This past week, our first men’s team and 2023 US national champion represented USA Team Handball at the North America & Caribbean Senior Men’s Club Championship, a continental event serving as a qualifier for the renowned IHF Super Globe.
Organized in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, this event brought together some of the best teams in the continent. Kraken H.C (Mexico), Palmer Caciques (Puerto Rico), as well as the host, Guerrilleros Rio Grande all competed for a spot at the IHF Super Globe. In highly challenging conditions, our team came back victorious and claimed a second continental title (after 2021).
The team dominated the round robin beating Palmer (34:22), Kraken (29:16) and Guerrilleros (33:21) led by an energetic and young squad, the youngest of the tournament. In the final against Palmer Caciques, our team came inn surprisingly nervous. As the team was struggling, Lucas Kröger made important saves to give the team a comfortable lead. Ultimately, talent prevailed and our team won 33:26. Five of our players were selected in the all-star team (Lucas Kröger, Eloy Rubio, Andrew Donlin, Zuwed Akuro & Daniel Eggert). Felix Kerst scored 27 goals and finished 3rd best scorer.
This trophy grants the team a ticket for the upcoming IHF Super Globe in Saudi Arabia (Nov 6-12) and a chance to compete against the best teams in the world. It also marks the end of one of the greatest seasons at our club with a total of 27 wins in 29 games, along with multiple tournament and national trophies. “This has been a wonderful journey. The roster remained stable throughout the season and the cohesion grew stronger with every game. We now feel very connected on the court and have the ambition to challenge ourselves individually and collectively”, says center back Kasper Øgendahl.
“This team has proven one more time that they are made up for great things. We learnt from last year’s disappointed finale (TL;DR the team ranked 3rd at the 2022 continental event) and knew we had to be much better prepared this year. More than a competition we had to win, it felt like a test of our abilities”, says Drew Bradley.
One year after missing up the handball club’s world championship, our men’s team is back on the world’s stage. “The IHF Super Globe is the ultimate reward for amateur (handball) clubs, particularly in our continent. I’m very happy for all my players and the staff – they sacrificed a lot to get us to where we are today. It’s time to take a break and reflect on our achievement before we start preparing for a greater mission” says coach Danilo Rojevic.
In about 3 months time, San Francisco Calheat will meet up against handball giants SC Magdeburg, Barlinek Industria Kielce and many more. And, who knows, it could be the opportunity to give our continent its first ever win at the IHF Super Globe. The story continues soon…