Klagenfurt Answers / Bern Returns to Top / Black Eagles Take Flight
Observations & Opinions
From Harold Abrahams – Special Correspondent for TSS
And from Zino Stiles-Johnson and Thill Brenner – Correspondents for TSS
Seven days ago, in this column’s Final Note entry, your faithful correspondent wrote a line or two disparaging Klagenfurt’s dismal opening match against Innsbruck. Two hours after TSS went to press, I received a text from one Allie Wurter, the current Captain of the first Wiesespiel team to ever form. Wurter’s message was twofold: first, he suggested in good-natured fashion that a man with 40 years of experience writing about the Meadow Game ought to reserve judgment for a few matches and, second, he invited yours truly to come to ‘the venerable home of the Game’ and watch the Wyrms as they hosted the Citadel from Bergamo, Italy.
Little is needed to urge me to take a train to the birthplace of the sport we all love, so I arrived on Friday afternoon and joined Wurter, Farmhand Stefan Richter and Lock Laurenz Goss at The Duke and Dragon, Klagenfurt’s historic Inn & Pub, for a light meal and some shop talk.
Like his opposite number at Villach, Frank Hofferan, Wurter is a respected ambassador for the game, but he is also a proud, tough competitor. “Yes, we were poor last Saturday. Believe it or not, we knew the Innsbruck match counted … that it wasn’t a scrimmage.” He and his mates laughed ruefully at this. “But tomorrow will be different. We know Italian teams are renowned for their defenses. But we have a few surprises for our fans, and for the Italians.”
And when the Wyrms took the field in their famed home Red kit, the Black Dragon emblazoned on their chest, Wurter himself sprung one surprise, as he lined up not at Center … but as a Middle–Gate in a re-designed defense that, once the match started, played with a diligence and field coverage that failed last week. Wurter, 35 years old and with countless matches played and one ugly knee injury we all wish to forget, isn’t as swift as he once was, and moving to the Center of defense allowed him to command the field as usual but also let younger legs attack the enemy goal. The final scoreline of 22—5 validated the defensive realignment, and the speed displayed by Jonathan Kasper was revelatory and more than the Citadel could handle. His two skots were inevitable: he seemed dangerous each time he handled the ball. Kasper was on the Junior Team most of last season, playing other amateur clubs and attending high school, but his ascension to the Lindwyrms proves that, as always, if a player is good enough, he is old enough.
After the match, as happy villagers patted their heroes on the back and hoped for keepsakes
and autographs, Kasper was humble but hopeful. Told he was not the same player he had been last season, he nodded. “I have worked to improve. A young man cannot grow up in Klagenfurt and join the Senior Club without feeling the weight of wearing these colors, this emblem. I walk home past the houses of many fans and friends. I cannot let them down.”
I’ll give Wurter the last word. I congratulated him on the win and said he’d indeed surprised me with his move to Defense. “It was time – I am a step slower than I was a few years ago, and it would have been selfish to stay at Center. This sport is nothing but surprises. Last week, Innsbruck trounced us. Mulhouse, which was the sensation of the Meadow Cup a few months ago, lost at Bergamo. This week, we beat Bergamo convincingly. And who knows, when we go there, and Klagenfurt has never played at the Citadel before, they may run us off their Meadow. Good luck predicting outcomes in this game.”
As I boarded the train to return to Salzburg, I asked myself for the first time this year but the 400th time over the past 40 years: “what do I know?”
Kitzbühel, Austria – By Zino Stiles-Johnson – Correspondent for TSS
Bern has its Alpenhorns, Salzburg’s bucolic Meadow and history of Championships is unrivaled, Villach provided the “Fair Play!” expression that is more or less the official standard to which players hold themselves. Yet … on any Saturday from mid-November until late March, there is no better place to be than at the Heuwiese – the Hayfield – just outside of Kitzbühel, when the Hahnenkamms dash onto the field to the pleasing cacophony of thousands of cowbells clanging in the hands of their fans.
