Gdynia moves closer to playoffs with 41-0 shutout of Steelers

All 36 of the Gdynia Seahawks who made the long trip to Zawiercie to play the Zaglebie Steelers got a chance to play on Saturday afternoon, and they all accounted well for themselves by shutting out the home team by a score of 41-0. Either a Gdynia win or a Dom-Bud Krakow Tigers loss next week would now put the Seahawks into the playoffs.

The game was unique in PLFA history for having two female officials on American referee Alex Zarganis’s crew of five. The officials had an easy day, throwing only eight flags in the entire contest, which was wrapped up in a mere two hours and twenty minutes.

Jakub Nowacki scored his first career touchdown for the Seahawks, an 18-yard reception from Luke Zetazate in the second quarter. The Canadian quarterback threw for three touchdowns in the game, the others going to Peter Plesa and Marcin Bluma. Former PLFA I MVP Sebastian Krzysztofek scored three times on the ground for the victors.

The Seahawks are now 5-3 on the season, and need only a win in their final game, at home against the last-place Bialystok Lowlanders on June 18, to secure the fourth and final playoff seed. If they lose that game, they could still get into the playoffs if the Dom-Bud Krakow Tigers lose their final game, which comes against the 7-1 Wroclaw Devils.

The picture is not so rosy for the Steelers, however, as they are in danger of slipping into PLFA II next season. They are currently in a three-way tie at the bottom with the Lowlanders and the AZS Silesia Miners. If the Steelers win their final game, against the Miners in Katowice on June 19, they will be assured of a spot in PLFA I next year. A loss, however, would put them into the season-ending ‘barrage’ against the PLFA II runner-up or, even worse, would earn them outright demotion if the Lowlanders manage to pull off an upset at Gdynia.