Other familiar faces, like University of Victoria, have made their way to the top of their division, and are likely to stay there. UVic has issued the following challenge to all contenders:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gzwnJAFSk
Playoffs should include a rap battle component, amirite guys?
Playoffs should include a rap battle component, amirite guys?
As the season passes its midway point, teams are looking to lock their spots to the playoffs... for some teams, it's as simple as 1a2a3a, but for others, the road will be longer and harder.
And for those teams that haven't been doing so well thus far, make sure to win at least one for your fans, alright? You've got at least one out there, and your win might make things more interesting for those looking at that second playoff spot.
To all in the tournament, good luck and remember to have fun. To the reader/viewership, thanks for reading! Be on the lookout for livestream threads and more CSL articles in the future.
P.S. Does anyone know of a beach where we could hold Grand Finals? It's kind of a big deal.
