Boston, MA
The 2014-2015 Boston Team Handball Men’s Team traveled to Montreal for the season’s first tournament. The team set the tone for a dynamic season by showing individual toughness and a powerful team spirit in all 4 games. The first game was against perennial Northeast League rival Army Black, whose conditioning and team unity always pushes their opponents to match their intensity. After a steady back and forth, Army built a 3-goal lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game. BTH called time out and the team regrouped behind the strategizing of player coaches Martin Wolff and Pablo Puentes. Boston roared back scoring 3 straight goals led by emerging star Ferran Guedea who attacked the deffense all game long from the left back position by finishing himself or dishing to left wing Theo Bosh who consistently hammered home his chances. The game ended in a tie after a defensive stand where the team refused to allow Army a scoring chance.
After a tough test against Army the team didn’t let up against Celtique 3. BTH showcased its superior skill by putting the opposition away in the second half.
After a second consecutive night of lengthy team building activity in exciting Montreal, the team got off to a slow start against Quebec power house Levis. The locals showed off their skill and impressive handball class and built an early lead. After a timeout BTH switched to 5-1 defense showcasing Mike Hertwig at the 1 position where he used his superior fitness and relentless attitude to disrupt the Levis passing attack. The center of the defense was back-boned by the physical presence of Borris Kramer, Cedric Mertes and Martin Wolff, whose refusal to surrender easy goals led to a red card for Martin later in the game. Even with a short bench and early deficit, the team battled to the end and fell short by just 3 goals.
In the final game the team’s lack of depth was an issue after injuries forced an even shorter bench. Fortunately, Mark Germanos was able to fill in when needed and the team pushed forward. Although the final game was lost the team left Montreal with a renewed sense of purpose. Player coach Martin Wolff added that, “being our first tournament this season with many new players, it was inspiring to see how we grew closer together as a team both on and off the court in the course of just one weekend. From a handball perspective, there were a lot of positive aspects, in particular how we fought to draw our first match against West Point Black, and how the team never gave in during both Sunday matches. Of course, there were many things that still needed improvement, which is normal during this early phase of the season. Looking forward, I count on the commitment of all players to work hard and consistent during every practice to prepare our first league tournament in December. Our goal is to finish in the top 2 in our league to directly qualify for US Nationals this season.”
THIS TEAM KNOWS IT HAS THE ABILITY AND THE WILL TO GIVE IT A CHANCE TO WIN EVERY TIME IT STEPS ON THE HANDBALL COURT. THE FOUNDATION FOR A TEAM HAS BEEN LAID. WITH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO PRACTICE AND TO EACH OTHER BOSTON TEAM HANDBALL WILL COMPETE WITH THE ELITE TEAMS IN NORTH AMERICA.
Mike Waite