Team Philippines wrapped up its campaign at the 2024 Men’s World Floorball Championship in Sweden with a thrilling 9-8 overtime victory over Poland on Friday, securing 11th place in the 16-team tournament.
The win marked a historic milestone for the Philippines as well as the Asia-Oceania region, as it was the first time the team from the AOC defeated a European opponent in the tournament’s history.
Despite a tough start, where they found themselves trailing 2-7 near the second period’s end, the Philippine team showed remarkable resilience and grit. Before the curtain fell to end the second period, the Philippine side made a strong push that saw them narrow Poland’s lead to 5-7, and they carried that momentum into the third.
The team limited Poland to just one goal while scoring three of their own, with the final equalizer coming with less than 30 seconds left in regulation time.
In overtime, Rhodell Esguerra delivered a sensational play, snatching the ball off the faceoff and scoring the game-winning goal in just three seconds, sealing the breakthrough victory for the Philippines.
The goals came from several contributors, including Kim Varga Rosello (1), Ludvig Hemmingberg Porral (3), Lucas Werelius (2), Melvin Alm Mendoza (1), Simon Sicat Laraño (1), and Esguerra (1).
Team captain Lucas Enaje highlighted the significance of the win in a post-game interview, emphasizing how the team’s unity and determination turned the tide.
“This is our last game, so we gave everything we could. We fought all the way, showing the world our ‘Laban spirit,’” Enaje said.
He added that the victory was historic for the AOC region, where floorball is still a fledgling sport, noting that the Philippines is now the highest-ranked team outside Europe and the first from the region to defeat a European side.
With this victory, Team Philippines not only achieved a historic first but also set a new benchmark for the Asia-Oceania floorball community.
