“Masthugget Marauders were badly mauled after the Albion Regional Challenge, but fortune favored them and they found the equally banged up norse team Northwind Raiders.

Both teams hoped for a soft match, but the beginning of the match was a bloody one. The Marauders, filled with anger and frustration from their lost final, threw themselves at the norsemen with a fury. Several were knocked out and Ivar would have been killed if not for the apothecary. In turn the skilled norse tacklers smashed the promising catcher "Rush", forcing the Marauders to use their apo as well.

Match wise it was a back and forth match, with neither side making many mistakes. The revitalized "Rush" ran in a TD in T4, while the opponents responded with a quick offensive rush to tie in T6. Fortunately the speed of Stevie Blitz eluded Lomion and the Marauders could run in a TD in the final turn of the first half.

In the second half the Marauders could only muster 10 players against the norsemen. With a KO'd lineman, some rounds of bad coaching from me, and the always disappointing "Dunk" losing the ogre skirmish in the middle the Raiders had little problems running in a TD in T4.

The summer heat put pressure on the players and one in each camp was completly exhausted. In the following kickoff the Marauders could field only 8 players against the 10 remaining norsemen. Despite the Raiders being loaded with skilled tacklers the lack of the ogre made it clear that the only choice was to break through for a quick 2 turn TD. But to the Marauders horror the Raiders set up a perfect defense.

With much struggle the catchers made it through the reinforced LOS, but they were quickly crowded and the desperate long bomb from "Sniper" went over their hands, landing outside the Raiders end zone line. This gave the norsemen a shot for a quick offensive rush, but their incredibly agile ball carrier Morgt was blitzed before he could pass the ball. To everyones amusement the ball landed in the hands of the Raiders ogre. He was so confuzed about having the ball that he didn't keep his eyes on the pitch and a couple of seconds later he had been tackled to the ground.

The Marauder catchers surrounded the ball, hoping to keep it on the ground for the reminder of the match. A blitz on one of the catchers scattered the ball, but fortunately it ended up in the hands of "Rush", who could safeguard it until the ref sounded the end time whistle.

Thanks for a really fun match, Lomion :)
I thought it would be a blood bath considering the start, but we both walked away unharmed and a tie was a result I think we can both be pleased with. Hope we can have that rematch some day!”