AFL Round 7
Vikings at Rangers
Dacia Vikings make an appearance in Mödling
After the highly successful away game against the Prague Black Panthers, the Vikings won on Sunday 28 to 3 in week seven of the Austrian Football League. The Vikings have a quick turn around and play again this weekend on Saturday, May 25th at the SonicWall Rangers Mödling. Kickoff in Mödling is at 3:00pm, at least for the time being hoping the forecasts for perfect football weather stays true. Since it fits well that the Vikings as optical motto "white-out" have specified. The hosts in Mödling have only lost twice in the current season, one against the leaders from Tyrol and one against the Danube Dragons. Thus, the Rangers go into this duel with the same 4-2 record as the guests from Vienna.
As far as individual statistics are concerned, the Rangers have dangerous players in their ranks. Among the top three wide receivers in the league are Roman Namdar and the former Ljubiljana Siverhawk, Eugen Sumic. In the running game, they have national team player RB Florian Wegan, the second-best rusher of the AFL, who is fast and hard-to-stop in the ground game. As for the defense, nobody has had more tackles than Rangers # 2, Markus Bernas with 48.5 Total Tackles. In a change of play a few weeks ago, the SonicWall Rangers replaced their QB Raleigh Yeldell with Tyler Bruggmann. The Rangers won against the Steelsharks Traun and the Wienerwald Thunder before having their clear defeat in Innsbruck. The Rangers have a high scoring offense that can act against the strong defense of the Dacia Vikings. Currently, the Rangers move forward with an average of 39.2 points scored per game, making them one of the top scoring offenses in AFL Team Statistics.
“Our Passing Defense will be required!” (Vikings HC Chris Calaycay)
"For us, the matchup in Mödling is a very important game, with a win against the Rangers, we would conquer the second-place position, "said Dacia Vikings Head Coach. Chris Calaycay commented on the importance of the upcoming AFL encounter, "After the defeat from the Raiders, the Rangers will do everything they can in front of their home audience to prove the danger of their offense. Our defense must be on the alert every play, especially our passing defense. We are very focused on this away game and look forward to seeing many co-traveling Vikings fans.”
Featured Dacia Vikings Player Of The Week
Vikings Defensive Back # 24 Andrew Spencer mutated into an all-purpose weapon
After a stroke of luck for the Vikings Defense, the mid-season commitment of Defensive Back #24 Andrew Spencer proved to be a solid strength. The American from Chicago had another touchdown in only his second game for the Dacia Vikings last Sunday, as well as an impressive performance on all three sides of the ball. Besides four solo tackles on the defensive side of the ball, Andrew had a 78-yard touchdown in first offensive play for the Vikings as well as a punt return touchdown. The 24-year-old American from Winona State University showed speed and overview on the field when he was on the way to the end zones both times.
"I have been in Vienna for exactly three weeks now and have settled in quickly. In terms of the team, I feel very good, there is a strong team chemistry. The acclimatization phase is already completed. Every moment counts and every week we work towards steadily improving together,” says Andrew. Andrew summarized his first weeks at the Dacia Vikings and said he can be used as an "all-purpose weapon" which showed against the Black Panthers. "I want to do my part and deliver my best possible game for the team. And if we surprise our opponents a little bit, we will have a better advantage."
First offensive use of Spencer as a direct hit
After a grenade of a pass from roommate, quarterback Austin Herink, Andrew was able to get in the end-zone hit right at his first play as a receiver. The play had Vikings fans on their feet cheering and left the opponent scared. "That was the very first pass I ever threw at Andrew," commented Viking's QB #8 Herink the successful Vikings’ play. Spencer broke a tackle with his athleticism and dropped two Prague defenders when he scored the second touchdowns for the Vikings that day. "The game on Sunday in Prague was physically challenging, the Black Panthers fought to the end and demanded a lot from us. But already Monday morning we started our focus on the next opponent. Now it's Rangers Game Week,” said the former First Team All-American player.
On Saturday in Mödling, the Dacia Vikings defensive back and his unit will have to be ready against the passing game of the SonicWall Rangers who have the best statistics in the AFL regarding Passing Touchdowns (22) and Thrown Yards Per Game (312.2). So, it fits very well that the Vikings have the best pass defense in the league. The men in purple have only allowed six touchdowns from the air in six games so far. Excitement is inevitable when the best passing offense duals the best passing defense in the AFL.
​
Text: Kiki Klepsch, Aanna Roslien
Photos: Andreas Bischof