The second weekend of the national championships marked the continuation of the group phase, and it kicked off with our two toughest remaining opponents: Bad Skid and Heidees.
We entered our opening match against last year’s finalists and record titleholders, Bad Skid, without high expectations. A sluggish start saw us trailing 1–8 at halftime. In the second half, we managed to settle into a rhythm, generating some solid flow-based offense and trading points for a stretch, reaching 5–12. Ultimately, Bad Skid closed it out with a commanding 15–5 win.
Next up were the third-seeded Heidees. We struck first with a break on the opening point, but Heidees quickly found their stride and demonstrated why they’re a top-tier team. They cruised to a 15–4 win in a fast-paced match. This result meant we would enter the lower pool as the bottom-seeded team, needing at least one win to have a shot at reaching the relegation game and securing our place in the first division.
Our final game on Saturday was against BORA, the fourth seed, marking the first match of the lower pool. As the weather shifted to rain and the fields grew slippery, we managed a significantly better start, trading points early. We fought hard, but BORA’s strength showed through, and they pulled away for a 15–7 victory.
Sunday morning brought a high-stakes showdown against 7 Schwaben—a match that essentially became a playoff. We were familiar with them, having lost to them on universe point last year. Unfortunately, we started slowly and found ourselves down 3–8 at halftime. But we weren’t ready to throw in the towel. We pushed back with several breaks, narrowing the gap to 7–10 and then to 10–12. Despite our efforts, 7 Schwaben held on and secured a 15–10 win.
That result confirmed our relegation to the second division for next season. Our final match for 15th place was cancelled due to heavy rain.
A big thank-you to Frank N for hosting the weekend, and to all teams for the spirited and competitive games!
Roster:
Maxi, Schulle, Niko, Till, Patrick, David, Hahn, Kiwi, Kevin, Shine, Stefan, Dom, Arni, Georg, Norm, Julian, Morgan, Joe
