Tension like never before

MedUni Serpants shake up the ACSL power structure

Again and again, the Serpents danced out the WU defense.

(Bild: C.Molitor)

In summer temperatures at the Football Center on Ravelinstrasse in Vienna, the MedUni Serpents came within a whisker of a sensation against the WU Tigers. The UniWien Emperors showed no weakness in the actual top match against the TU Robots and underlined their position as favorites for the title.

After the first ACSL Football Gameday in Vienna in 2024 was still characterized by rainy April weather, it was summer, sun, football again last Saturday - and of course a sold-out house and excellent atmosphere. As usual, the students of the Medical University of Vienna played a key role in this - even though their team was the clear underdog going into the match against the team from the University of Economics and Business. However, the Serpents showed from the very first minute that they were a force to be reckoned with on the day. Wide receiver Simon Knoll in particular gave the Tigers' defense a headache right from the start and made one of the most memorable plays in ACSL history with a one-handed catch despite flawless coverage, which even Knoll himself could not quite comprehend after the game: "I saw that the ball was a little underthrown, I didn't believe it myself anymore, but I just went for it and suddenly it was picked in my hand". Thanks in part to this catch, the Serpents took an early 7:0 lead.

Tension until the last second
The medical students were not to relinquish this lead until deep into the fourth quarter. With less than two minutes to play, they led 17:13 and were on the verge of upsetting the established ACSL power structure for the first time since 2019. That was the last time they had managed to defeat a team from the "Big Three", consisting of UniWien, WU and TU. The only thing that could save WU from that inglorious defeat was a touchdown in the final few plays - and they scored it in the person of running back Moritz Jadin after a short pass from quarterback Clemens Kerschbaum.

"Incredibly important - even if it's tough"
With 92 seconds left on the clock, quarterback Max Marka tried to carry his Serpents across the field one last time and still reap the rewards of their work. At one point, Marka even found his favorite target Knoll with a deep pass, but he was unable to repeat his brilliant feat and dropped the ball. The Tigers thus pulled their heads out of the noose and were still able to celebrate their third win (with one defeat) of the current season. For Head Coach Raphael Dachs, it was a victory with great significance: "A game like today is incredibly important on the journey to the title. Even if it's tough - if you want to win a championship, you have to show resilience and you only practice that when you're in difficult situations."

In the end, the WU Tigers were jubilant.

(Bild: C.Molitor)

The Tigers visit the JKU Astros in Linz on Friday and hope to have learned from their mistakes against the clear underdogs. The Serpents have a record of one win and two defeats and will get their next chance to reshuffle the division against the TU Robots on Whit Monday in Stadlau.

TU clearly inferior against Emperors
The conditions for the MedUni team are probably better than ever before. The Robots, who were actually considered title contenders, got into the game far too late against the ACSL champions of the past two years from UniWien, were never able to generate even a hint of excitement and ultimately lost by a clear 13:27. Nevertheless, Head Coach Christian Oberpertinger's stated goal of winning the title is not in danger with this defeat and a record of two wins and two defeats: "I'm not worried yet. These are all our own mistakes and if we can get rid of them, we can win every game."

The TU Robots stumbled against the Uni Vienna Emperors.

(Bild: C.Molitor)

In fact, the UniWien Emperors seem to be able to win every game. Three wins, no defeats and a place at the top of the table. After the somewhat fortunate victory against the WU Tigers at the end of April, this success clearly underlined their own supremacy. Only two underdogs, the BOKU Beez on Whit Monday and the JKU Astros on June 1, stand in the way of an unbeaten regular season.

They also have linebacker Martin Stockinger, probably the best player in the ACSL at the moment, in their ranks. He has four interceptions this season and also leads the league in tackles. Stockinger therefore has a good chance of being voted MVP, or most valuable player, at the end of the season. He would be the first defensive player in ACSL history to receive this award. For him, however, this is only a minor matter: "Of course I'm happy about such an individual award if it works out in the end, but for me it's only a minor matter. The main thing is to win the title as a team". For Stockinger it would be the first ACSL championship of his career, for the Emperors the third in a row.

Gameday under the motto "Let's get loud for rheumatism"
 The ACSL traditionally dedicates one gameday a year to the fight against rheumatism. To this end, May was declared "Rheumatism Awareness Month". The background to this campaign is the common misconception that the disease only affects people in old age. However, there are also many young patients who suffer from rheumatism - often unnoticed, as symptoms such as joint pain are not treated medically.

Raphaela from Jung & Rheuma, an initiative of the Austrian Rheumatism League for young rheumatics, also addressed a few words on this topic to the audience at the Ravelin to raise awareness among the many students.

Tobi Illmer