By Alex Webbe
Barrington (2-0) and Orchard Hill (1-1) both rolled over their respective opponents in Thursday’s action of the 2010 USPA Monty Waterbury Cup, presented by Mercedes-Benz of Augusta at Barb Uskup’s 302 Polo Club in second round play, in Aiken, south Carolina.
In the morning contest, Barrington got off to a slow start, trailing Pony Express 2-1 after the opening chukker before presenting a solid team effort to take a 7-4 halftime lead.
Barrington’s Julio Arellano scored the first goal of the game on a penalty shot followed by a pair of goals from Tomas Goti to end the first chukker with Pony Express (0-2) on top of a 2-1 score.
Biddle scored consecutive goals from the field in the second to give Barrington a 3-2 lead, and another goal from teammate Antonio Galvan had Pony Express trailing 5-3. Tiger Kneece scored the final goal of the chukker for Pony Express, but Barrington held on to a 4-3 advantage.
Michel Dorignac’s first goal of the game opened the third period, and tied the game at 4-4, but Barrington was just getting started. Biddle converted a 60-yard penalty shot and Galvan added another goal from the field. Biddle scored his fourth goal of the game to end the first half with Barrington leading by three goals, 7-4.
The hits just kept on coming for Barrington in the fourth chukker, with Julio Arellano scoring three times for Barrington and Galvan adding his third goal of the match. Shutout defense kept Pony Express off the scoreboard, and Barrington took an 11-4 lead into the fifth period.
“We started slowly, “offered Biddle, “but once we got going we created some well executed runs at goal. I don’t think the rain delays helped us, but we managed to get the job done.”
Arellano scored the opening goal of the fifth frame, and team captain Barb Uskup scored her first goal from the field to give Barrington a 13-4 lead. Goti converted a penalty shot in the chukker for Pony Express to end the period with Barrington holding on to an eight goal lead, 13-5.
Dorignac and Goti each scored single goals in the final chukker, with Barrington coasting through much of the period, and riding off with their second straight win, 13-7.
Arellano led all scoring with five goals. Biddle scored four times; Galvan added three goals and Uskup accounted for a goal in the win.
Dorignac and Goti scored three goals apiece for Pony Express. Kneece added one goal in the loss.
ORCHARD HILL 13, GOLDEN ZEBRA 7
Orchard Hill received one goal by handicap and scored the first goals on the field, with Nic Roldan converting a 30-yard penalty shot and Lucas Criado adding a goal. Golden Zebra (1-1) fought back with two straight goals from Adam Snow, but trailed 3-2 as the chukker ended.
Julian Daniels tied it up at 3-3 in the second, with his first goal of the game, but Roldan and Criado each scored a goal to keep Orchard Hill out in front, 5-3.
Daniels converted a penalty shot in the third, but Roldan and Criado came through with single goals, and Orchard Hill extended its lead to 7-4 to end the first half of play.
Snow scored from the field to open the action in the fourth period, but in a defense-minded chukker, Criado’s penalty conversion kept the spread at three goals, with Orchard Hill holding on to an 8-5 advantage after four periods of play.
Criado added two more goals to the Orchard Hill total in the fifth, as Golden Zebra fell behind 10-5, but there was plenty more game to play. Snow scored his fourth goal of the game for Pony Express before Orchard Hill team captain, Steve Van Andel, ended the scoring for the chukker with his first goal of the contest. Orchard Hill took a commanding 11-6 lead into the final period of play.
Golden Zebra continued to struggle with its offense in the final seven minutes of the game, getting s single goal from Daniels on a penalty shot while allowing goals from Roldan and Criado for the final 13-7 Orchard Hill victory.
Orchard Hill’s Criado set the scoring pace with seven goals. Roldan added four goals and Van Andel scored once. Orchard Hill received one goal by handicap.
Snow scored four times for Golden Zebra, with Daniels adding three goals in a losing effort.
Play will continue in the 2010 USPA Monty Waterbury Cup with Barrington (2-0) meeting Golden Zebra (1-1) while Orchard Hill (1-1) faces Pony Express (0-2).