That’s where this fortunate correspondent found herself on Saturday when the unquestioned Match of the Week began, as Kitzbühel welcomed a surly Cortina team that was blasted by Italian rivals Trento at home in Week One. Two hours later, the pulsating contest ended 29–29, having sent 13,000 fans through every emotion imaginable and posited two conclusions we might be able to draw after two matches for each club. First, the “Giant Slalom” offense of 2023 that swept this team to the Tyrol Cup, their 4th, and introduced the world to that year’s Thaler Medal winner, the Schleissman Claus Binder, may have re-formed. With 53 points in two matches, the Kamms seem to be a team that will present massive defensive problems for every opponent. Second, Cortina’s backline, which has been the most accomplished in the AL for the past four or five years, looks off the pace, having allowed 50 points in two weeks and making one wonder if Marcello Rinaldi, he of the three Tor Medals, is injured or has slowed relative to the speedy Centers and Farmhands the Riflers have faced.
The productive partnership of Cortina’s Center Matteo Ferrari and Farmhand Oronzo Favro (two skots each) forced Binder and, among others, Farmhand Florenz Mader to match their opponent’s relentless attacks. The Hahnenkamms’ fans oohed and aahed, fretted and celebrated, assumed defeat and hoped for victory … moment by moment, such was the back-and-forth nature of this exciting match.
Binder’s final skot, his third, tied the match at 29 as the clock turned over the 83rd minute, and his 13 points – remember, from the Schleissman position – push him into the top eight among the Tyrol League’s leading scorers in what already appears to be a fascinating race featuring ten or twelve mercurial talents.
On October 21, 1872, when some young men of this picturesque Alpine town formed the 7th of the Original 8 teams in the AL, they declared, over their plates of schnitzel and sausage, “We’re always up for a good roustabout.” One hundred and fifty-four years later, Kitzbühel’s players, given this rousing and hard-fought game, still embrace that gung–ho slogan.
Zermatt, Switzerland – By Thill Brenner – Correspondent for TSS
Only Salzburg have won the Tyrol Cup more frequently than the Matterhorn Black Eagles, a franchise wholly unused to or acceptant of finding themselves in any division other than the Tyrol. Indeed, rarely have a more distinguished pair of clubs been relegated from the Tyrol as were ousted last March, as another Wiesespiel behemoth, Munich, joined their Swiss comrades in landing in the Alpine League. There was a bit of irony involved when the schedule was released and saw the Lederhosen slated to play the Black Eagles in Week One of the season, a match the Eagles won 21—18.
In Saturday’s Week Two match, Matterhorn, again playing under the shadow of its namesake mountain, beat a tepid Lucerne team, 17—8, as Joel Zurcher proved himself worthy of wearing the Captain’s armband, marshaling an effective defense. Alexis Geis’ 9 points from two skots and a kick carried the offense. The Eagles’ victory drew appropriate applause from the 9,000 fans who came out on a chilly, rainy afternoon, but the largest ovation was reserved for the appearance of a legend.
I wrote last week of my father’s surpassing admiration for Alex Aescher, the consensus greatest defenseman in the history of the Meadow Game, Captain for the Matterhorn team that won four straight titles and hub of the ABC Line (Aescher-Burgener-Corser!) that swallowed other teams’ offenses whole. And, yes, I did reply personally to some 450 e-mails this week from indignant – but unfailingly polite – Salzburg fans reminding me that Edelweiss Gate Noah Valeman always ranks ahead of Aescher in this very publication’s Ten Greatest Players ranking, including this year’s; all I can do is take the testimony of several men, my father included, who saw both men play and who stand behind the Swiss legend. Wherever he ranks in the TSS list, he is foremost in Zermatt. When he appeared at halftime of Saturday’s contest, waving to fans and acknowledging their adoration, the current Eagles gathered around the 85–year old and seemed to bask in his presence.
Perhaps Aescher’s attendance at the match was the inspiration the Black Eagles needed, as they out-paced the Cheesemakers in the second half from their 4—4 deadlock after the 40. The victory puts Matterhorn atop the Alpine League, ahead of Villach, the only other 2—0—0 team, on point differential. After the game ended, Schleissman Schmidt Dietrich spoke about the team’s chances to return to the Tyrol League come March 2026. “We must not look at
promotion as a given, nor as a birthright. The Alpine League is hard, it’s competitive. Interlaken just won the Alpine Cup … we barely edged Munich at home and have to play them in Germany later this season … Spittal and Villach are very dangerous. We must earn this week by week.”
