Minnesota State Handball Association

 

Ice Box Invitational Handball Doubles
January 15-16, 2016
St. Anthony AC, Minneapolis

The 22nd annual Ice Box Doubles Invitational at the St. Anthony Athletic Club featured the best handball players in the state:  Andy Nett, Matt Hiber, Pete Crouser, Chris Iverson, Ryan Pesch, Mike Gustafson, Ryan Maloney and from out of state: Logan Foley flew in from DC, Marc Tobin came back from San Francisco, Spooner and Passolt returned from Fargo to defend their title and a couple of newbies drove in from Sioux Falls to get in the action.   This “first annual after the last ever Ice Box tournament” event was made possible by the new owners leasing back the space for several months before the actual demolition and construction of a 40-story residential tower begins in 2016.

True to it’s name, the temperature stayed below zero most of the weekend creating a true Ice Box feel.  The crew finally got it right and there were no slippery, wet walls.  As usual, the closed circuit TV action was a hit as the gallery swelled to three deep for many of the matches. The usual non-stop, great hospitality enhanced by the unique atmosphere of the St. Anthony AC kept everyone satisfied and noisy.  Usually a tournament full of closely contested matches and many tie-breakers, a full third of the matches went to tie-breakers and several games were 21-20 contests.

Open Doubles Finalists
Matt Hiber, Marc Tobin, John Nett, Andy Nett

Andy Nett and his father, John came back for some revenge this year.  Matt Hiber and Marc Tobin took the Netts down in 2015 after a five year string of wins.  Well, the Netts exacted their revenge and go out the final winners at the St. Anthony AC.  Hiber and Tobin faced some real challenges persevering in a couple of tie-breakers over an on-fire Matt Job and Mat Langhorst in the first round and then against Logan and Quinn Foley in the semi-final match.  Meanwhile the Netts easily dispatched Ray Miller and Dave Schiller (who smashed the ball faster than anyone but Andy) and had a scare with Ryan Pesch and Donovan Foley as the pair figured out how to play as a team in the second game.

The Open consolation looked like most Open championship rounds with some mighty great talent competing into the late afternoon.  Pete Crouser and Chris Iverson (in his first Ice Box) took the coni honors over Mike Gustafson and Ryan Maloney in a three-game thriller!

Open Doubles Consolation Finalists
Chris Iverson, Pete Crouser, Ryan Maloney, Mike Gustafson

 
A Doubles Finalists
Jay Spooner, Dan Passolt, Steve Tamminga, Mike Kloos*

Jay Spooner and Dan Passolt came down from Fargo to defend their 2015 A division title and Emil Weiler and John Miller were hoping for the rematch.  But no!  Steve Tamminga and Erik Seiberlich upset Miller and Weiler in the close three-game semi-final match to advance to the finals.  Then Seiberlich can’t make it back for the finals due to family events and Tamminga hooks in Mike Kloos to partner up just to get the match in.  Lo and behold, Kloos, after playing and winning his consolation semi final match with partner Brian Coonce agrees to go right back on the court to play the consolation finals against Brian Mahaffy and Curt Schlenner so the A finals match could be delayed in hopes Seiberlich could return.  Of course that doesn’t happen and Tamminga recruits Kloos for a third match in a row – and they WIN!!!  They win over Spooner and Passxolt with a stunning 11-0 tie-breaker after scoring only 9 points in the second game.

A Doubles Consolation Finalists
Brian Coonce, Mike Kloos, Curt Schlenner, Brian Mahaffy

 
B Doubles Finalists
Don Reiter, Mike Erdmaczyk, Preston Parmelee, Ryan Johnson

 

As if the A division wasn’t crazy enough, In the B’s Joe Taylor wakes up with a bad back Saturday morning after a very tough first round tie-breaker match with partner Mike Erdmanczyk against the speedy newcomer Ben Hanks and gimpy Clancy Mylan.  Erdmanczyk recruits Don Reiter (to play in the B’s of all things) and John Nakasone and Phil Kleineschay agree to allow the match (probably because it has been a long time since either of them played in a B division)  Well, Reiter and Erdmanczyk pull off the upset in another tied-breaker to reach to finals.  In the lower half of the division Ice Box virgins Preston Parmalee and Ryan Johnson from Sioux Falls (thanks to Mike Gustafson for recruiting) get a second game scare from Mike Leiter and Bill DeVahl in the first round and almost all they can handle from Tom Brodenave and Ed Simonet in the semi-final match (an 11-8 tie-breaker.)

