Kiel Baltic Hurricanes stage come-from-behind win over Marburg, advance to German semifinals

For the second year in a row and third time since 2013, the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes have advanced to the German semifinals, after they came from behind to down the stubborn Marburg Mercenaries 28-14 at Kilia Stadion in Kiel.

Behind a rushing attack led by Chris McClendon who rushed for 122 yards and one touchdown, and Xavier Mitchell who carried the ball 10 times for 104 yards and another touchdown, Kiel was able to overcome a 14-7 halftime deficit. Quarterback Jared Stegman threw for a mere 34 yards on six of 10 passing, including a touchdown to Chris McClendon. Xazier Murry scored on an 80 yard fumble recovery.

Marburg quarterback Chad Jeffries completed 22 of 38 passes for 288 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one to Phil Lanieri and the other to Schumacher. Andrecus Lindley caught 10 passes for 127 yards.

Kiel opened the scoring after Xazier Murry recovered a Lindley fumble on the Hurricanes 21 yard line and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. Marburg responded with Jeffries connecting with Schumacher to tie the score at 7-7.

With Stegman and the Hurricanes offense unable to get untracked, Marburg struck again, as Jeffries capped a nine play, 75 yard drive with a 34 yard touchdown strike to Lanieri and Marburg took the lead, 14-7 at halftime.

On the opening play of the second half, Mitchell evened the score at 14-14, after finding a seam and racing 57 yards for a touchdown.

Then, with the Kiel defense stepping up, McClendon & co. went to work pounding the ball and owning the clock. McClendon finished off a 90 yard, seven minute drive with a 30 yard touchdown and the Hurricanes regained the lead, 21-14.

Then another costly fumble by Lindley on the kickoff return gave the ball back to Kiel on Marburg’s 20 yard line and Stegman wasted no time finishing the short drive with a six yard pass to McClendon giving Kiel a 28-14 lead early in the fourth.

Jeffries then marched the Mercenaries all the way down to Kiel’s six yard line but came away empty handed and the Hurricanes ran out the clock to win the game.

Kiel moves on to face the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in one semifinal this weekend while the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions take on the Frankfurt Universe in the other.