By Alex Webbe
Trinity and Barrossa will meet in Sunday’s finals of the 2012 8-10 goal Empire Champion’s Cup at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
In Friday’s action, Trinity scored a 7-4 win over Empire to qualify for Sunday’s finals while Gypsy/Tritech managed to hold on for a 13-11 win at the expense of Tentnology to make their way into a battle with Empire 10 for third and fourth place finishes.
Just to refresh everyone’s memory, the entrance fee for the tournament was $5,000 per team. The Fees are put into a purse that is distributed to the top four teams with first place receiving 50% of the purse; second place getting 25%; third place taking home 15%; and fourth place receiving 10%. Each team put in $5K apiece and the Empire Polo Club matched the funds for a $50,000 purse.
Trinity opened the scoring with a penalty conversion for a goal from Clemente Zavaleta. Robin Paicius scored once from the field for a 2-0 lead. Empire responded with a single goal from Mariano Fassetta. The chukker ended with Trinity on top, 2-1.
The Trinity defense kept Empire off of the scoreboard in the second period while three unanswered goals from Agustin Zavaleta had Empire trailing 5-1 after just two periods of play.
The defenses clamped down in the third chukker, allowing a single goal from Clemente Zavaleta, for a powerful 6-1 first half. The Trinity defense did their job once again.
Empire managed a single goal in the fourth period by Fassetta and added two more on goals from Ashton Wolf and Fassetta in the fifth while holding Trinity scoreless. Empire continued to trail, 6-4 with once chukker to play.
Clemente Zavaleta scored the only goal in the final chukker on a shot from the field for a 7-4 Trinity win.
Clemente and Agustin Zavaleta scored three goals apiece with Robin Paicius adding a single goal for the 7-4 win.
Fassetta scored three times for Empire with Wolf kicking in a goal.
GYPSY/TRITECH 13, TENTNOLOGY 11
Tentnology received two goals by handicap, but Gypsy/Tritech scored the first two goals from the field with Gaston Von Wernich opening up the game and Christ Maloney scoring the tying goal, 2-2. Miguel Gutierrez scored the final goal of the chukker as Tentnology left the field with a 3-2 advantage.
Three more goals from Tentnology had them leading 6-4 after the second period. Gery Warner scored the first goal of the second chukker, followed by a goal from teammate Artie Cameron for a 5-2 Tentnology lead. Single goals from Von Wernich and Maloney cut the Tentnology lead cut to a single goal, 5-4. Gutierrez closed out the scoring with his second goal of the game. After two chukkers of play, Gypsy/Tritech trailed by two goals, 6-4.
Gypsy/Tritech bounced back with three goals in the third chukker. Ruben Coscia scored twice from the field and Maloney converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal. Nicolas Maciel scored twice for Tentnology, but Gypsy/Tritech cut the lead to a single goal, 8-7.
Gypsy/Tritech tied the game at 8-8 and then took a 9-8 lead with a pair of goals from Coscia. The Tentnology attack was unable to break through the Gypsy/Tritech defense and the two teams left the field after four chukkers of play leading by one goal, 9-8.
The Tentnology offense was stymied for the second consecutive chukker while Gypsy/Tritech extended its lead to four goals, 12-8. Coscia scored the first goal with Suzanne Figi and Von Wernich adding goals for good measure.
Tentnology staged a rally in the sixth, but it wouldn’t be enough as Gypsy/Tritech celebrated a 13-11 win and an appointment with Empire 10 to determine third and fourth place finishes.
Coscia led all scoring with five goals. Von Wernich added four goals; Maloney scored three times (once on a penalty shot).
Maciel led the attack for Tentnology with four goals. Cameron and Gutierrez scored two goals apiece. Warner added a goal in a losing effort.