This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　Despite the top 3 teams being set, the battle in the North American LCS continues to be a thriller. During week 9, Dignitas and Curse barely managed to set themselves apart from the bottom three. On the bottom, the battle for survival between the teams, some people viewed as potential winners just a couple of months prior, has almost sealed their fate in the Spring split.

　　A vital win against Dignitas ensured 4th place for Curse.

Team SoloMid versus XDG.GG - TSM win at 32:14 - Overall match value 3 on 5

Best play: Bjergsen on Zed, need I say more? The game itself was full of exemplary Zed highlights, all tailored to your taste. From a calculated first blood at 9:21, to an absolute AD Carry erase at 31:36, the Dane can do it all! While there is no definitive best Zed moment, one thing is for certain, if you do decide to leave him open for Bjergsen, make sure you have an incredibly solid contingency plan.

　　MVP: Although I was tempted to give it again to the Dane, TheOddOne's Evelynn was all over the map, putting pressure on key spots. A gank of his secured First Blood for the bot lane and despite the heavy lifting done by the ninja, TheOddOne sealed XDG's fate in this match as he was always in the right place, at the right time.

　　

Curse versus Dignitas - Curse win at 47:39 - Overall match value 3 on 5

A last second save by Voyboy.Best play: A good gank turned sour for Dignitas as at 19:16, Dominate came to help Quas in a dire moment. Despite a couple of missteps, Crubzz and Cruzer were sure that Aatrox would fall were it not for a miraculous Wild Growth from Voyboy who came just in time to save his partner in crime. Two kills for Curse and a nail-biting play, this set them up for a dominating late game.

　　MVP: With that play in mind, MVP definitely goes to Diego 'Quas' Ruiz. With his trusty Aatrox, he took early control of top lane and never let go. Seemingly always on the watch, Diego did not let Crumbzz's ganks throw him off balance and reached the late-game point where Aatrox is an unstoppable force, capable of dismantling your back line.

　　

Team Coast versus Cloud9 - Cloud9 win at 27:12 - Overall match value 3,5 on 5

Best play: As we were getting later and later into the game, Cloud9 gained one advantage after another. At 24:25 to showcase how far ahead they were, Balls actually tried to charge on 4 enemy champions at once. What happened next? They ran away. Unfortunately, Hai's beastly Kassadin was right behind them, giving the green light for an absolute devastation of Coast on mid.

　　MVP: Undoubtedly, Hai 'Hai' Lam was the dynamo behind their decisive win. Rocking a teleport/flash Kassadin, the Cloud9 mid laner was a true terror in the eyes of his opponents, constantly turning the tides on top and bot lane. Boasting in a 100% kill participation up until the end of mid game, Hai showcased how strong of a pick Kassadin actually is if played properly.

　　Bonus category! Most entertaining play: After an engagement turned sour for Coast, Shiphtur was being chased by both Meteos and Balls. The chase was quite entertaining as it went on from bottom golems, through upper blue and ended at the enemy base! It also included excellent usage of the "rubber ducky", a poor jump from Meteos and a clever teleport from Ziggs. Unfortunately, Shiphtur didn't make it.

　　

Evil Geniuses versus CounterLogic Gaming - CLG win at 32:47 - Overall match value 3,5 on 5

Best play: At 10:20, a sneaky ambush attempt by Dexter turned upside down as RobertxLee's reactions were spot on. The AD Carry immediately threw a 90.cal net and showcased a smart usage of the Yordle Snap Trap by putting one right behind him. As Dexter was following he got caught not only by the trap, but also by a clutch Dark Binding from Ken, allowing Lee to finish off with a Piltover Peacemaker. A sight of relief for AD Carries everywhere.

　　MVP: The growth of Aphromoo as a support player is undeniable. Early game he provided all the crowd control needed to spearhead his team into the lead. Once mid-game hit, Aphro was still there setting his team up with hook after hook. The thresh terror was present even at the end of the game where every positioning mistake was punished.

　　

Team SoloMid versus Dignitas - TSM win at 23:50 - Overall match value 2 on 5

A four man ultimate? No problem.Best play: After a quiet beginning from both teams, action broke out at 12:29. Xpecial's Leona hit a 4 man ultimate near dragon pit, ensuring a clean ace for Team SoloMid. The ultimates never stopped finding their targets until the end of the game which helped Bjergsen claim the number one kill ratio in North America and won Xpecial the MVP of week 9 award.

　　MVP: After those amazing Leona ultimates, it would be a crime not to give the MVP award to Xpecial. An impeccable performance left Dignitas no chance to make plays as the end game score was a disastrous 22-1 in favour of TSM. Although this can be attributed partly due to Dig's strange picks (Quinn on AD Carry for QTpie and Kayle jungle from Crumbzz), this does not make Xpecial's ability to lock the enemy down any less impressive.

　　

Team Coast versus CLG - CLG win at 44:52 - Overall match value 4,5 on 5

Best play: Once again, Shiphtur is in the spotlight. Despite CLG being in the lead for most of the game, they did leave some windows for a comeback from Coast. Shiphtur's Ziggs managed to sneak a couple of kills every chance he got and once the 36th minute hit, he showed CLG how strong actually he had become. After a failed engage, Coast were on the retreat, but an offensive flash by Dexter saw Doublelift take a Double Kill and Nien's Shyvana ulti in the middle of everyone. What did Shiphtur do? He flashed right in Dexter's face, dispatched him in a matter of seconds, dealt with Doublelift in two bombs time and quickly took two more kills for a spectacular quadra.