Dietrich had another observation, alluding to the halftime visit from the Black Eagles’ winningest player. “You know, Alex Aescher is the 6th Aescher to play for Matterhorn. And he has twin grandsons – they are 16 … and they are good. What is that expression: scary good. We will get back to the Tyrol League, with hard work and some good fortune. And then, in two years, when those lads come up to the Senior team … ahh … just wait.”
Matterhorn fans are not used to waiting … but this is a promising prospect for fans of the Black Eagles and fans of the legacy of the Meadow Game.
PLAYER of the WEEK:
Abrahams: Frank Hofferan / Gate – Villach. The Villach Captain and Gate has played brilliantly in the Tirolerhuts’ two narrow victories and was especially savvy and commanding in their 23—20 win in Zillertal in Week Two. After the Red Greens led 16—10 after the 40, Schleissman Wald Koppensteiner moved from Wing to Lock, and Hofferan used the extra defender to quiet Johannes Au and the other swift Zillertal forwards who had a successful opening half. Hofferan’s forays into the offensive end were smart and timely, too, and he even scored his first four-pointer of the young season to establish what would become the final score. After the match, Hofferan, a past winner of both the Waldmüller and Kernan Medals, joked, “Well, I can’t let Brunner and Lackner get too far ahead of me, if I expect to win the Klammer Medal this year.”
Stiles–Johnson: Leonhard Brunner / Forward – Bern. Yes, I have been beating the Paul Lackner drum all off-season and in this space last week, but Mule Brunner was at his dominant best on Saturday, running through and over Trento’s defense in Bern’s 26—21 victory in Italy over a game Dolomites squad. Trento Gate Drago Pirozzi shook hands with Brunner after the game and was heard to call him a “compressore” – a steamroller. Brunner’s late skot (his third of the game) put the game beyond the Dolomites’ reach and made Bern – oddly, after only two weeks of play – the only 2—0—0 team in the Tyrol League.
Brenner: Marc Oberholler / Center – Zurich. A quick note to salute Hofferan, Mr. Abraham’s choice above. Hofferan, affectionately known as ‘the Mayor’ in Villach and everywhere else, gave me my first interview twelve years ago when I was a new reporter, an unknown working at my craft. Hofferan spent an hour with me and practically wrote the first article I ever submitted to and had published in TSS. The entire Wiesespiel world testifies to the kind and gentlemanly nature of the man; there’s my contribution to his hagiography.
But my Player of the Week is Marc Oberholler, who played flawlessly on Saturday in the Tirggel’s tense 14—11 victory over Vienna, which had raced to an easy St. Leopold’s day win on November 15. Oberholler proved to be the difference in this Week Two match of teams that surely can challenge Bern, scoring one skot and engineering a dominant midfield performance against the formidable Composers’ stars Willi Muhr, Didi Leiner, Nicolas Irmiger, and Johann Trimme. When that offensive force is limited to 11 points, someone deserves some recognition; Oberholler is that man.
