Former Winona State Warrior # 24 Andrew Spencer was almost unstoppable by the Dragons Defense in the Ground Game today, running for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Photo (c) Peter Kramberger

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Dacia Vienna Vikings at Danube Dragons

Vikings win heat battle versus the Dragons 27:21

 

In front of crowded stands in the stadium Donaufeld, the Dacia Vienna Vikings won the 19th time (!) n a row against their city rival, the Danube Dragons. Nearly 3,000 spectators attended the capital duel, which at the same time was the battle for the hotly contested second place in the AFL table, witnessing a hot game in hot temperatures of nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The Vikings won 27:21 and can now claim the coveted home field advantage in the playoffs on their own with a victory against the Steelsharks Traun next Sunday - including a game-free Wild Card Weekend!

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Dominant Vikings start determined the first half

 

The Dacia Vikings went lightning fast with two touchdowns in the lead. #24 Andrew Spencer, who was primarily used as a running back in the offense, and wide receiver #14 Yannick Mayr scored for the Vikings within the first two minutes. The second quarter was fiercely contested but ended without scores.

In the second half it was Wideout #6 Maurice Wappl and again #24 Andrew Spencer, who provided a comfortable 27 to 7 lead by the Dacia Vikings with their touchdowns. Thanks to a strong finish in the fourth quarter, the hosting team scored two more times, culminating in the 21:27 final score from the Danube Dragons 'perspective and continuing the Vikings' winning streak against the Dragons.

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Post-game statement by head coach Chris Calaycay

 

"It was a great, exciting and hot AFL game today. We started extremely strong, showed very good plays and never lost control over the game. But the Dragons fought and proved why this year they are dangerous at every stage of the game. Towards the end it was again close, but we played it smart and finally got the important victory here with a good run game. I'm proud of my team, and we're happy about the econd place in the AFL. This brings us a big step closer to an extra Bye Week on Wild Card Weekend."

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Vikings QB #8 Austin Herink, whose entire family of 7 had traveled from the USA and was following the game in Vienna today, had 15 completions in 19 attempts. The playmaker from East Tennessee State threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a marvelous rating of 144.1 (QBR NFL).

His most popular passing target today was WR # 6Maurice Wappl. The Vikings Wideout finished with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. #4 Bernhard Seikovits caught the ball three times for a total of 35 yards. Wide Receiver #14 Yannick Mayr closed the game with 2 cathces, 29 yards one TD.

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Andrew Spencer delivered a 215 yards rushing game

 

#24 Andrew Spencer was almost unstoppable by the Dragons Defense in the Ground Game today. The former Winona State Warrior ran 21 times for incredible 215 (!) Yards and had two touchdowns. With an average of 9.9 per carry and a 52-yard monster run as his longest run, Spencer was a key factor in the Dacia Vikings' offensive game today.

 

Vikings Defense dominated in the first three quarters

 

Until the fourth quarter, the Dacia Vikings Defense left the Dragons barely room to act. Defensive End #1 Leon Balogh sacked Chad Jeffries once and had another six solo tackles (2.0 / 4 TFL / yds). His D-Line colleague #91 Nikolaus Plenert managed the Forced Fumble in the Dragons' first-ever play, which then led to the second TD of the Vikings in the first minute of the game.

Vikings’ starting linebacker #42 Moriz Elmauthaler (4.5T, 0.5 / 1 TFL / Yds), #45 Ugo Uwakwe (3.5T, 1/4 TFL / Yds, 1 FF) and #49 Alexander Watholowitsch (3T, 1.0 / 6 TFL / yds, 1 sack) earned 10 tackles, many of them with room lost for the Dragon Offensive. In the Vikings’ defensive back #32 Luis Horvath (2.5T, 1 BrUp), #23 Benjamin Straight (3T, 2 BrUp) and #16 Maximilian Zangl (2.5T, 1 BrUp) had poised performances.

 

The final round of the regular season 2019 will take place next weekend. The Dacia Vikings will host the Steelsharks Traun on Sunday June 23rd at 3pm at stadium Hohe Warte. A home victory against the Upper Austrians would already be the semi-final ticket including Homefield Advantage in the AFL playoffs 2019. So be There & Bleed Purple!

Tickets for the game against the Steelsharks are available at www.wien-ticket.at.