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Crunching the Numbers: Daskalakis vs. Mitchell 2021 Ice Bowl Final

Daskalakis vs. Mitchell 2021 Ice Bowl Final (Tiebreaker only)

WPH Press, Clark Park, 10/12/21

Starting in 2020, the WPH has crunched tens of thousands of shots, tracking the aces, kill shots, return of serve kills, first-strike kills, errors, 6+ shot rallies won, and hinders for dozens of classic matches in handball’s recent and distant past. The thousands of numbers we’ve crunched have provided handball fans and players with the blueprint to win matches.

On this edition of Crunching the Numbers, we’ll examine the tiebreaker of the Women’s Ice Bowl Final between Danielle Daskalakis and Mikaila Mitchell.

Mikaila Mitchell took the Women’s Icebreaker Pro Tour by storm in 2021, winning the first event and taking third in the second event in advance of the Ice Bowl Championship, while Daskalkis had yet to make an Icebreaker final entering the Ice Bowl.

Mitchell defeated Daskalakis in two games in the opening round of the first Women’s Icebreaker, and the pair would meet in the final of the Ice Bowl Championship. Daskalakis took the first game, but Mitchell stormed back in the second to force a tiebreaker for the title.

Let’s Crunch the Numbers to see how this decider concluded.

Watch the Women’s Ice Bowl Final HERE (tiebreaker starts at 50:15)

Tiebreaker Stats

Aces

Daskalakis: 3

Mitchell: 1

First Strike Kills

Daskalakis: 6

Mitchell: 0

Danielle served nearly exclusively to Mikaila’s right, whipping laser serves with a natural hop that led to three aces and six first-strike kills, meaning Danielle scored nine of her 11 points with her first or second shot of the rally. Conversely, Mikaila was unable to locate the serve that enabled her to stun Danielle earlier in the season.

Return of Serve Kills

Daskalakis: 1

Mitchell: 1

Right Hand Rally-Enders

Daskalakis: 0

Mitchell: 1

Left Hand Rally Enders

Daskalakis: 10

Mitchell: 1

The left-handed Daskalakis dominated the tiebreaker with her left hand, striking numerous kills in the left corner, in addition to several overhand drive rally-enders. Mikaila was not able to play much offense in the tiebreaker, notching just two rally-enders in the frame

6+ Shot Rallies Won

Daskalakis: 4

Mitchell: 2

Errors

Daskalakis: 4

Mitchell: 3

Fly Kills:

Daskalakis: 0

Mitchell: 0

Hinders: 0

Time: 9:15 (tiebreaker only)

Final: 11-2

Total Points Scored: 13

Daskalkais played nearly flawless handball in the tiebreaker, dictating virtually every rally, playing offense when the opportunity presented itself, and waiting patiently for his opportunities to end rallies when necessary. Mikaila did not play poorly in the decider – she was simply not given an opportunity to get into neutral rallies.

“Before the last Icebreaker I really did not have a chance to play because I had been in New York,” stated Daskalakis. “For this Icebreaker, I was vacationing in Tallulah (MEX) and did some hikes and runs in the jungle. I also went to California before this event to get some practice in.”

Watch the Women’s Ice Bowl Final HERE (tiebreaker starts at 50:15)

2021 Ice Bowl full recap HERE

David Fink

WPH Statistician 

DV: David Vincent formed the World Players of Handball in 2005 and ushered live handball viewing into our living rooms for the first time. Since its inception, the World Players of Handball has broadcast over 1,500 matches live. Dave Vincent serves as the lead play-by-play announcer for virtually all matches, combining his unique perspective and personality with a lifetime of handball experience. DV brings 25 years of broadcast radio experience (in Oregon and California) to World Players of Handball & ESPN broadcasts and provides professionalism and wit to the amazing game of handball. DV also serves as the Executive Director of the World Player of Handball at the WPH headquarters in Tucson, AZ, working daily to grow the game of handball through innovation.
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