Photo credits-Alex Pacheco
Piaget received one goal by handicap and picked up a second goal from Joaquin Panelo in the opening minute of play for a 2-0 advantage, but that would be the last lead they would enjoy as Coca-Cola rode on to score a 15-11 win in Thursday morning’s opening game of the 2013 Ylvisaker Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Following Panelo’s goal from the field, Julio Arellano converted two penalty shots for goals for Coca-Cola and Tommy Collingwood added a goal in the final seconds of the chukker for the 3-2 edge.
Collingwood scored another goal from the field to open the second period followed by goals from Arellano (penalty conversion) and Sugar Erskine as Coca-Cola expanded their lead to four goals, 6-2. Miguel Astrada kept Piaget from getting blanked with a goal from the field to close out the chukker. Piaget trailed, 6-3.
Gillian Johnston carried the ball nearly 150 yards down the field for a goal with Erskine deftly riding off a defending Juan Bollini, 7-3. Astrada converted a penalty shot for a goal for Piaget, 7-4, before Coca-Cola went on a tear. Erskine added two more goals from the field and Arellano converted his fourth penalty shot of the game. Coca-Cola rode off the field with a commanding 10-4 halftime lead.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fourth, with Astrada scoring twice from the field while Coca-Cola notched goals from Collingwood and Erskine (penalty shot). The Coca-Cola lead remained at six goals, 12-6.
Piaget picked up goals from Astrada (penalty shot) and Panelo in the fifth, but picked up no ground. Coca-Cola countered with goals from Collingwood and Arellano (penalty conversion). Piaget continued to trail, 14-8.
A final chukker Piaget rally produced three goals (one from Panelo and two penalty goals for Astrada) while stemming the Coca-Cola attack to a single goal from Johnston, but the game was lost. Coca-Cola registered their first Ylvisaker win, 15-11.
Astrada led the field in scoring with seven goals (five on penalty conversions). Panelo added three goals and the team received one goal by handicap. Arellano converted five penalty shots for goals for Coca-Cola. Erskine and Collingwood scored four goals apiece and Johnston added two goals for the win.
CRAB ORCHARD 13, PORT MAYACA 11
An underdog Port Mayaca polo team surprised Crab Orchard Thursday afternoon in their first Ylvisaker Cup match by jumping out to an early 5-2 lead before losing 13-11.
Port Mayaca was spotted a goal by handicap from the 20-goal Crab Orchard team but looked like world beaters in the opening chukker of play. A pair of goals from Marianito Obregon (one on a penalty conversion) and single goals from Robert Orthwein and Carlucho Arellano along with their one goal by handicap had Port Mayaca on the winning end of an early 5-1 score. Crab Orchard collected two goals on a pair of penalty shots from Mariano Aguerre that closed out the period.
Arellano scored his second goal of the game on a penalty goal to open the second chukker, but Aguerre responded with a penalty goal and a goal from the field. The second chukker ended with Port Mayaca maintaining the lead, 6-4.
Goals from Felipe Viana and Matias Magrini tied it up in the opening minutes of the third period, 6-6. Aguerre’s fifth goal of the game had Crab Orchard ahead, but Robert Orthwein would end up on the scoring end of a pass from Obregon in the final 20 seconds of first half for a 7-7- deadlock.
Crab Orchard had regrouped at halftime and returned to the field prepared to take control of the game. A penalty conversion from Arellano put Port Mayaca on top, 8-7, but that would be their last score of the chukker. Aguerre scored twice from the field and Magrini added a penalty goal to give Crab orchard the lead, 10-8.
Both defenses tightened in the fifth, with no goals being scored from the field. Crab Orchard, however, took advantage of some Port Mayaca miscues with Magrini converting on three separate penalty shots for goals. With one chukker left to be played Crab Orchard held a five goal, 13-8 advantage.
Port Mayaca fought to get back into the game in the final chukker. Obregon scored twice from the field and dropped a scoring pass across the goal mouth for a streaking Arellano for another goal, but time was against them. Time ran out and they fell to Crab Orchard, 13-11.
Aguerre was credited with seven goals (three on penalty shots) for Crab Orchard. Teammate Magrini added five goals (four penalty conversions) to the mix and Viana scored once. Obregon (one on a penalty shot) and Arellano (two penalty conversions) set the pace for Port Mayaca with four goals each. Robert Orthwein scored twice.
ZACARA 16, GOOSE CREEK 9
To the delight of a veteran polo crowd at the International Polo Club Zacara’s Facundo Pieres scored twelve times in leading his team to a resounding 16-9 win over an out-played Goose Creek entry in the final tournament match of the day.
Goose Creek team captain Maureen Brennan brought in Chilean polo players Tano Vial (6) and Cote Zegers (5) in an effort to shake up the team chemistry, and it appeared to be working—initially. Goose Creek took advantage of one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Zacara team and managed to keep it tied at 2-2 after the first chukker play. Facundo Pieres scored twice for Zacara while Goose Creek came up with a single goal from Luis Escobar.
Goose Creek added three more goals in the second, with Vial scoring twice and Zegers adding a goal from the field. Pieres accounted for all three Zacara goals (one on a penalty conversion). The second chukker ended in a 5-5 stalemate.
Zegers scored a goal from the field for Goose Creek in the opening minute of the third period for a 6-5 edge. Pieres responded in less than a minute with a goal from the field and gave Zacara a 7-6 halftime lead.
The second half belonged to Zacara as Ulloa added two goals from the field and Pieres converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal. Escobar scored a penalty goal for goose Creek but Zacara stretched its lead to three goals, 10-7.
Three more goals from Pieres in the fifth and a single goal from Ulloa had Zacara on top, 14-8. Escobar supplied the only goal for Goose Creek.
Pieres and Ulloa scored single goals in the final chukker with Escobar converting a penalty shot in the final seconds of play. Pieres scored an impressive fourteen goals and Zacara celebrated the 16-9 win.
Escobar led the Goose Creek attack with four goals. Vial and Zegers added two goals apiece in the loss. Pieres set the pace on the day with fourteen goals scored (four on penalty shots). Ulloa added four goals for the victory.