For the last match for the 2018 LCK Summer split, the first-year rookie team Griffin went against kt Rolster. Although both teams did put up quite a fierce match, kt Rolster won game 5 and claimed the LCK trophy. After the match, we met kt’s mid laner, Ucal, and heard about his thoughts on the finals.

The Following is our interview with KT Ucal.



Congratulations! How do you feel after winning your first LCK trophy?

I think it’s more meaningful since I’m in KT, a team that was so desperate to win the title. I’m very happy since it feels like I’ve made my first step towards fulfilling my goals.

I heard that the players didn’t even go on vacation and practiced instead. Now, will you be getting some time to rest?

A little bit. But there’s still Worlds left, which is such a huge event, so I’m going to put in more effort for that.

Do you think you played the most important role in letting Score reach ‘Nirvana’?

Yeah, personally I do think I did play a big role. (laughs) However, he didn’t ‘fully’ reach Nirvana just yet, because there’s still Worlds left; fans will have more to expect from him.

The series was so intense and went all the way to the last set. When were you sure you’d win?

In truth, I had a strong belief that we’d win before the match even started. However, in game 4, the game started to fall apart from the top lane. It was like someone was testing me by saying, “Can you guys win even when the game collapses like this?” I almost failed, but I managed to win the trophy because I had trust in my teammates.

What do you remember most from today’s match?

Personally, I remember the time when I got a solo-kill in game 2 in the 'Irelia vs Zoe' matchup. I think it’s special since that was a turning point for the team’s atmosphere.

People said that Victor might be a ‘trap card’ for the team. What are your thoughts on Victor?

Our scrim results [using Victor] were really good. Apart from our scrim results, we thought he’s good in teamfights. He was also strong in laning, including the matchup against Urgot in mid lane. I think we lost because of our lack of teamwork.

In game 5, when the team was going for Baron, you (Galio) were the one to kill the Baron, which was almost stolen. How did you feel?

At the time, the opponent couldn’t use Smite, and we did have Smite ready. However, the Baron HP started to rapidly decrease starting from 2,000. I thought that ‘heaven helped’ after I succeeded in securing Baron. I was really pressured; my hands were trembling.

Can you share your resolution for the Worlds tournament?

Like Mata said, although the LCK lost against the LPL, I also think that KT shouldn’t be included. We have players that have experienced winning the title on a Chinese team as well. Our team’s style makes it really interesting when going against Chinese teams. It’s not easy to determine who’ll win before going against each other, but I do think that we’ll win. This time we’ll lift the Worlds trophy.

Can you give a ‘thank you’ to the KT fans who’ve rooted for the team so much?

Starting from my debut, I’ve been saying that I’d win the trophy, which might have not felt that trustworthy because I was a rookie. It did take a while and it was quite strenuous to get here; I’d like to thank my fans that are always supporting me. I will try my best to win Worlds as well. Thank you so much.