Strong Season Opener for the Steelers – Comeback Leads to Convincing Victory

6th May 2025

Successful start for Dudelange: Despite injuries and a number of new faces, the Steelers secure a clear home win over Hadamar.

Smiles all around in Luxembourg: The Dudelange Steelers kicked off their season with an impressive 46–24 victory against the Hadamar Black Goats — a performance made all the more notable given their roster challenges and recent additions.

The game didn't begin in their favor, though. Both teams engaged in a tightly contested opening quarter dominated by defense and ground play. After twelve minutes, the scoreboard still read 0–0. Hadamar then struck twice in the second quarter, building a 12–0 lead.

But Dudelange answered with a bang: Davide Zouhon returned a kickoff for a touchdown, injecting momentum into the home team. Just moments later, Carlos Estevez made a huge play with a 40-yard interception return, setting up the offense at Hadamar’s 15-yard line. The Steelers capitalized and went into halftime narrowly ahead, 13–12.

After the break, Dudelange’s offense found its rhythm. Several explosive passing plays led to two more touchdowns, pushing the lead to 25–12. Hadamar responded, narrowing the gap to 25–18, but in the final quarter the visitors were forced to take more risks — and Dudelange took full advantage. Touchdowns from Joel Neto, Zion Littlejohn, and Romain Lamponi sealed the 46–24 final score.

Despite the loss, Hadamar Head Coach Robert Wilhelmy remained optimistic: “It was our first game. We have ten this season, and our focus is on developing our new quarterback and improving as a team. Yes, we had several technical issues, especially with open-field tackling, but we also saw some promising plays. Dudelange did a great job — it was a solid football game.”

Steelers Head Coach Michael Friedman praised his squad’s resilience: “We made plenty of mistakes in the first half but stayed calm and focused. I’m proud of how we handled the adversity. Thanks to everyone in the club — the board, team managers, catering — for keeping this organization moving forward.”