The Stockholm Mean Machines are looking to remain unbeaten in Sweden’s Superserien when they welcome the Örebro Black Knights to Zinkensdamms IP in Stockholm, Saturday, June 11.
The Mean Machines have opened the Superserien season impressively with four straight victories. They downed the Black Knights 26-23 and then used a dominant second half to beat the Tyresö Royal Crowns 34-20. They went on to defeat the Carlstad Crusaders twice, 37-35 and 41-26.
The Black Knights had a rough start to the season, first losing that heartbreaker to the Mean Machines 26-23 at home at Behrn Arena before losing to Tyresö 35-16. They rebounded with a 22-19 win over Carlstad after trailing 19-0 at the half. Then they got their revenge on the Royal Crowns beating them 26-20. Örebro has also played two CEFL games, trouncing the Copenhagen Towers 56-25 after trailing 20-0, and then getting trounced themselves by Germany’s Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 58-7.
Stockholm quarterback Mark Pappas presides over a potent offense which includes deadly receiver Matt Retzlaff and exciting running back Oliwer Stedt who scored two fourth quarter touchdowns in the win over Tyresö. Pappas has thrown for 1,042 yards and 13 touchdowns in the four games with Retzlaff catching 27 passes for 502 yards of those and six of the 13 scores. Johan Hallgren and Anton Blomgren also give Pappas dangerous targets. Stedt leads the league in rushing with 91 carries for 481 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Mean Machines defense is paced by linebacker Adam Westin who is the third leading tackler in Sweden with 25 tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks.
For the Black Knights, quarterback Trevor Vasey is the key. The 6’7″ signal caller has thrown for 850 yards and nine touchdowns in the four games in Sweden. Running back Tim Göransson has rushed for 165 yards while Vasey has chipped in 92 and two scores. Another weapon for Vasey is wide receiver Johannes Lindeus, his “go to” target. Lindeus has 13 receptions for 362 yards receiving and three touchdowns in Swedish play. Younger brother Jesper Lindeus is also dangerous both as a receiver and returner and has 19 catches for 171 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, the front seven is anchored by linebackers Jonathan Armendariz (16 tackles) and Filip Jönsson while defensive linemen Martin Jäppinen and 6’3″, 307-pound Tristen Cox (16 tackles, 4 sacks), along with Team Sweden’s Sebastian Nilsson, make for an impressive unit.
This is a game that Örebro needs to win to have a chance at first place. Should the Black Knights win today by more than three points and again in the final game against Carlstad while Stockholm loses this game and their final game against Tyresö, Örebro would finish first. The problem is that Stockholm has not lost two games in a row since the 2018 season.