By Alex Webbe

 

Luis Escobar scored the winning goal for EFG Bank in overtime to score a 9-8 win over Isla Carroll in the Iglehart Cup at the International Polo Club at Wellington Friday afternoon.

“I knew all along that we were going to win,” said Escobar after the game, “a mistake was the only way we could lose it, and they were the ones that made the mistake first.”

Escobar opened the scoring in the game with a first chukker goal, but Isla Carroll quickly answered with three goals.  Sugar Erskine scored one goal from the field and another by a penalty shot.  Owen Rinehart scored Isla Carroll’s third goal of the period as time expired for the 3-1 lead.

Escobar added another goal to the EFG Bank total, but single goals from Erskine and Rinehart had Isla Carroll ahead 5-2 going into the third chukker.

Erskine’s third goal of the game put Isla Carroll ahead 6-2 before another goal from Escobar got EFG Bank on the scoreboard just before the end of the first half.

“I felt like we found our groove at the end of the third chukker,” said EFG Bank team captain Jim Whisenand.  “I thought Jeff (Hall) had settled into the lineup and that our persistence, focus and execution would carry us through.”

Eight-goaler Jeff Hall was filling in for EFG Bank’s Julio Arellano, who suffered a broken hand in a practice with the US Polo Team on Wednesday.

EFG Bank opened the fourth chukker aggressively, forcing Isla Carroll into penalty situations that netted them two goals from Escobar.  Escobar added another from the field with Whistle Uys chipping another goal.  The EFG Bank defense had also strengthened, allowing Isla Carroll only a single goal from Erskine.  The score was now even at 7-7.

Uys accounted for the only scoring of the fifth period, giving EFG Bank its first lead of the game since the opening chukker while the defense shut down Isla Carroll for the first time all afternoon.

Play carried from one end of the field to the other in the sixth frame, with both teams giving the other few scoring opportunities.  EFG Bank fouled twice in the period, but errant penalty shots kept it all even at eight goals apiece as regulation time expired.

As overtime action began, Isla Carroll was the first to make a mistake.  A penalty shot was awarded to EFG Bank, and a usually sure shooting Luis Escobar lofted the shot high but wide.

The direction of the play was reversed and this time it was EFG Bank that made the error.  Sugar Erskine lined up for the relatively easy 30-yard shot, but swirling winds carried the shot wide, and play continued.

EFG Bank took control of the ensuing knock-in can and carried it down the field.  The Umpire sounded a whistle, and EFG Bank was awarded another penalty shot.   On Escobar’s second trip to the penalty line his shot was true and EFG Bank took the 9-8 win.

Luis Escobar led all scoring with seven goals.  Whistle Uys scored twice in the win.

Sugar Erskine scored six goals for Isla Carroll.  Owen Rinehart accounted for two goals.

 

 

AUDI 15, SAN SABA 13

In the first of two earlier Iglehart Cup matches, Audi (2-0) scored a 15-13 win over a talented San Saba (1-1) team behind nine goals from Gonzalito Pieres.

“They were a very good team,” said Audi 5-goaler Brandon Phillips, “it was a very tough game.”

In a back and forth contest that saw the score tied seven times, San Saba’s Sapo Caset scored the first two goals of the game.  Juan Bollini got Audi on the scoreboard to end the first chukker with San Saba on top 2-1.

Audi charged into the second period with Pieres scoring twice and Bollini adding another goal.  Audi’s defense held San Saba to a single goal from Caset, and Audi went ahead 4-3.

Three goals from San Saba opened the third chukker before Audi could respond.  Pieres and Phillips added single goals to knot it up at 6-6 at halftime.

San Saba jumped on the ball in the fourth chukker.  Two goals from Collardin were complimented by single goals from Caset and Carlucho Arellano to give San Saba a 10-9 lead.  Audi was limited to two penalty goals and a goal from the field, all from Pieres.

“Toto (Collardin) was setting a great pick on me for Sapo (Caset),” said Phillips, “allowing Sapo to get loose with the ball.  We made an adjustment for Gonzalito (Pieres) to take Sapo right away,” Phillips added, “and managed to shut it down.”

Goals were exchanged in the fifth chukker, with Audi ending up on the winning end.  Two more goals from Pieres were aided by single goals from Bollini and Phillips for a 13-12 advantage.  San Saba was held to a pair of goal from Collardin.

Pieres scored his ninth goal in the sixth period to give Audi a 14-12 lead.  Phillips scored to make it 15-12, and with time running down, Audi had iced the game.  Arellano managed to score again for San Saba, but time expired with Audi on top 15-13.

LUCCHESE 10, MT. BRILLIANT 9

Mike Azzaro showed why he remains America’s highest rated player as he scored all ten goals in Lucchese’s 10-9 win over the 2009 Ylvisaker Champion Mt. Brilliant team.

Azzaro began by scoring three goals to open the game while the Lucchese defense held Mt. Brilliant scoreless.  Santiago Chavanne got Mt. Brilliant in the scoring column with two goals in the second chukker, with Azzaro, after suffering a terrible fall with his horse, adding another for Lucchese for a 4-2 lead.

Mt. Brilliant fought back in the third period, displaying some miserly defense of its own.  Chavanne scored twice and Mariano Obregon, Jr. added two more goals while the Lucchese attack was silenced. 

Mt. Brilliant left the field at halftime with a 6-4 advantage.

Obregon and Azzaro traded goals in the fifth period to keep the score even at 8-8, as both teams labored to control the flow of the game.

Chavanne scored the opening goal of the final chukker to give Mt. Brilliant a 9-8 lead, but Azzaro made it clear who the best player on the field was that day by converting two more penalty shots for the 10-9 win.

“We manned up,” said Lucchese team captain John Muse, referring to each player on the team marking his opposite on the Mt. Brilliant side.  “We played like warriors” he added, “there was no let up.”

Azzaro scored all ten of his team’s goals.  Santiago Chavanne scored six goals for Mt. Brilliant.  Mariano Obregon, Jr. (substituting for an injured Julian Daniels) added three goals in the loss.

Iglehart action will continue on Sunday with a 3pm contest between Audi and BTA.

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