The Vukovi’s first loss of the season came a week after three of their most established players officially left the team trying to improve on their playing skills. Tasić brothers, Andrej and Pavle, with Petar Vitorović will continue their careers in the United States, at De Anza community college, located in California.

The game against the Bratislava Monarchs on May 3rd was the last any of these three players set foot on the field on game day — it was Vitorović, the only that played any substantial time all year. The other two either hardly played or didn’t play at all, as they were dealing with minor injuries and prepared to move on to the next level.

Since the team was playing without them for most of the year, their absence wasn’t a factor in last week’s loss in Novi Sad, but it could be described as symbolic.

Of the three, Andrej is factually one of two people that registered the team, way back in early 2003, but all three are among those most deserving for where the Vukovi are today — one of the leading teams in the CEFL and their country, Serbia, and current champion of both competitions.

For the transfer, so to speak, they received help from their teammate on the Serbian national team at the Group C European Championship held in Austria last summer, linebacker Budimir Golomeić, who attended De Anza College.

Vitorović, their best lineman, because of his position is the only one without any serious recognition, although, because of his size, it was hard not to notice him on the field. The two brothers won individual awards in both years prior to this one; Andrej was the Offensive Player of the Year for 2006 and Pavle won the CEFL Bowl MVP award last year for his vital role in the biggest comeback in CEFL history, and in the biggest game possible.