Minnesota State Handball Association

Ice Box Invitational Handball Doubles
January 29-30, 2010
St. Anthony AC, Minneapolis

 

Once again the weather fit the namesake for the 16th annual Ice Box Doubles Invitational as the outside temperatures dipped below zero adding a little slickness to the walls. As is also typical of this event nearly every match was highly contested with twelve of the 30 matches decided by tie-breakers. Everyone enjoyed the closed circuit TV action, the usual non-stop great hospitality enhanced by the unique atmosphere of the St. Anthony AC.

The Open division featured the winning teams from each of the last three years. But none of these very good teams was able to gain the championship. An “up-start” team of Tim Labey and Steve Johnson took top honors winning tie-breakers in the quarters and the semis before winning in two in the finals. The semifinal match against last year’s defending champs Andy and John Nett was a thriller with an 11-9 finish as Tim went on one of his typical serve and shoot runs. Meanwhile Pete Crouser and Ryan Maloney (2008 champs) had a heated match with 2007 winners Tom Bowman and Jeff Ryan going to an 11-5 tie-breaker. Great handball all around!!! Mike Wells and Mike Gustafson repeated as consolation champs – something they did not cherish but walked away with $20 for the effort.

The dynasty continues in the A division. Emil Weiler and John Miller squeaked out an 11-10 win in the finals over Brett Broxey and Hank Ulrich for a repeat title. Unlike last year, Emil and John pretty much cruised to the finals after a bumpy first game against Brandon Glaze and Mitch Van Eps. Ulrich and Broxey had a barn-burner in the semis against Steve Tamminga and Brian Coonce but Brett’s steady play and Hank’s kill shots from the short line made the difference. The consolation finals match prvided the most controversy of the entire tournament. In an all committee match between Sheldon Silberman and Larry Larson against Brian Mahaffy and Clancy Mylan, Mahaffy and Mylan won a convincing first game over a lackluster looking Larson and Silberman. In the second game it looked like an easy two game win until Larson started serving some incredible hops and Silberman found a kill shot with his off-hand. Somewhere around 15-18, referee Emil Weiler lost track of the score and two points might have been added or dropped from Silberman and Larson. Between the gallery and the players it took several minutes to decide on the score. Of course it went to a tie-breaker and Larson served to an 8-0 lead once he got in. But Mylan served some aces and got back in the game to 7-9 before Silberman forced a couple misses with hard drives for the 11-7 win.

There was controversy from the start as the committee allowed Rich Ryan and Mike McQuillan into the B division. But Jesse Fleck and John Laliberte proved the committee correct when they defeated these stalwarts 11-8 in a great tie-breaker. Unfortunately, the up-starts did not have enough to defeat the eventual champions Billy Craig and Brent Friedrichs in the semis. Ed Simonet and last-minute fill-in Joe Taylor defeated last year’s champs Rick Jaede and Eric Johnson in a very competitive semifinal match to gain the finals round. It was another barn-burner where only a single point separted the two teams after two games. The 11-3 tie-breaker went to the youngsters with the fresher legs.

Thanks to the St. Anthony AC and the tournament committee of Sheldon Silberman, Emil Weiler, Clancy Mylan, Brian Mahaffy, Eric Johnson, Steve Tamminga and Larry Larson for making this one of the best tournaments in the Twin Cities.

 

Open Doubles

Quarterfinals

· Andy Nett (Winona)/John Nett (Winona) def. Bill G. Brown (Shoreview)/Nick Brown (Shoreview) 21-8, 21-2

· Tim Labey (St. Paul)/Steve Johnson (White Bear Lake) def. Mike Gustafson (Eagan)/Mike Wells (Good Thunder) 21-16, 3-21, 11-6

· Tom Bowman (Chanhassen)/Jeff Ryan (St. Paul) def. Ray Miller (St. Paul)/Ian Johnson (Minneapolis) 21-13, 21-7

· Pete Crouser (St. Paul)/Ryan Maloney (Cottage Grove) def. Silas Danielson (St. Clair)/Tim Kappes (Maplewood) 21-18, 21-12

Semifinals

· Labey/Johnson def. Nett/Nett 15-21, 21-5, 11-9

· Crouser/Maloney def. Bowman/Ryan 21-13, 19-21, 11-5

Finals

· Labey/Johnson def. Crouser/Maloney 21-14, 21-6

Consolation

· Gustafson/Wells def. Miller/Johnson 21-20, 21-2

 

A Doubles

Quarterfinals

· John Miller (Edina)/Emil Weiler III (St. Paul) def. Brandon Glaze (Eagan)/Mitch Van Eps (Eagan)21-19, 21-9

· Mike Kloos (Woodbury)/Greg Sothern (Maple Grove) def. Larry Larson (Plymouth)/Sheldon Silberman (Golden Valley) 21-18, 15-21, 11-8

· ·Brett Broxey (Brooklyn Park)/Hank Ulrich (Minneapolis) def. Brian G. Mahaffy (Minneapolis)/Clancy Mylan (Minnetonka) 21-8, 21-9

· Brian Coonce (St. Paul)/Steven Tamminga (Minneapolis) def. Bob McCartney (Robbinsdale)/John Nakasone (St. Paul) 21-10, 21-13

Semifinals

· Miller/Weiler def. Kloos/Ron Lachenmayer 21-13, 21-11

· Broxey/Ulrich def. Tamminga/Coonce 21-19, 21-15

Finals

· Miller/Weiler def. Broxey/Ulrich 21-10, 15-21, 11-10

Consolation

· Larson/Silberman def. Mahaffy/Mylan 8-21, 21-20*, 11-7

 

B Doubles

Quarterfinals

· Rick Jaede (New Brighton)/Eric Johnson (New Hope) def. Alan Leveille (Duluth)/Jack Leveille (Golden Valley) 21-6, 21-11

· Ed Simonet, Jr. (Stillwater)/Joe Taylor (Cottage Grove) def. Ed Brazman (St. Paul)/Mark Mylan (Mound) 21-17, 21-3

· Billy Craig (Mankato)/Brent Friedrichs (North Mankato) def. Mike Erdmanczyk (Vadnais Heights)/Tim Zigmund (St. Paul)21-12, 9-21, 11-4

· Jesse Fleck (Minneapolis)/John Laliberte (Shoreview) def. Mike McQuillan (St. Paul)/Rich Ryan (Woodbury) 21-18, 16-21, 11-8

Semifinals

· Taylor/Simonet def. Jaede/Johnson 21-11, 21-15

· Craig/Friedrichs def. Fleck/Laliberte 21-18, 16-21, 11-8

Finals

· Craig/Friedrichs def. Taylor/Simonet 18-21, 21-19, 11-3

Consolation

· Brazman/Mylan def. Erdmanczyk/Zigmund 21-15, 16-21, 11-9