LIVESTREAM GERMANY: Kiel Baltic Hurricanes @ Braunschweig New Yorker Lions, August 22, 15:00 CET (3pm, 9am ET)
The Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (3-4) will host the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (2-6) in this exciting matchup of GFL North football.
The last time these two teams met was on July 3. The Hurricanes won that game in a thrilling back and forth affair 34-31. Fans can expect to see another nail-biter between these two talented squads today.
The Lions are coming off a heartbreaking loss in Dresden 24-19. The many new additions to their roster did show an improved performance taking the first-place Monarchs down to the wire. The Lions run game got a boost bringing in new polish offensive lineman Mateusz Samczuk and running back CJ Okpalobi jr. Okpalobi Jr combines with the athleticism of quarterback Jake Kennedy and starting tailback Exavier Edwards giving the Lions an exciting and physical running game that looks to impose their will on opponents. Braunschweig’s passing game however left something to be desired last week, as they failed to score quickly after digging themselves a whole late in the game. Lions fans can expect Kennedy to target Justus Holtz, Paul Bogdann, and new receiver Jordan Bouah today as they’ll look for a big play using play-action against a Kiel secondary that has struggled this season.
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes @ New Yorker Lions Braunschweig, August 22, 15:00 CET (3pm, 9am ET)
Defensively Lion’s secondary will have a tough task of facing a Hurricanes offense with a dynamic passing attack. Eric Jackson, Darrain Winston, and Marcel Gaal will need to communicate well in order to slow down the league’s top receiver in Weston Carr. The secondary will hope for a better pass rush to help them out as the Lions mustered only one sack last week.
Kiel’s offense is headlined by the aforementioned Weston Carr. The former Penn State (NCAA D1) receiver has torched opposing defending this year on his way to a dominant 1,185 yard and 15 touchdown season. Quarterback Joe Germinerio will no doubt be looking his way all game. Germinerio has other weapons in Benedict Engelmann and Tom Donovan but has a clear go-to receiver in Carr. When pressured the former Ithaca Bombers (NCAA D3) passer will look to tuck it and run to move the sticks against an athletic Lions defense. This is a dangerous offense that has shown it can challenge any defense in the GFL.
The Hurricanes defense has struggled this year giving up 41 points per game. On a positive note linebacker, Darin Hungerford leads the league in tackles making 12 stops a game. Gerrit Hoeppner will have to step up and make tackles against a physical Lions run game in order to help out Hungerford. Hoeppner’s range in the defensive backfield has allowed him to make the game-winning interception the last time these two teams played. Expect the veteran to be eager to make some similar plays today as Kiel has a chance to sweep the for the first time in many years.
The Lions still have a chance to win their division and secure the second seed in the playoffs. However, they’ll need to finish strong to do so as they do not want to end up fourth and have a long bus ride to Schwäbisch Hall. Expect the Lions to play well today as they view today’s matchup as a must-win. Across the field, Kiel has been playing great football lately. Despite their record, the Hurricanes have shown they can hang with the best in the GFL.
