Each day, we have been counting down the top ten list for 2015. Man, there were some exciting times over the past 12 months. Not sure ten places can do the thrilling moments real justice.
The World Players of Handball Foundation enjoyed an incredible 2015, complete with more than 750 junior handball clinics, numerous junior handball competitions and a number of incredible matches. Choosing just 10 top moments was nearly impossible. Enjoy 2015’s third and fourth best moments!
4. WPH Outdoor Xrossover Big Ball Semifinals: Alfredo Morales vs. Samzon Hernandez
The WPH Outdoor Xrossover Big Ball Men’s semifinal between WPH Outdoor legend Samzon Hernandez and emerging star Alfredo Morales produced one of the most unpredictable endings to one of the greatest upsets of the year. “El Hombre” dominated game one against Hernandez, leading 10-4 before closing out “The Machine” 11-8 to take a one-game lead. Leading 10-8 in game two, Morales was on the verge of knocking out one of handball’s giants in two games. Hernandez scored two points to tie the second game at 10 and after a furious 16-shot rally that saw both players scramble from the back court to the front court three times, Morales appeared to have ended the match with a diving kill. Hernandez also dove, taking off from the short line and landing violently on Venice Beach concrete to save the match, flipping the Morales kill back to “El Hombre.” Still on the ground, Morales was unable to hit his next shot with any authority, weakly returning the ball back to Hernandez who lofted a power lob over the head of Morales. With all of the momentum on the side of “The Machine,” Hernandez quickly built an 8-3 lead in the tiebreaker, a seemingly insurmountable rally-scoring deficit. Morales summoned the best handball of his life, unfathomably scoring the eight of the final nine points of the match to advance to the final. “I don’t know how it happened,” Morales would later say. “I just kept playing and somehow it worked out.”
For a full recap on the match, click here
3. WPH Outdoor Xrossover Junior Mega Clinic and Tournament
In one of the most exciting junior handball weekends in recent memory, junior handball players from Southern California, Northern California and New York were treated to the Junior WPH Mega Clinic and junior tournament at Venice Beach, featuring more than 100 junior players taking clinics and playing points with WPH Coaches David Fink, Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin, Aoife McCarthy, Timbo Gonzalez, Ricky Ruiz and Alfredo Morales. With the backdrop of one of the most famous beaches in the world on one of the most celebrated outdoor handball facilities in the world, the Junior WPH Venice Mega Clinic and junior tournament was one of the World Player’s of Handball’s greatest achievements of 2015. Thank you to the more than 45 donors who contributed to the incredible weekend at Venice Beach, making the junior handball extravaganza an unforgettable handball experience for juniors, coaches and handball fans.
For a full recap on the Mega Clinic and event, click here