Credit to Hamburg - Tight win for Nordic Storm
Cara Iden
© Cecilie MathuesThe final game of the matchday between Nordic Storm and the Hamburg Sea Devils was a close battle for the most part. In the end, the favorites edged out a narrow win.
Nordic Storm (6-0) at Hamburg Sea Devils (2-6): 27-21
The undefeated visitors, Nordic Storm, started the game with confidence, playing freely, joking around on the sideline with each other and with the TV cameras, and quickly took a 14–0 lead. As the second quarter progressed, the Sea Devils were able to improve their performance and scored a touchdown through homegrown running back Lucas Harting Candido. On that play, he was injured so badly that he couldn’t continue playing and left the stadium on crutches by halftime. Shortly before the break, the home team had another chance to narrow the gap further with a field goal, but punter Jakob Stork clearly missed the goalposts.
The halftime stats reflected the nature of the game: Nordic Storm's offense gained 191 yards, while the Hamburg Sea Devils’ offense totaled 190 yards. Hamburg's quarterback Micah Leon distributed the ball evenly to his running backs and wide receivers, while Nordic Storm’s quarterback Jadrian Clark focused primarily on the passing game, as he still had to work without his star running back Glen Toonga. The previous season’s MVP suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during the Week 1 game against the Mercenaries.
WATCH THE NORDIC STORM AT SEA DEVILS HIGHLIGHTS HERE!
Even after halftime, Nordic Storm didn’t look as dominant as they had in the early weeks of the season. The game turned into a defensive battle, with neither team managing to score in the third quarter. As a result, it remained a one-score game going into the final quarter. Both teams scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. When Nordic wide receiver Brendan Beaulieu – who scored twice in the game – secured the Sea Devils’ kickoff with one minute left on the clock, the game was effectively over.
In the end, Nordic Storm secured a narrow victory after a highly emotional final phase, remaining the only undefeated team this season. Credit must go to Hamburg, as they made life extremely difficult for quarterback Jadrian Clark and his teammates.