By Alex Webbe
Ten-goal play continued Sunday afternoon in the Champions Cup at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California with Empire (Eric Hammon, Craig Steinke, Mariano Fassetta and Ashton Wolf) scoring a 13-12 win over Tentnology (Gery Warner, Artie Cameron, Nicolas Maciel and Miguel Gutierrez) while Barrossa (Jesse Bray, Santiago Trotz, Erik Wright and Jef Graham) downed Gypsy/Tritech (Luis Rios, Graham Bray, Gaston Von Wernich and Chris Maloney)9-8 in the second week of play.
Luis Rios scored the opening goal of the match for Gypsy/Tritech followed by a goal from Barrossa’s Santiago Trotz. Graham Bray scored the final goal of the chukker for an early 2-1 Gypsy/Tritech lead.
Barrossa got a pair of goals from Jesse Bray and a 60-yard penalty goal from Trotz in the second chukker while holding Gypsy/Tritech to a single penalty goal from Gaston Von Wernich. After two periods of play Barrossa moved in front, 4-3.
The two teams traded goals in the third with Gypsy/Tritech getting two goals from the field from Von Wernich, and Barrossa responding with a penalty goal from Jesse Bray and a goal from the field from Trotz. At the end of the first half Barrossa was guarding a narrow 6-5 advantage.
A determined Gypsy/Tritech team took the field in the fourth chukker, shutting out the Barrossa offense by managing a single tying goal from Chris Maloney. After four periods of play, the game was all even at 6-6.
Barrossa got back in synch in the fifth with Trotz connecting on two shots from the field for goals. Graham Bray scored a single goal for Gypsy/Tritech but Barrossa had recaptured the lead, 8-7.
With both teams struggling to control bot the pace and rhythm of the game, Barrossa took advantage of a Gypsy/Tritech as Trotz converted the 40-yard penalty shot. Von Wernich scored a single goal for Gypsy/Tritech, but it wasn’t enough as Barrossa rode off with the 9-8 win.
Trotz led Barrossa with six goals (two on penalties). Jesse Bray added three goals (one penalty goal).
Von Wernich scored four times (one penalty goal). Graham Bray was credited with two goals and teammates Rios and Maloney added single goals in the loss.
EMPIRE 13, TENTNOLOGY 12
Later in the day, Empire fell behind 7-5 after three chukkers but rallied to score a 13-12 win over Tentnology in Champions Cup play.
Tentnology received two goals by handicap and took a 3-2 first chukker lead with Nicolas Maciel adding a 40-ard penalty goal. Empire picked up two first chukker goals from Ashton Wolf.
Two more goals from the field from Wolf and a goal from Mariano Fassetta were countered by single goals from Maciel and Miguel Gutierrez. After two chukkers of lay it was all even at 5-5.
Empire was blanked by an oppressive defense in the third chukker and watched as Tentnology got a goal from the field from Gutierrez and a penalty goal from Maciel. At the end of the first half, Tentnology led, 7-5.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fourth. Maciel added two penalty goals while empire registered two goals from the field from Fassetta. Tentnology continued to lead, 9-7.
Once again in the fifth Tentnology and Empire traded goals. Maciel scored twice for Tentnology while Empire got a goal from the field from Eric Hammon and a 40-yard penalty goal from Fassetta. With only one chukker remaining, Tentnology held a two goal, 11-9 advantage.
The Empire offense exploded in the sixth chukker with Fassetta scoring twice from the field and once on a penalty shot. Wolf scored his fifth goal of the day in the 13-12 win. Tentnology managed just one goal (Gutierrez) as they watched their two goal lead vanish in the Empire victory.
Fassetta scored seven times for Empire. Wolf was credited with five goals and Hammon scored once in the win.
Maciel led the Tentnology attack with seven goals (five on penalty shots). Gutierrez scored three times and the team received two goals by handicap.