Berlin Thunder is led by one of the biggest defensive standouts the ELF has brought up in the first years: Kyle Kitchens. With 15 sacks, he is hoping to make history with the Thunder on Saturday against Frankfurt Galaxy. He seems more optimistic than ever. "The mindset is win or go home, no matter what!", he says and adds: "As a leader, my teammates hold me accountable from practice to game and I hold them accountable from practice to game. We are preparing for war, every time we go step into a game. I expect them to win every battle, and they expect me to win every battle. When they see me, I see them, it’s go time. That’s what keeps us motivated."

"We will never get this time back"

In the last two years, the Thunder failed to make the playoffs despite Kitchens getting the Defensive Player of the Year trophy back-to-back. "Winning Defensive Player of the Year, that’s an individual goal. I’m proud of it, but I want the Championship. Because with a championship, it shows the brotherhood, we made as a team throughout the season. We are setting our standards high to keep on making history. Enjoying the journey with each other because we will never get this time back!" The Thunder play the Galaxy on Saturday, September 9, 3.15 PM (CEST).