Canton, NY - During the Spring 2026 season two players from SUNY Canton Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Street Fighter 6 teams attended the State University of New York (SUNY) Playoffs, which took place in person at Binghamton University. Greysen Steffenhagen finished in second place in the Street Fighter 6 playoffs, while Derick Hillicoss placed third in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a fast-paced crossover fighting game where iconic characters from across gaming franchises battle in chaotic, action-packed matches. Players compete to knock opponents off the stage using a mix of attacks, items, and environmental awareness. As of now, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features over 80 playable fighters, allowing players to choose characters that best fit their preferred strategy and combat approach.

Street Fighter 6 is a competitive one-on-one fighting game where players face off in intense matches using a diverse roster of martial artists from around the world. Each fight revolves around precise inputs, timing, and reading your opponent to land combos, counters, and special moves. As of now, Street Fighter 6 features over 20 playable fighters, allowing players to choose a character whose abilities and strategy best suit their approach to combat.
   
Following the spring season, we interviewed Derick and Greyson to talk about how in-person event went and their plans for the Fall Season.



Q: How has playing for SUNY Canton's SSBU team impacted you?
Hillicoss: Oh, a lot, I have made great bonds with everyone on the team, and it has consumed a lot of my college life, in a good way that is. I've enjoyed my time with the team and hope to continue to do so for the remainder of my degree.

Q: How has playing for SUNY Canton's Street Fighter 6 team impacted you?
Steffenhagen: Playing for SUNY Canton helps me a lot to keep improving as a player and helps me meet players that become my friends.
 
Q: What character(s) do you play and what makes them special?
Hillicoss: I play Terry and Bowser Jr. For Terry I just enjoy the fact I can be consistently moving my joystick and play as aggressive a game as I wish. For Jr. I enjoy playing a below average character and being able to control the pace of the game if I choose to.

Steffenhagen: The character I use is Alex – he first appeared in Street Fighter 3. What makes him special to me is his play style, like professional wrestling, and how flashy his move are. Also that he is from New York as well so I can relate to him.
 
Q: What was it like attending and competing in the playoffs in person at Binghamton instead of online like usual matches? Did you prefer in person to online?
Hillicoss: It was awesome! Got to meet a ton of people in person that I only knew as an online persona. I love in person events and hope they continue in the future.

Steffenhagen: For me, playing in person at Binghamton made more matches exciting for me and made me more focused than online. And personally, I prefer in person competition, compared to online.
 
Q: What inspired you to play for SUNY Canton's esports team(s)?
Hillicoss: I got into smash my senior year of high school and grew quickly attached, so doing it in college was an absolute no-brainer.

Steffenhagen: What inspired me to play for the SUNY Canton Esports team is to see how far I can go and how I can improve at fighting games and meet new people that are into esports.
 
Q: What did you learn from your play and strong finish this season and how will you use that to improve this summer before the fall season?
Hillicoss: I picked apart small mistakes I made that day, and my plan is to just simply improve and get better for next semester!

Steffenhagen: I learned from this season that I need to learn my matchups against my character and how I can improve my core gameplay to fight for the win.
 

 

Spring 2026 Schedule Update
SUNY Canton saw four different ECAC teams qualify for the playoffs with the League of Legends B team posting a 6-2 record throughout the regular season and playoffs. In SUNY league four teams also qualified for the playoffs with the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1v1 A team registering a record of 8-2 throughout the regular seasons and playoffs.
   


Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.