Steelers quarterback Seth Peters completed 10 of 26 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown with Johannes Jauhiainen as his leading receiver with 106 yards in receptions and a touchdown. Running back Justin Bell rushed for 103 yards while also recording 6.5 tackles on defense. Tino Ndongo had a 15 yard reception for a touchdown.
For only the second time this season, the Roosters found themselves trailing early as Kuopio struck first. Peters engineered a 13 play, 65 yard drive, capping it with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Ndongo to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Although Helsinki responded on their first possession with Brandon Connette scoring from 12 yards out, they missed the two-point conversion and found themselves behind 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
Helsinki took the lead for good on the opening play of the second quarter however as Connette connected with younger brother Adam for a 14 yard touchdown pass. This time the two-point conversion attempt worked with the younger Connette scoring and the Roosters took a 14-7 lead.
Two possessions later, Connette again found his brother, this time on a 12 yard touchdown strike and the lead increased to 22-7.
The pesky Steelers would not go away though as two plays later, Peters hit a streaking Jauhiainen on a 65 yard touchdown bomb and Kuopio pulled closer, 22-14.
That was as close as they got.
The Roosters defense stiffened, keeping Peters and the Steelers offense bottled up while Connette found Linnainmaa for a 30 yard touchdown and Helsinki took a 30-14 lead into the break.
Early in the third quarter, Kuopio gave the Roosters good field position after gambling on a fourth down at their own 40. Helsinki made them pay as eight plays later, Connette connected with Pinta to increase the lead to 38-14.
Peters was picked off by Helsinki defensive back Curtis Slater to open the fourth quarter after a promising drive into Helsinki territory. The Steelers came no closer as Helsinki’s defense shut them down while the Roosters added another score on Linnainmaa’s touchdown.
With the win, the Roosters captured their 21st Finnish crown, more than any other team in Finland by a wide margin. The Porvoo Butchers are next with six Finnish titles and the Helsinki East City Giants follow with five.
