San Francisco CalHeat will represent the United States of America for the second time at the IHF Men’s Super Globe after they swept their opponents at the 2023 NACHC Club Championship, which took place last week between 18 and 22 July in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Four sides lined up in the competition, which was played in a round-robin format, with the top two sides after the three matchdays progressing to the final, which yielded the champion and the NACHC representative for the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe.

Co-hosts Los Guerrilleros and Caciques Palmer, two Puerto Rican sides, plus the USA club champions, San Francisco CalHeat, and Mexico’s Krakens HC were the teams lined up at the start, with the CalHeat strongly making their case from the first whistle until the final.

Last year, the CalHeat missed out after a loss in the semi-final against Mexican side Vikingos de Sonora, and they were totally focused on avoiding any such surprise this time around, starting the competition with a strong 34:22 win over Caciques Palmer.

They doubled down on that win with another strong display against Krakens HC (29:16) in the second game and secured the first place with another dominating win (33:21) against Los Guerrilleros.

While the American side were strongly attached to the first place, the second spot, which secured a ticket to the final, became a three-way battle, as the other three participants finished in a tie on points, with the team boasting the best goal difference sealing it.

It was Caciques Palmer, which lost by a single goal against domestic rivals Los Guerrilleros, 25:26, but bounced back to secure a 29:24 win over Krakens HC. The Mexican side had previously clinched a 26:24 win over Los Guerrilleros, but finished on the last place, with a -3 goal difference, while Caciques Palmer had a +4 goal difference.

There was nothing that the Puerto Rican side could do against the San Francisco CalHeat, though, other than limit the damage and earn a six-goal loss, 27:33, as the American side had Felix Kerst (eight goals) and Andrew Donlin (six goals) in superb form.

While five of CalHeat’s players – goalkeeper Lucas Kroeger, right back Daniel Eggert, centre back Eloy Rubio, left back Zuwed Akuro and line player Drew Donlin – made the All-Star team, the MVP of the 2023 NACHC Club Championship was Caciques’ Pablo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez and the All-Star right wing, Jose Ceballos, were the top scorers of the competition with 30 goals each.

The San Francisco CalHeat are the sixth team qualified for the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe, after reigning champions SC Magdeburg, Egyptian side Al-Ahly, Bahraini side Al-Najma, Argentina’s San Fernando HB and Poland’s Barlinek Industria Kielce.