Day 2: Championship Sunday
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 8/16/25
Championship Sunday featured 3-Wall’s top stars seeking Icebreaker glory at the WPH’s Clark Park.
Men’s Small Ball Singles
Shorty Ruiz was seeking his first Icebreaker title after losing in his first five Icebreaker finals. Ruiz would first need to overcome his Race 4 Eight and Icebreaker nemesis Jab Bike, who he had not defeated. After losing to Bike in a tiebreaker at the LaGrange Icebreaker in July, Ruiz was unstoppable in achieving his revenge on his home court, blitzing Bike in under 25 minutes to advance to the final. “His serve was so good and he returned my serve really well,” Bike would later say.
The bottom bracket semifinal featured thirteen combined Icebreaker titles, with second-seeded Lucho Cordova facing third-seeded David Fink. Fink injured his shoulder midway through the first game and was forced to default early in the second game, sending Lucho to his second Icebreaker final in four weeks.
Ruiz was as hot as the 110-degree court in the first game against Lucho, sending Lucho scrambling into the crowd to retrieve ceiling shots. Cordova managed just one point in the nine-minute first game, but rallied in game two. Lucho led 8-4 early in the second, climbing into rallies with a stronger return of serve that Shorty could not send into the bleachers. Ruiz would remain close, with Cordova never leading by more than three after the 8-4 start. Ruiz was two points from his first Icebreaker title at 19-19 and inexplicably whiffed an overhand attempt. 
“I changed my mind at the last second and the ball just went right over my hand,” Ruiz would later say. An ace serve brought Ruiz to match point and a deep ceiling drive appeared to end the match. Lucho scrambled, returning a weak shot from 65-feet from the wall. Ruiz needed only a tap kill to end the match, but nervously lifted the shot, allowing Lucho to make a 45-foot sprint to keep the rally alive and ultimately win it. Ruiz would not make a mistake on his second match point, sending Lucho twenty-feet behind the back line to claim his first Icebreaker title.
Round of 8
Ruiz def Ure 15-8, 15-13
Lucho def Burgos 15-2, 15-7
Fink def Esser 13-15, 15-6, 15-10
Bike def Canales 15-5, 10-15, 15-6
Semifinals
Ruiz def Bike 21-3, 21-2
Lucho def Fink 21-19, 2-3 inj fft.
Final: Ruiz def Lucho 21-1, 21-19
Playoffs
Ray Ure bounced back from his quarterfinal loss to Shorty Ruiz by defeating last year’s Ice Bowl finalists Leo Canales and Sam Esser in the fifth place playoffs, giving the Minnesota State dynamo top five finishes in all three of his Icebreaker starts.
5th place final: Ure def Esser 25-13
Icebreaker Small Ball Singles Finishes
1st: Ruiz
2nd: Lucho
3rd: Fink/Bike
5th: Ure
6th: Esser
8th: Burgos/Canales
Men’s Big Ball Singles
Two-time Icebreaker big ball men’s pro singles champion Oscar Siordia was seeking a three-peat at the 2025 Ice Bowl. Siordia was pushed on his way to the semifinals, playing tiebreakers against Nicholas Alicea and Omar Lemus.
After showing up late to his semifinal match with Alfredo Morales, Siordia started terribly, falling behind 6-0. Siordia rallied, connecting on several of his overhand and deep court kills to wrestle the momentum from El Hombre. Morales could not get on track following his good start, unable to execute his normally reliable lobs and corner kills. 
Siordia marched to the final, where his doubles partner and frequent rival Samzon Hernandez awaited. Hernandez was dominant on his run to the final, sweeping all of his opponents in two games, including impressive performances against Alberto Pizano and Chopper Hernandez.
Siordia overwhelmed Hernandez in the final, demonstrating his superior conditioning and shot-making in the two-game sweep to complete his three-peat.
Semifinals
Siordia def Morales 15-11, 15-5
Samzon def Chopper 16-14, 15-2
Final: Siordia def Samzon 15-10, 15-4
Men’s Big Ball Doubles
Siordia and Samzon teamed to win the big ball pro doubles, overcoming a dreadful semifinals first game against Team Morales/Pizano that saw Siordia and Samzon bickering throughout. Samzon took a backseat in the second and third games, allowing Siordia to hit ninety-percent of the shots and cruise to the final.
Team Siordia/Samzon faced Team Rocha/Chopper in the final, and after taking a close first game, found themselves tied at 13 in the second. Scoring the fourteenth point with a Siordia kill, Team Siordia/Samzon clinched the match on a Rocha missed re kill in the front court.
Semifinals
Team Rocha/Chopper def Team Molina/Medina 15-9, 14-16, 15-13
Team Siordia/Samzon def Team Morales/Pizano 4-15, 15-10, 15-5
Final: Team Siordia/Samzon def Team Rocha/Chopper 15-11, 15-13
Men’s B Doubles
After holding match point in last year’s B doubles final and coming up short, Andres Cordova and Moises Gardea clinched the elusive B doubles title, defeating FLF’s Abraham Montijo and Ayden Brule in the final.
Final: Team Cordova/Gardea def Team Montijo/Brule 15-9, 15-11
Women’s Singles
Mikaila Esser continued to dominate the Women’s Icebreaker Series, toppling Ashley Ruiz for her seventh Icebreaker crown. Esser controlled the front court and kept Ruiz pinned near the back line. “I served really well today and kept the ball deep,” Esser would later say.
Final: Esser def Ruiz 15-6, 15-3
A Singles
Dan Mcnabney overcame a gutsy performance from Phoenix’s Alberto Tabares in the A final, seizing a 14-6 lead in the first game and serving eight times for the game before Tabares forced overtime at 14-all. Mcnabney regained control from there, dominating overtime and the second game.
Final: Mcnabney def Tabares 16-14, 15-7
Junior Singles
JR WPH proudly hosted the 2025 Ice Bowl JR WPH singles, featuring players from Tucson and Phoenix. Misael Aquino Estrella emerged as the JR WPH Ice Bowl champion, demonstrating impressive skills for a teenager.
Thank you!
Thank you to WPH team members Dave Vincent, David Fink, Ashley Ruiz, Jeff Healam, Richie Estrella, Doug Woods, Shorty Ruiz, Chris Hogan, Tricia Fink, and everyone who made the Ice Bowl a huge success.
Follow all of the results from the 2025 WPH Ice Bowl HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer