Calanda Broncos Week

My apologies for missing last week's post. We had a bye week and I did some traveling around, and in the hustle and bustle of seeing different parts of Europe that I had not been to yet, I forgot to write. Last Sunday (May 15th), we played a home game against the Basel Gladiators, a team we played in Week 2 and defeated 34-18 at that time. We focused our team during practice before the game, and it showed on the field, as we came away with a 58-0 victory (leading 44-0 at halftime). Their team had some injuries, as did ours, but we were simply the better team that day. We ran only 18 offensive plays for the whole game, and only 1 in the second half! We scored 7 offensive touchdowns, and one on defense to account for the scoring. It was like nothing I had ever seen as we were clicking on all cylinders.

This past week we had a bye, and Mike and I did some traveling with one of our Finnish teammates, Arto. It was great to bounce around and see some parts of Europe that we had not yet explored. Sorry I'm not giving more details, but I'm a little bit rushed before I head off to practice tonight.

This weekend we play the 5th ranked team in Europe, the Calanda Broncos. With several high-profile import players and lots of good domestic players, they will be a tough task. A couple of weeks ago we played them to a 37-36 loss in the last two minutes of the game. I'm sure this game will be a tough one also, but we are looking forward to the challenge.

After the Broncos game, I will be returning to the States for a 5 day mini-vacation. One of Mike and I's best friends is getting married, and we are heading back for the wedding as we will have another bye week. This is something that we are both sincerely looking forward to, as it will be nice to head back to America for a few days and recharge the batteries a little bit.

Thank you everyone for reading, and I'll be back early next week with a report on how the game versus the Calanda Broncos went.

Go Blue Devils/Boys!
Mitch Niekamp

So, it's been quite a long time since my last post, and I do apologize for the long wait. My family has been here for the last two weeks and just left for home on Monday. Their time here kept me busy and I did not have time to tend to my blog. So please accept my sincerest apologies for the delay in blog posts, but I should be able to keep up a steady update schedule from now until the end of the season in mid-late July.

A quick update on our games since I last posted. We played the Calanda Broncos at home on May 1. We lost the game 37-36 in the last two minutes of the game, having had the lead nearly the entire way. This was against a team that had not lost in its last 26 contests, and would have been quite an upset in the mind of the European football world. Alas, 250 penalty yards and too many mistakes made it not to be, as we could not pull out a victory against a team that was then ranked 8th in all of Europe.

The next week we played the Basel Gladiators and suffered another defeat, 41-17. Another 200 penalty yards and several red zone turnovers doomed us in our quest to sweep the season series from the team that we defeated in week 1. The Gladiators had sent their QB home at some point between when we played them in week one and last weekend. They have totally changed their offensive schemes and are a much more explosive team.

Last weekend, we had a game scheduled against the Zurich Renegades at home. Due to a large rainstorm, our game was cancelled and has yet to be rescheduled. With our team sharing our home field with the Hohenems Soccer Club, rain meant that playing would tear up the field for the soccer team, meaning our game would be cancelled. Imagine the status of football vs. soccer in the US, and totally switch them around here in Europe. Soccer rules all, and anything that could possibly get in the way of anything soccer gets the axe. Hence, we are not to play a game in the rain on the soccer field.

Before I go, I do want to share some pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle. My family and I visited this castle that is merely 1 1/2 hours drive from my home in Austria. It is one of the most famous castles in all of Europe, getting 6,000 visitors per day in the summer time. This castle is the same one that the castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL was modeled after.

View of Neuschwanstein Castle from a bride above a ravine behind the castle. 

Front view of the Neuschwanstein Castle

View out the back side of the Neuschwanstein Castle

It was great to see my family in the last couple of weeks, and they did a great job of keeping me busy. I had not seen them since mid-January, and it was great to be able spend time with them once again.

This Sunday we have another home game against the Basel MeanMachine. Another big game in the Swiss top league. We will look to hold on to our second place spot in the league and keep position for a home game in the playoffs. Please check in next week for updates on the game, and I promise to try and keep a more up-to-date account of my time here for the rest of my journey in Austria.

Go Blue Devils/Boys!
Mitch Niekamp

Calanda Broncos:37 - Cineplexx Blue Devils:36

Mike making a guy miss on the sideline.

In the best fought game that I have been a part of since coming to Europe in January, we lost a tough battle by one point Sunday afternoon as the Calanda Broncos from Chur, Switzerland (undefeated in the last 25 games and the #8 ranked team in Europe) defeated us on our home field in Hohenems, Austria. The Broncos took the lead 9-0 early in the game, before we would come back off of two straight TD drives to take a 15-9 lead. With the game tied at 15 with 5 seconds left on the first half clock, we scored as time expired on a 9 yard run to go into half time with a 22-15 advantage.

Midway through the third quarter, we would gain a 29-15 advantage with another scoring drive, an advantage that wouldn't last for long. After the Broncos scored once to make it a 29-22 game, they got the ball again on their own 25 yard line. Our defense forced and recovered a fumble on first down that would have given us fantastic field position and a chance to go up by two scores in the fourth quarter. However, an offsides penalty negated the turnover, and they Broncos threw a 75 yard TD on the next play. The subsequent 2 point conversion gave them a one point lead with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Gustav, our very good Swedish DE, going in for the kill.

We would drive yet again and score to go up by a score of 36-30 with about five minutes left. This turned out to be too much time to give a team that has not lost in over a year and a half, as they would drive down to score and go up by one point with 2 minutes remaining. Our chance at a last second TD was thwarted on a 3rd down INT, and they would simply kneel down from there. A great game with a bad ending for our team. A team of their caliber and reputation finds a way to win close games down the stretch, and now that is something we must learn to do as we strive to find a way to win a Swiss championship. Below you can find the offensive stats from the game on Sunday.

On a brighter note, my dad and brother flew into Zurich on Saturday morning, and spent the weekend with me. They were able to catch the game, and it was absolutely fantastic to see them. I have been away from home since January 18, and it was great to finally see family face-to-face rather than simply on a computer screen. They left to go visit Germany on Monday morning, and my brother will fly back home on Thursday. My dad will be staying another week though, and will catch two more of our games. Definitely excited about that.

Next Sunday we travel to Basel to face the Gladiators, the same team we faced and defeated in Week 1 of the season. This is an important game, as this past Sunday marked our first loss in Swiss play. We need to improve upon our performance and play another solid game in an attempt to go 4-1 in league play this season. It should be an interesting match up, and I am excited to start tonight on another week of preparation.

Hope all is well back in the States, and check back next week for an update on our Basel game.

Go Blue Devils/Boys!
Mitch Niekamp