Finland: East City Giants stun Kuopio Steelers with last-second comeback

The East City Giants (1-0) opened the Finnish Maple League season with a dramatic 35-30 victory over the Kuopio Steelers (0-1) in Myllypuro, Helsinki, scoring the winning touchdown with just seven seconds remaining in a thrilling season opener.

The game featured plenty of twists and turns as the Giants rallied from a second-half deficit to snatch victory from a Steelers team that refused to back down despite missing its American imports.

Fast start for Giants

The home side entered the game wearing the uniforms of the Finnish national team and wasted little time making an impact. Sebastian Lugora scored the first touchdown of the 2026 Maple League season, giving East City Giants an early boost.

The Steelers responded after pinning the Giants deep in their own territory. Daniel Rubinstein hauled in a touchdown reception to tie the game and spark the visitors. From there, Kuopio settled into the contest and gradually gained confidence on both sides of the ball.

Despite the Giants’ strong opening, the visitors carried a narrow 23-21 lead into halftime.

Steelers seize momentum

The momentum remained with Kuopio after the break.

Backup quarterback Johan Rabin turned in an impressive performance, completing passes at nearly 70 percent accuracy while keeping the Giants defense under pressure. Rubinstein finished with two touchdowns, while Nicolas Kuikka contributed five receptions for 67 yards.

The Steelers eventually stretched their lead to 10 points, putting themselves in position for a memorable road victory. Defensively, Lars Steffen led the effort with 7.5 tackles as Kuopio repeatedly came up with key stops.

Dramatic finish

Just when it appeared the game was slipping away from them, the Giants found another gear.

A turnover involving Austin Brock gave the Steelers possession with less than a minute remaining, and it looked as though the visitors would run out the clock. However, a play near the sideline stopped the clock with 48 seconds left, giving East City Giants one final opportunity.

Quarterback K’Hari Lane took full advantage. First, he connected with Oskari Suoniemi on a 41-yard pass to move the Giants deep into Kuopio territory. Moments later, Lane kept the ball himself and scored the game-winning touchdown with just seven seconds remaining.

Lane quickly established chemistry with Brock, Suoniemi, and Ronny Lindroos, while Miro Viksten and Kaspar Kallas led a balanced defensive effort as the East City Giants escaped with one of the most dramatic opening-night victories in recent Maple League history.