The 2018 season started on a gorgeous, 70-degree Saturday afternoon in Wilmington, North Carolina where one of Tigers greatest rivals The Baltimore Dockers showed in abundance and hungry for Tigers’s blood! With the wind at their backs, the Dockers fired one through within the first couple of minutes and a second goal shortly after leading the end of the first quarter 14-9. Heading into the second quarter and having the wind to their favor, the Tigers had many shots on goal, but could not capitalize through the middle allowing the Dockers to continue their lead of 22-11.
However, some adjustments and words of encouragement at the start of the third quarter prove to be best for the Mighty Tigers as a new member Jake Aulner, formerly a Golden Gate Roo, was aggressive to the ball to allow shots on goal. Big Dave Seymour rucked the majority of the game and kept the middle on lockdown against the Dockers while managing to punch one through. Our trusty defenders, Andrew Wesche, Matt Sherman, and Dennis Kurtz stopped the Dockers in their tracks to end the quarter at 22-22. At the start of the fourth, the momentum of the Tigers and help from the wind was too much for the Dockers and the Tigers began to pull away. Tom Sheldon, a former UNC punter, used his big kick to keep the ball on the Dockers’s side, which led to more opportunities for the Tigers to seal-the-deal at 41-34! A large turnout from both teams led to a fantastic match and social gathering to follow.