　　MVP: Although the MVP award usually goes to a member of the winning team, we cannot turn a blind eye to the Herculean effort from Shiphtur this game. Throughout the split he has shown an impeccable game and has left us breathless not once or twice. Unfortunately, his spectacular Ziggs was not enough for Coast to win the game, however, it did make it the most memorable and entertaining match of the week.

　　

XDG.GG versus Curse - XDG win at 52:01 - Overall match value 2,5 on 5

Best play: A slow start to Dominate's jungle campaign saw Xsmithie picking up first blood and setting more opportunities for his teammates. Dominic's redemption? A clutch Baron steal at 27:30! Dominate's Kha'Zix patiently waited as XDG were weakening the beast, jumped in and landed a decisive smite to give his team an invaluable buff. Although he died in the process, Curse took three kills and equalised the game.

　　MVP: Benny from XDG takes home the MVP title for this match. His Shyvana was the tank his team desperately needed against Curse's diving potential with picks such as Kha'Zix, Renekton and Leona. His KDA of 1-3-13 further illustrates his supportive role in this game.

　　

Evil Geniuses versus Cloud9 - Cloud9 win at 28:37 - Overall match value 3 on 5

Best play: At 26:50 Hai was ambushed by RobertxLee and Pobelter while split-pushing bot lane. He quickly used Zed's Death Mark on Pobelter to try and burst him down, but a quick reaction by the latter ensured his Intervention would save him. Hai did not give-up though. He quickly used two of his shadows and engaged Robert's Sivir. In an attempt to help, Pobelter came close, which was what Hai expected. A quick flash and a couple of auto-attacks later, Zed and Kayle both fell. Meanwhile, Hai's team took Baron and solidified their lead.

　　MVP: Sneaky was this match's MVP. Absolutely dominating the EG bot lane and never making a mistake in the mid to late game, Zach's Lucian was the final nail in the coffin of Cloud9's opponents. Finishing with a KDA of 6-1-5 and a CS score of 275 at the 28 minute mark, Sneaky is getting the credit he deserves.

　　Champion of the week: Thresh

　　Due to Mancloud's win and Shipthur's spectacular performance on Ziggs, I was debating whether or not to put the bomb-loving Yordle as champion of the week. However, after seeing what BunnyFuFu and Aphromoo did on Thresh, champion of the week definitely goes to the soul keeper. The impact he had on the majority of games this week is undeniable. His rich CC kit, combined with a natural affinity for tankiness, makes Thresh the best support pick out there and a pain in the behind if left in capable hands.

　　Bjergsen is our player of the week.Top of the week: TSM.Dyrus (KDA Ratio: 18)

　　The pillar in top lane for TSM, Dyrus did not share the limelight as Bjergsen and Xpecial's plays simply took all the credit. This does not mean that good old Marcus did bad. An ever-present threat in the lines of TSM, Dyrus continues to perform and actually is in the top 3 KDA Ratio holders in the Spring Split. Impressive.

　　Jungler of the week: CLG.Dexter (KDA Ratio: 7.2)

　　The German ace was instrumental in both CLG victories this week. Marcel showcased his impressive Evelynn play against EG and paired with Aphromoo's hooks, left no chance for the opposition. Despite the small misstep with RobertxLee on bot, the jungler has had a very fruitful week 9.

　　Mid of the week: TSM.Bjergsen (KDA Ratio 14.5)

　　Bjergsen was a monster this week. He completely outplayed mancloud on mid during TSM's game versus XDG and afterwards went on to terrorize both bot and top. And if that was not enough, the Dane had plans for Dignitas, too. Quickly locking Lulu, he devastated the entire enemy line-up, racking up kills left and right to finish with an impressive 12-0-8 scoreline. This week's performance helped the Dane reclaim the top spot in the most kills category in the NA LCS. A player of the week feat for sure!

　　Bot lane of the week: C9.Sneaky & C9.LemonNation (KDA Ratio: 28 and 14,5)

　　Zach and Daerek had an amazing week 9. With two wins under their belts, Cloud 9's top 2 campaign is still on the right track. The duo stepped it up this week as Sneaky was racking kill after kill, while his partner in crime was creating opportunities in the blink of an eye. Following two crushing wins against Coast and EG, Sneaky and Lemon have defended their status as one of the best duo lanes in North America.

　　Standings post week 9.

Summary of the week:

Week 9 is now in the past. After 8 exciting matches, the standings have more or less told us the story of the Spring split. With the top 2 set in stone, everyone now eagerly awaits week 10 and Super week 11 which can bring many surprises.

　　On the other hand, we have had a week rich in plays! From Bjergsen's out of this world performances on Zed, Aprhomoo's homing hooks, Sneaky's Lucian play and Shphtur's Ziggs mastery to baron steals, perfectly coordinated ganks on bot lane and even a humorous chase betwen Balls and Shiphtur, we saw it all. A must watch is definitely Team Coast versus CLG which could safely be renamed to "The Shiphtur show".

　　The aftermath was a bit harsh on some of the teams. Dignitas recently announced that Scarra would no longer be the starter for the team as he will move to a coach/management position. In addition, Team Coast's energy is seemingly drained as all their efforts were in vain this week. Shiphtur's incredible play even prompted colleagues Doublelift and Dexter to question the quality of his teammates.

　　All hope is not lost, as week 10 is just around the corner! Expect a preview soon here at onGamers and in the meantime, why not share with us what was your favourite moment from week 9 in the comment section below?

　　Images courtesy of lolesports.com