The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes put on a defensive clinic Saturday in a rain-drenched Frankfurter Volksbank Stadium in Frankfurt, to down the Frankfurt Universe 10-3 in front of 3,812 spectators and advance to the German semifinals.
The win atoned for a quarterfinal exit last season for the Hurricanes and put an end to a fairytale first season in Germany’s top league for the Universe.
It was a game of two key interceptions.
Kiel defensive back Brandon LeBeau picked off a Marcus McDade pass early in the first quarter and returned it 40 yards for the touchdown and what turned out to be the winning score.
Kiel QB Logan Schrader on the run
Then Christoph Stamm sealed the win intercepting McDade again on Frankfurt’s final offensive series.
In between, Kiel’s Florian Dannehl added a field goal in the second quarter to account for Kiel’s scoring. Then, Frankfurt kicker Ricardo Rodrigues kicked a 38 yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the only points for the Universe.
Hurricanes head coach Marcus Herford was happy:
“We knew it would be a competitive match. The weather conditions were difficult and our defense played outstanding and today carried the load for the team.”
This coming weekend the Hurricanes will head to Braunschweig to face the New Yorker Lions who defeated the Allgäu Comets 30-6. In other quarterfinal action, the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns beat the Berlin Rebels 24-14, and the Dresden Monarchs downed the Saarland Hurricanes 43-7.