B Doubles Consolation Finalists
Chris Foley, Ken Toering, Clancy Mylan, Ben Hanks

 
Balloon Drop in the making –
Celebrating Ben Hank’s birthday and a win

Baby It’s COLD out there

 

Tournament set up

…But the action is hot inside

the gallery gathers

and the party gets going in the lounge

and the crowd goes wild!

Open Doubles

Quarterfinals

• Matt Hiber (Shoreview)/Marc Tobin (San Francisco, CA) def. Matt Job (Mankato)/Mat Langhorst (Minneapolis) 18-21, 21-17, 11-2
• Quinn Foley (Dellwood)/Logan Foley (Washington DC) def. Pete Crouser (St. Paul)/Chris Iverson (Bloomington) 21-11, 21-19
• Ryan Pesch (Minneapolis)/ Donovan Foley (Dellwood) def. Mike Gustafson (Otsego)/Ryan Maloney (Cottage Grove) 21-8, 21-10
• Andy Nett (Eden Prairie)/John Nett (Winona) def. Ray Miller (St. Paul)/ Dave Schiller  (Circle Pines) 21-8, 21-2

Semifinals

• Hiber/Tobin def. Foley/Foley 21-12, 13-21, 11-5
• Nett/Nett def. Pesch/Foley 21-8, 21-20

Finals

• Nett/Nett def. Hiber/Tobin 21-11, 21-13

Consolation

• Crouser/Iverson def. Gustafson/Maloney 21-20, 3-21, 11-8

 

A Doubles

Quarterfinals

• Jay Spooner (Fargo)/Dan Passolt (Fargo) def. Larry Larson (Plymouth)/Jim Kaster (Minneapolis) 21-19, 21-4
• Brett Broxey (Brooklyn Park)/Hank Ulrich (Hudson) def. Mike Kloos (Woodbury)/Brian Coonce (Hastings) 21-14, 21-17
• Steve Tamminga (Minneapolis)/ Erik Seoberlich (Roseville) def. Brian G. Mahaffy (Minneapolis)/Curt Schlenner (St. Paul) 21-8, 21-5
• Emil Weiler III (St. Paul)/John Miller (Edina) def. Dave Abramson (Maple Grove)/Jim Van Horn (Minneapolis) 21-14, 21-12

Semifinals

• Spooner/Passolt def. Broxey/Ulrich 21-14, 21-17
• Tamminga /Seiberlich def. Weiler/Miller def. 15-21, 21-13, 11-5

Finals

• Tamminga /Kloos* Spooner/Passolt def. 13-21, 21-9, 11-0

* Substitute partner

Consolation

• Kloos/Coonce def. Mahaffy/Schlenner 21-1, 21-9

 

B Doubles

Quarterfinals

• Phil Kleineschay (Maple Grove)/John Nakasone (Waconia) def. Jack Leveille (Golden Valley)/Al Baumgarten (Duluth)21-14, 21-8
• Joe Taylor (Cottage Grove)/Mike Erdmanczyk (Vadnais Heights) def. Ben Hanks (Minneapolis)/Clancy Mylan (Minnetonka)
• Tom Bordenave (Hudson)/Ed Simonet, Jr. (Stillwater) def. Chris Foley (Dellwood)/Ken Toering (St. Paul) 21-9, 21-15
• Preston Parmelee (Sioux Falls SD)/Rayn Johnson (Sioux Falls SD) def. Mike Leiter (Eden Prairie)/Bill DeVahl (Woodbury) 21-10, 21-10

Semifinals

• Don Reiter (St. Paul)*/Erdmanczyk def. Nakasone/Kleineschay 17-21, 21-16, 11-7
• Parmelee/Johnson def. Bordenave/Simonet 21-6, 12-21, 11-8

* Substitute partner

Finals

• Parmelee/Johnson def. Reiter/Erdmanczyk 10-21, 20-21 Substitution forfeit

Consolation

• Hanks/Mylan  def. Foley/Toering 21-3, 21-8