BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Junior Marco Castelli was crowned a champion on the pitch.

Castelli, a member of LIU eSports, won the Xbox FIFA Spring Championship this week, the second time he appeared in the finals this season. Castelli last placed second against New England College. This week, Castelli again played NEC, and this time swept their player 3-0 with game scores of 5-4, 5-1, and 6-2.
 
"Marco's run to complete what he started in the fall was great to watch and coach for," head coach John McDermott said. "Not only did Marco display the talent needed to be recognized as the best FIFA player in the ECAC, but the mental fortitude to stay game ready during the hour delay before the finals."
 
With this win, Castelli is able to enter NextLevel's FIFA 22 College National Championship. This tournament will be played on a PS4/PS5 console, and it begins on April 30 at 6 p.m. Castelli will be one of 227 people in the field that is competing for a total prize pool of $50,000. 
 
"Marco and I are both excited to take the next step and enter in LevelNext FIFA National Championship," McDermott said. "We both are eager to test his skills against some of the best players in the country. We know making the switch of consoles from Xbox to Playstation this late in the season might be tough for Marco, but we believe we are ready for the challenge."