La Dolfina field general Adolfo Cambiaso scored ten times as La dolfina trashed Magual 17-5 to earn a final berth in the Tortugas Open. (Photo by Melito Cerezo)
La Dolfina (Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero) became the first team to qualify for the 2014 Tortugas Open final with a blistering 17-5 win over an out-gunned 33-goal, Magual lineup (Alejandro Muzzio, Ignacio Toccalino, Marcos Di Paola and Jaime Garcia Huidobro) Saturday afternoon at the Tortugas Country Club.
The game began slowly as the two teams seemed to be feeling one another out. Single goals from each had it all even at 1-1 at the end of the opening chukker.
La Dolfina started to flex their muscles in the second period, scoring three times. Magual managed a single goal and trailed 4-2.
The Magual defense stepped it up in the third, holding the mighty La Dolfina team scoreless and adding a goal of their own. La Dolfina lost more than their two goals lead, however, as an injury to Pablo MacDonough forced him from the game, replaced by 9-goaler Sebastian Merlos. After three chukkers Magual had cut the La Dolfina lead to a single goal, 4-3.
With Merlos settling in to the La Dolfina lineup, the team returned to the field in the fourth period re-focused and ready to play. Three goals from Adolfo Cambiaso and company went unanswered as La Dolfina tightened its defense. Magual was shut out and the lead was stretched to four goals, 7-3.
La Dolfina continued to score in the fifth, but Magual fired back. Magual responded to four La Dolfina goals with a pair of their own. La Dolfina had moved in front by six goals, 11-5, with two chukkers left in regulation time.
La Dolfina scored two more goals in the sixth, 13-5, and added four more in the seventh as the Magual offense dried up. La Dolfina rode of the field with a thundering 17-5 win and an opportunity to defend their 2013 Tortugas Open title in the final.
Adolfo Cambiaso led all scoring with ten goals (three on penalty conversions). Juan Martin Nero scored four times; Pelon Stirling was credited two goals and Pablo MacDonough added a goal before leaving the game in the third. Alejandro Muzzio scored all five Magual goals on penalty shots.
La Dolfina will appear in the final on Saturday, October 11th against the winner of Sunday’s Ellerstina (Facundo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres Jr., Mariano Aguerre and Nicolas Pieres) showdown with Alegria (Polito Pieres, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde and Frederick Mannix).