Away From Keyboard: Ryan Kijevcanin  

Ryan "IvernedThisRank" Kijevcanin is an accomplished League of Legends gamer, but away from the keyboard he is pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies. A rising junior from Mount Olive, New Jersey takes a few minutes to discuss what it's like being captain of the championship winning League of Legends team.

Can you tell us more about your in game name? 
The username “IvernedThisRank” originated mostly just from the fact that I was looking for a funny name with a pun. I remember thinking at the time that all of the good one trick ponies (OTPs) had good puns and funny names.

What has joining the esports program been like and what is it like being the captain of the League of Legends team? 
Joining SHU’s esports team has given me an opportunity to meet new people and experience a combination of camaraderie and teamwork. As a commuter, I don’t normally have the extra time to spend on campus and make new friends, but being on the esports team has given me that opportunity and I can’t describe how grateful I am for it. It is nice to be the captain of the team because it shows that there is a lot of respect between our team as players, I think it has a lot to do with how we all communicate together and being captain has allowed me to be more vocal and straightforward with my teammates about things that need to be worked on and has also given me the opportunity to be more involved within the club as a whole.

You just won you second Big East Championship, can you tell us what that has been like and any similarities/differences to the 2020 season? 
I think there are a lot of differences between the 2022 season and the 2020 season. The first things that come to mind are that we obviously have a completely different starting roster, as of right now we have a completely different dynamic and team layout compared to the 2020 season. I think that by having this complete roster switch-up, it has given us the opportunity to improve as a team and as individuals, especially because we all needed to learn how to play off of each other’s weaknesses and strengths.

Anything you are nervous about going into round of 32 in national championships? 
Our first opponents in the national championship will be difficult. It is clear that we have our work cut out for us, especially because the team we will be playing against is filled with plenty of people who are still involved in the professional LoL scene, whether it be through academy, amateur or other routes. However, I think that we still have the chance to make an impact and possibly come out on top.

What makes you most excited about being the first SHU LoL team to make it this far? 
I think that by being the first SHU team to make it this far it means that we have even more to work towards as an organization and as a school. By pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible, I think it shows we’ve made huge improvements not only as players and teammates but as students here at Seton Hall.

Do you have any advice for surviving the ranked grind? 
Not every game that you will play will be winnable, it is just better to take what you can out of each game and keep moving towards your goals. 

It is a bit early since you are still in season, but what are you looking forward to next season? 
Hopefully next season Riot Games will be more focused at making games in higher Elos ratings more bearable, especially in Masters and above, because right now there are too many games where pro players and other well known streamers on well known teams/organizations are going out of their way to make it harder and harder to win. 

What is your favorite thing about Seton Hall so far?  
The people here at Seton Hall are extremely friendly and supportive, which I am extremely grateful for. 

Any words for the fans/anyone you wish to give a shout out to? 
Family and friends for being supportive about my hobbies and understanding that this is something that I am passionate about.

Categories: Athletics, Science and Technology