LCI Samurais Esports teams compete in Edmonton tournament

Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Esports athletes had a strong showing last week in the Alberta capital at the Alberta Esports Association’s exhibition.
The LCI Samurais sent 11 athletes to the expo, which included 10 Valorant players and one Super Smash Bros. player.
The Edmonton Expo Centre played host to the event, which saw LCI’s Team A finish fourth and Team B finish in eighth.
“The standing was determined by a team that looked at our accomplishments and ranking in the game,” said the LCI program's co-director, John Thai.
Team A had a shot at finishing higher up in the standings, but fell just short in a crucial match-up with one of the top teams in the country.
“The toughest competition was the team we lost to in the semi-final – the U of A,” said Thai. “The U of A represented Canada in the Red Bull tournament in Brazil.”
Despite just missing out on a top finish, Thai added the members of the Samurais had a great experience over the weekend, playing against older and more experienced players.
“The main lessons for the team is that they all had fun and enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “By being the only high school in this competition, the players gained a lot of exposure to post-secondary institutions in Alberta. The players learned so much from the tournament, which makes them want to improve even more.”