Fourth Seed to Final Four: U3 Pirates Face J ES Scrum in KRLS Division C Semifinal

U3 Pirates did not enter the Kyohaku Rocket League Series playoffs as the highest seed.

They did not finish the regular season with the strongest record in their group.

They earned the final qualifying position, received another opportunity and refused to waste it.

After completing the Division C, Group D regular season at 3–4, U3 Pirates secured fourth place and advanced to the postseason. Three playoff victories later, the Pirates are one series away from competing for the KRLS Division C Championship.

Their semifinal opponent is familiar: J ES Scrum, the team that finished first in Group D and defeated U3 during the regular season.

The first meeting belonged to J ES Scrum.

The rematch will determine who advances to the Championship Final.

A different team entered the playoffs

U3 opened the playoffs with a commanding 4–1 victory over SP New Path.

The Pirates followed it with another 4–1 result against Torrent Banhammer.

Their quarterfinal matchup against SP Dawgs required a different kind of performance. The series reached all seven games, leaving both teams one result from elimination. U3 secured the deciding game, completed the 4–3 victory and advanced to the Final Four.

The Pirates are now 3–0 in playoff series and 12–5 across postseason games.

During the regular season, U3 went 15–14 in individual games, producing a 51.7% game win rate. In the playoffs, that rate has increased to 70.6%.

The postseason has not erased the regular season. It has shown how much the team has developed since it.

The Group D rematch

J ES Scrum finished first in Group D with a 6–1 series record and a +13 regular-season game differential.

The teams met on June 10, when J ES Scrum defeated U3 Pirates 3–1.

Ballchasing data from that first series shows that U3 scored seven goals from 31 shots. J ES Scrum scored 10 goals from 37 shots.

U3 converted 22.58% of its shots, compared with 27.03% for J ES Scrum.

The difference was meaningful, but it was not insurmountable. J ES generated six more shots and three more goals across the four-game series.

The territorial numbers also show where U3 struggled. The Pirates spent considerably more combined player time in their defensive third and less time sustaining pressure in the offensive third.

J ES Scrum controlled the first meeting by creating more pressure and finishing its opportunities more efficiently.

U3 now has an opportunity to prove that its postseason growth can change that result.

What the full replay data shows

Across 43 games currently included in the U3 Pirates Ballchasing group, the Pirates have produced a 24–19 game record.

The team has recorded:

• 115 goals
• 98 goals conceded
• A +17 goal differential
• 336 shots
• A 34.23% shooting percentage
• 86 assists
• 171 saves
• 136 demolitions inflicted
• 131 demolitions received
• A +5 demolition differential

U3 has averaged 3.16 demolitions per game while receiving 3.05. The narrow positive differential does not suggest that physical play alone defines the Pirates, but it shows that they can create space and disrupt opposing rotations without consistently losing the physical battle.

Those numbers support a larger story than a team simply getting hot for one round.

Across the recorded replay sample, U3 has outscored its opponents, generated slightly more shots than it has allowed and maintained positive overall results.

The challenge is carrying that complete performance into a rematch against the strongest team from its regular-season group.

Players to watch

Shady — finishing, defense and disruption

Shady leads the Pirates with 41 goals, 64 saves and 46 demolitions across 38 recorded KRLS games.

He has converted 48.8% of his 84 shots, making him U3’s most efficient recorded finisher. His team-leading save and demolition totals also show that his impact extends beyond scoring.

JRDN — offensive and physical pressure

JRDN has recorded 33 goals, 24 assists, 43 saves and 42 demolitions across 33 games.

His 107 shots are the highest total on the roster, while his +11 demolition differential is the strongest among the four Pirates. During the first J ES Scrum meeting, JRDN scored four of U3’s seven goals.

Bayckon — chance creation

Captain Bayckon leads the Pirates with 30 assists across 39 games.

He has also contributed 27 goals, 51 saves and 29 demolitions. Bayckon did not appear in the four recorded games from the first J ES Scrum matchup. He is not listed here as a confirmed semifinal starter.

Dingo — experience and support

Dingo has recorded 14 goals, nine assists, 13 saves and 19 demolitions across 19 games.

His Ballchasing account appears as “Pickles has,” but all public-facing article content identifies him as Dingo. During the first J ES Scrum meeting, he contributed two goals and two assists.

What must change

J ES Scrum remains the favorite on paper.

It had the stronger regular-season record, the first-place group finish and the head-to-head victory.

For U3 to reverse the result, the Pirates must improve in three areas.

First, they must spend less of the series protecting their own defensive third. J ES cannot be allowed to establish extended pressure and repeatedly force U3 into reactive rotations.

Second, U3 must create balanced offense. JRDN scored four of the Pirates’ seven goals in the first meeting. The semifinal will require scoring threats and chance creation throughout the lineup.

Third, the Pirates must make their opportunities count. The shot totals from the first matchup were close enough for improved conversion and sustained pressure to change the series.

U3 does not need to pretend the first loss never happened.

The team must demonstrate that it learned from it.

One series from the Championship

U3 Pirates began the postseason as Group D’s fourth-place team.

They now face the group winner with a place in the Division C Championship Final at stake.

The regular-season meeting showed where U3 was.

Three consecutive playoff victories have shown what the Pirates are becoming.

The first result belonged to J ES Scrum.

The rematch belongs to whichever team can perform when the stakes are highest.

Fourth seed.

Final Four.

The underdogs are still here.