Danube Dragons advance to Austrian Bowl with semifinal win over AFC Vienna Vikings

AFI | AFC Vienna Vikings | 07/13/2026

Photo: @alexanderforst74

The top-seeded Danube Dragons punched their ticket to the win2day Austrian Bowl XLI Saturday, defeating the fourth-seeded AFC Vienna Vikings 35-17 in front of 1,900 fans at SR Donaufeld in Vienna.

After a scoreless opening quarter dominated by defense, the Dragons took control with a series of big plays before holding off a fourth-quarter rally by the Vikings to secure their place in the championship game.

Dragons seize momentum

Neither offense could generate much early success as both defenses controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the opening quarter.

The Dragons finally broke through in the second period with a trick play that resulted in a touchdown by Daniel Pozarek. Samuel Imarhiagbe added another touchdown to stretch the lead to 14-0 before Tim Dachsberger put the Vikings on the board with a field goal just before halftime, trimming the deficit to 14-3.

The decisive sequence came early in the second half after a failed snap by the Vikings gave Danube outstanding field position. The Dragons capitalized with another trick play as Kevin Stanisi threw a touchdown pass to Uzay Nafile, extending the lead to 21-3.

Vikings battle back

The Vikings refused to go away in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Rudi-Lee Frey scored on the ground to cut the deficit to 21-10, but Walter Kuhlenkamp restored the Dragons’ three-score advantage with his first touchdown run of the afternoon.

Frey later connected with Jordan Kress for a touchdown pass to pull Vienna within 28-17, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope.

That hope was short-lived.

Dragons finish the job

After recovering the ensuing onside kick attempt, the Dragons put the game away when Kuhlenkamp scored his second rushing touchdown to restore the 18-point margin.

Marcel Stefanek converted all five extra points, while the Dragons combined a dominant defensive effort with timely trick plays to control the game.

The victory sends Danube into the Austrian Bowl, while the Vikings’ postseason run comes to an end one week after their Wild Card victory over the Vienna Knights.