Team SoloMid took down Counter Logic Gaming 2-1 on Day 2 of Week 3 in the North American League of Legends Championship Series on Saturday in Los Angeles, maintaining its historical edge in the rivalry.
CLG got a dream start in Game 1, picking off TSM jungler Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen's Ivern with a three-man collapse four minutes in, and then taking out TSM top laner Kevin "Hauntzer" Yarnell's Gangplank less than a minute later. CLG had no luck pressing their advantage, however, as TSM found kill after kill in the mid game while Hauntzer made a full recovery. However, a poorly played teamfight from TSM gave CLG a clean ace, allowing them to take the Baron and end the game in 27 minutes with an extended siege.
TSM first-picked Camille for Hauntzer in Game 2, and it paid off in spades. Hauntzer quickly accrued a huge advantage over top laner Darshan "Darshan" Upadhyaya on Poppy, capitalizing on the latter's mistake to grab an early solo kill. Along with the advantages gained by Svenskeren's Lee Sin,TSM crushed skirmishes in the mid game; CLG never found a single kill or objective without TSM getting more out of the deal. After picking up a clean ace in CLG's base, TSM ended Game 2 in just under 26 minutes.
TSM and CLG traded kills back and forth throughout the early and mid stages of Game 3, but unfortunately for CLG, its kills never amounted to much, aside from a first tower. TSM, meanwhile, was able to grab multiple towers and Elemental Drakes, granting them a sizable gold advantage. Thanks to some fantastic initiations, CLG was still able to win two back-to-back teamfights, but only marginally. The only teamfight that really mattered was won by TSM 4-for-1 at Baron about 28 minutes in, granting them the buff which it used to take CLG's Nexus minutes later.