ONE FINAL NOTE:
Abrahams: Only one team this season, after two weeks of play and 64 matches completed, has failed to score a point in a match – and that was an excellent Zurich team featuring talented offensive players such as Thaler Medal holder Ozi Mannheim, emerging star Armand Flamur, and the aforementioned Marc Oberholler. Their 15—0 loss to Bern bears witness to the greatness of the Armed Bears’ backline, but that no one other team has failed to score this season reminds us of how beautifully balanced the Meadow Game is; what Max Steinwender and those other men dreamed up that day in September 1872 – the scoring, the shape of play, the time limits, the size of the field – remains pristinely unaltered, and perfect. It’s exceedingly difficult to prevent 10 (well, 9!) determined and skilled men from scoring at least a point … and it’s also exceedingly difficult to score points against 10 equally resolute and well-trained men. I’ve heard American friends explain that if their baseball game – the American pastime – had distances that were even inches different from what they are, their game would be ruined: 90’ between bases, 60’6” from the pitcher’s mound to home plate (sorry if these terms are esoteric, Wiesespiel fans!). Lovers of the Meadow Game can say the same about our favorite sport. Last Saturday, with less than a minute remaining in the 43, Lyss Millers Forward Lars Koblet streaked through the Sölden midfield and was dragged down by his shirttail by a desperate Niklas Dorn, a stout Gate. Koblet fell two yards – maybe two yards – from scoring a skot that would have given the Swiss visitors a win over their hosts – a thing that no Austrian team ever wants to see happen. The Millers reformed for one more push – five feet, perhaps, from breaking the 7—7 stalemate. Twenty seconds. Five feet. Jvars Wyder, the Lyss Gate left behind in the middle zone, screamed at his mates to hurry … and the Ötzi defense braced for one final push. The Millers’ Leo Trachsler took the ball and rumbled to his right, dreaming of victory. Erik Peiper and Jannik Egger, among others, met Trachsler, among others, in a violent clash at the goal line. Every man strained – and the mass of bodies was motionless – Trachsler extended arms holding a ball that was, according to all who watched, transfixed, one foot from securing the win. They were motionless, but time was not, and when the final whistle sounded, the score stood 7—7. Sölden held, Lyss fell short, and they each claimed a point in an honorable draw. This was not a Swiss giant – Bern, say – battling an Austrian titan like Salzburg. This was action from the Barrel League. But it meant the same to the 6,000 fans there … and to the men who stood for 20 minutes on the spot and re-lived that moment of drama and crisis. What a game.
Stiles–Johnson: Two weeks in … and I am transfixed by … the Race for the Klammer Medal! Yes, I know – we have 16 weeks of matches remaining – snowy fields, rain-slicked meadows, injuries (Heaven forbid) … anything can happen. But, after two weeks, here are the top ten scorers in the Tyrol League … and one cannot remember a more dynamic, fast, powerful and creative group of players to populate this list in a generation or two of AL play. We are witness to great athletes in and approaching the height of their abilities … and we are grateful for this competition within the grander competition that is the battle for the Tyrol Cup. Here is our Ledger as taken from the TSS Statistics page – a chart I will re-visit often. Two weeks in, we can note several items: Füssen’s slow start means no appearance on the list for the electric Bingo Allerspach, and Grenoble’s sluggish form keeps “La Comete,” Henri Tissier out of his customary Top Five. We’ll see what happens with those two stars. More vitally, though, we can already savor a season-long struggle between the Field Mouse and the Mule. Last season, Brunner won the Klammer with 105 Points, 3 ahead of Lackner. That number will not claim the Medal this season.
Brenner: In March prior, the Mulhouse Locomotives accompanied the Pioneers from Sankt Moritz in their promotion from the Harvest League to the Wheat League. They followed up that successful 14-win season by winning the Castles division of the Meadow Cup and came one skot shy of playing for the championship, expiring the 83rd minute just six short paces from celebration. So naturally, expectations abounded as they began their season just like they have for the past four decades, wearing those exquisite double chimney jerseys (as seen on the left sleeve of Martial Vannier and the right of Jean-Louis Pinchoneau as they stood face to face barking exhortations at each other) that they wore for the first time in the title match of their most recent of three Tyrol Cup victories in 1985. But their first-game decke tradition did not translate well against the Citadel in Bergamo as they fell behind early and could never reel in the seasoned boys in the lengthening shadows of the Bergamasque Alps. But Week Two found the Locomotives back home on the Railyard and hosting Original 8 foe Aggsbach. An opening skot by Jules Deshaies was all they could muster for 70 minutes, but as tensions escalated in the final few minutes, Coach Henri Maston called on Farmhand Marcel Alsace, and he did not disappoint. His three-minute stretch of a 35-yard score, a decisive stop of Canon Schleissman Nino Berg, and the final, liberating skot down the left side, dragging three Canons across the line with him, was reminiscent of the summer exploits that captured the hearts of the Meadow Cup fans and this particular TSS reporter. I’ll be watching the Railmen closely as they strive to make more noise on the meadow this season.