Date: 01 Apr 2012
Home: Krakow Tigers - 26
Away: Poznan Kozly - 14
Tigers get first win of season, defeat Kozly 26-14
It is probably still too early in the season to call any game a 'must-win', but both the Dom-Bud Krakow Tigers and Kozly Poznan came into Sunday's game knowing that the loser would enter the Easter break alone in last place, after both teams lost their openers a week ago. The home Tigers made sure that Kozly would suffer that ignominious fate, taking the closely-fought affair by a score of 26-14.
The Tigers moved into a four-way tie for second place in the Topliga after getting blown out by the AZS Silesia Miners in their season opener. That game was close for a half, despite the eventual lopsided final score, and Krakow showed signs of life on both sides of the ball. They lived up to that apparent potential against Kozly, with quarterback Filip Moscicki leading a steady attack and the solid defense netting two safeties.
Still, it was the visitors who led at the end of the first quarter, during which Bartosz Trawinski rattled off a 65-yard touchdown run to give Poznan a 6-2 lead. Krakow then regained control when Moscicki finished a long drive in the second quarter with a one-yard plunge and a two-point conversion that he also took in himself. However, the halftime score remained at 10-6, as the Kozly defense was able to stop the Tigers on two more red zone chances before the break.
The Tigers extended the lead to 12-6 with another safety in the third quarter. Kamil Piwowar then made the Kozly offense pay further for their error by returning the ensuing free kick to the one-yard line. Sebastian Szarek caught a short touchdown pass shortly thereafter, and suddenly Krakow was ahead by 14 points.
Kozly were not done yet, however, and they got to within 20-14 late in the third quarter after Trawinski converted a Moscicki interception into points with a short touchdown reception. They had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter after another interception, but the Krakow defense held. Piwowar then again advanced the ball to the one-yard line, this time on a long run, and Moscicki dove in for his second rushing touchdown to provide the game's final points.
For Poznan, the difference between victory and defeat is a visit to the Topliga cellar. They will now have a week off to regroup, although life doesn't get any easier after the Easter break with a home game against the Wroclaw Devils on April 14. Krakow will next be in action on the same day, when they travel to Warsaw to face the 2-0 Eagles. The game will represent a tough challenge for the Tigers, who were defeated 55-28 in the teams' meeting in Krakow last season.