By: Arjohn Roxas
With Aurora tying ONIC Philippines’ record for the longest winning streak in MPL Philippines history, veteran EXP laner Edward “Edward” Dapadap admitted that the 13-game undefeated run caught them by surprise.
He emphasized, however, that it was the product of hard work, discipline, and the momentum they built after a challenging opening week.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, Edward shared that their Week 1 loss to Team Falcons ignited their determination to come back stronger, with the team riding that momentum throughout the season.
“Hindi actually (inexpect yung 13-game win streak) kasi ayun nga, bawing-bawi kami that time. Kase one match lang kami nung Week One tapos talo agad kami, so kailangan namin mag-antay ng another week para makapaglaro ulit,” Edward said.
“Siguro ayun, nagtuloy-tuloy yung momentum nung nanalo kami sa second week hanggang napunta dito. Unexpected lang.”
Aurora’s rise, however, was not without hurdles. The team faced early difficulties as their coaching staff was away for the Esports World Cup.
“Actually, struggling kami talaga kasi nga yung coaches nun nasa EWC so na-late sila nung magpa-practice kami. So nagkaron kami ng challenges na walang coach nung nag-iiscrim kami nung una-una. Buti na-overcome naman namin,” he said.
The Season 7 Finals MVP credited the team’s improvement to consistency and discipline, especially amid public doubt following previous seasons of inconsistency.
“Kailangan talaga maging consistent kami and disiplinado kasi ayun nga, andaming nagda-doubt. So kailangan naming patunayan talaga na di na mangyari yung ganun and mag-champion ngayong season,” Edward said.
“Ang funny lang kase paulit-ulit na lang sila, which is tama naman sila kasi nga, ilang season na kaming ganun (inconsistent). Tama naman sila pero this time, ipu-prove namin na mali sila.”
For Edward, the record streak is simply a reflection of their growth — not the ultimate goal.
“Di na ‘ko napre-pressure. It’s not about the streak naman. Kung gusto mo mag-champion, magka-qualify ka talaga eh,” he said.
“Siguro bonus nalang yung M7 kasi we are aiming for the championship talaga eh.”
