LIVESTREAM Finland: Porvoon Butchers @ Helsinki Wolverines, July 14th, 17:30 CET, (5:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)

The Helsinki Wolverines (4-2) make the short trip to Porvoo to take on another playoff contender in the Butchers (3-3) as Finland’s Maple League heads into the second half of the season.

Helsinki is coming off a razor-thin victory over the Seinäjoki Crocodiles, while Porvoo looks to bounce back after losing the Roosters last week. With the playoffs approaching, both teams need to stack up victories to secure their spot in the postseason. 

Porvoon Butchers @ Helsinki Wolverines, July 14th, 17:30 CET, (5:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)

Last week, the Wolverine’s offensive line struggled against a fierce Seinajoki pass rush. They’ll need to give veteran quarterback Jabari Harris time to go through his reads. Expect Harris to play well today as he faces off against his former team. The dual-threat passer led the Butchers for the previous two seasons. He’ll be looking to spread the ball out to another former Butcher in RJ Long, along with former CFL Global Draft pick Sebastian Sagne, Belgian pass catcher Martin Emos, Finnish talent Matias Tuominen, and running back William Young.

Defensively, head coach Michael Mattingly will be keyed in on stopping the Crocodiles‘ run game featuring Seth Rowland and Brandon Gwinner. Defensive backs Eric Irvin, Curtis Slater, and Colby Burton (Hawaii NCAA DI) match up well with the Butchers receivers. In the trenches, the Wolverines defensive line features James Perrineau, Ville Valasti, Benjamin Egbudiwe, and Jonis Heikkinen, all should be able to make some plays today against the Butchers offensive line. 

The Porvoo Butchers (3-3) come into this week looking to pull off an upset. Quarterback Brandon Gwinner has been playing well. The dual-threat passer has been able to move the ball well down the field finding receiver Mikko Seppanen often. If Gwinner has time in the pocket today, he may be able to keep the Butchers in the game against an experienced Wolverines team. 

The Butchers also added running back Seth Rowland this week. Rowland is an experienced running back from division one Tennessee State. Rowland was an accomplished special teamer and contributed over one thousand all purpose yards in his NCAA career. Last week Rowland ran for 33 yards on 12 carries in his Maple League debut. 

Defensively, veteran Timi Nuikka, Anthony Figueroa, and the rest of the Butchers will have their hands full against a talented Helsinki offense. If the Butcher’s defensive line can create some havoc, they could pull off the upset and help their playoff positioning.

LIVESTREAM Finland: Porvoon Butchers @ Helsinki Wolverines, July 14th, 17:30 CET, (5:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)