Hungary: Miskolc Steelers earn shutout win over Nyíregyháza Tigers

The Miskolc Steelers defeated the Nyíregyháza Tigers at home 35-0 in Miskolc, Hungary in the Hungarian Football League (HFL).

The game had been postponed from an earlier date.

Miskolc Steelers (5-1) 35 – Nyíregyháza Tigers (4-2) 0 (7-0, 14-0, 7-0, 7-0)

The Steelers entered the game knowing they still had a chance to become number one seed in the HFL regular season,. However, the Nyíregyháza Tigers were also aiming for a top playoff berth

Miskolc scored on their first drive. The running back tandem of Andre Whyte and Pawel Lesiv kept the ball moving, with Whyte scoring the first touchdown. The Tigers offense struggled throughout the first half and could not score. In the second quarter, the Steelers got two more TDs, one on a touchdown reception by Maurcio Uribe and another on a run by Whyte.

In the second half, the Tigers worked well on defense. Sergey Ovcharenko grabbed an interception, but the visitors were still not able to score. The home team’s special teams took advantage of a bad punt as Deante Battle tackled the punter Ádám Suller after he fumbled the ball,  and Yevhen Rakhimov jumped on the loose ball in the end zone. Miskolc scored the game’s final touchdown in the last period with Máté Jónás’ pick-six and extra point: 35-0.

With the win, the Steelers are tied with the Budapest Wolves and the Budapest Cowbells for first place with one regular season game remaining. The teams have all beaten each other with the Wolves having beaten the Cowbells but lost to the Steelers. This weekend’s games will decide the playoff berths.

The Wolves take on the 2-4 Györ Sharks on June 16. Meanwhile on June 17, the Steelers will play the winless Dunaujvaros Gorillaz and the Cowbells will face the 4-2 Nyiregyhaza Tigers.