The Wasa Royals (0-3) will host the Seinäjoki Crocodiles (2-1) in this western Finland rivalry matchup as the Maple League hits the midseason mark.
These two fierce rivals meet every year to compete for the historic Botnia Bowl. Currently, the Crocodiles own the trophy after defeating the Royals 35-3 two weeks ago at home. They’ll look to keep the trophy for another year and complete the sweep over their rivals on the road tonight.
The Royals have a chance to turn their season around tonight by celebrating with the historic Botnia Bowl trophy. They must play better offensively to make that happen as they’ve struggled to reach the endzone consistently this year. Quarterback Brandon Gwinner has been able to find Tommy Kaczocha as these two make for a dangerous duo for this Wasa offense. Gwinner will rely on running backs Nico Barrow and Tom Suoste pick up some yards as the two combined for a solid 79 yards on the ground last week.
Seinäjoki Crocodiles @ Wasa Royals, July 16, 17:30 CET (5:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)
Defensively, the Royals hope to be ready for the Crocodiles league-leading running back Christian Powell. Linebacker Sam Dicky and former NFL defensive lineman Ray Lima hope to contain one of Finland’s most dangerous backs. The Royals defensive line will need to win their matchups in the trenches in order to contain a dangerous Seinajoki offense.
Former Colorado Buffalo (NCAA D1) running back Christian Powell gashed the Royals defense the last time they met running for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Powell is poised for another big game as fans anticipate the veteran back to see plenty of touches today. Powell is quickly approaching 50 career Maple League touchdowns as he is only two away from the milestone entering tonight’s game.
There is some bad news for the Crocs however as quarterback Zachary Whitehead’s injury requires surgery and he will be miss the remainder of the season. The Crocodiles management moved swiftly picking up and quarterback named Zach in former Prague Black Panthers signal caller, Zack Greenlee. The UTEP (NCAA D1) product just finished the season in the Austrian Football League throwing for 11 touchdowns and 875 yards in eight games. Fans are sure to see a steady diet of run plays as Seinäjoki looks to get their new quarterback more comfortable in his first start with the team.
The Crocodiles defense aims to dominate again as they shut the Royals down on June 28th, allowing only 118 yards in total offense. Linebackers Saiduo Jallow and Jaska Varinen match up well with the Royals duo of running backs. In the trenches, defensive lineman Fillip Zacok complements an athletic secondary as Nathaniel Robitaille and Jefferson Davis look to repeat the defensive performance they had against Wasa three weeks ago.
As the saying goes when it comes to rivalry games, “… you can throw out the record books”. The talented Crocodiles hope to squash their rivals again for the second time in less than a month. Meanwhile, the Royals will be determined to shock the Maple League, pull off the upset, and hoist the Botnia Bowl trophy with their fans watching tonight.
Watch the game live here. Seinäjoki Crocodiles @ Wasa Royals, July 16, 17:30 CET (5:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)
Wasa Royals Depth/Roster (click to enlarge)
Seinäjoki Crocodiles Depth/Roster (click to enlarge)
