The first semi-final of the Saturday begins with HellRaisers going up against SK Gaming. The maps were set to be Dust 2 (HR), Overpass (SK), Cobblestone (HR), Mirage (SK) and Cache (decider).
The first game started off well for SK… Extremely well as the Danes racked along eight straight rounds on their T-side to secure themselves the lead at the half. This was helped along by MODDII continuing his form from the previous day, with Pimp and Friis actively helping the team along as well. The first round HellRaisers picked up was when they managed to retake the B site, but only after they took down Friis who was defending in a 1v3 – after taking two of the HR side down. Friis and MODDII teamed up for the following round to reset their economy, eventually taking them 10-1 up. HR picked up a full set of FAMAS to take the next round, only to get shut down the next by SK before picking up a random set of weapons to take it back again. Acilion clutched his team on the B site to take the final round of the half – going in 12-3 up. Pimp was seriously turning up this game, as he managed to lead his team on most stats. SK looked to keep the form heading into the next map as they picked up the pistol, but then it stopped as HR came back in the next couple rounds. SK then returned as Acilion picked up a couple kills after a molotov was thrown onto the site as they started getting close at 14-5. However, the European mixture team started stringing rounds together, especially as SK squirrelled away their weapons to avoid going behind in their economy, with ANGE1 performing extremely well (after he died post-time on one round). But it was all over soon, as SK called a pause to take themselves over that line, after Pimp clutched the end round – the player who led the stats at 28-6-14. On the flip side, the new entrant of bondik failed to perform at all, sitting bottom of the pack.
Friis celebrating a strong win
Next up would be Overpass – the map that can be considered one of SK Gaming’s best. The map started strong for SK again, picking up five T-side rounds in a row setting them up for a good half. HR returned and started some ping-pong, before they took the round to the end helped along by ZERO and ANGE1 to take HellRaisers to an 8-7 lead at the half. As the teams swap sides, SK go in and take the pistol… before a bit of ping-pong between the sides as they keep going across, taking each other to 10-10, 11-11, 12-12, 13-13, before HR manage to go to 14-13, when SK wake up and go for the last few rounds – including winning a round where oskar took down three of them in a 1v4. Acilion picks up three on a retake before the Danes go in for their second map, winning 16-14.
Emotions are high as SK Gaming succeed on getting to the final
It’s do-or-die for HellRasiers on this map, as we head into Cobblestone – the map that they picked. HellRaisers pick up the pistol round, but the Danish side disagreed as they went on and took the next five rounds (where Friis was showing a 172 ADR). HellRaisers answered a round back with oskar clutching successfully but for the rest of the half it was the SK Gaming show. Round after round after round, hat-trick after hat-trick from MODDII, Acilion and Friis to take them to an extremely strong 13-2 half-time score. HellRaisers managed the pistol round but that was all she wrote for the team – as a Tec-9 buy put the Danish side back in control and a couple extremely good rounds coming in to end a game in which they dominated to win 16-3, taking the series 3-0. Acilion and Friis led their team to this victory, against a side that had a poor performance where only oskar got into the double figures.
Next up is the next semi-final between Tempo Storm and Virtus.Pro, to decide the final recipient of a final spot.
