By Alex Webbe
Marianito Obregon scored five goals in the 11-7 Equuleus semifinal win, but it was his defense that set the table for the Wednesday afternoon victory.
Time after time Obregon could be seen riding-off, blocking or physically pestering polo legend Memo Gracida in the course of the match.
“The game plan had me going to the hitter, no matter who it was,” said Marianito Obregon, “and then to look for Memo (Gracida) throughout the game.”
Patagones scored first, with Carlos Avendano converting an early penalty shot for a goal. Adam Snow returned the favor for Equuleus for a 1-1 tie. A pair of goals from Obregon in the second gave Equuleus a 4-2 lead after the second, with Gonzalo Avendano scoring the only Patagones goal.
Obregon scored on a penalty shot to open the third and Snow recorded his second goal of the match as Equuleus took a 5-2 lead. Gonzalo Avendano drove the ball through the Equuleus goal posts to end the first half trailing 5-3.
The two teams exchanged a couple of goals in the fourth and single goals in the fifth before Gracida scored his only goal from the field in the sixth.
Two goals from Mariano Gonzalez and Obregon’s fifth goal of the match sealed the deal, with Equuleus taking the win, 11-7, and moving into Sunday’s 2011 Ylvisaker Cup finals against Zacara.
“I thought the team went well today,” said Marianito Obregon. “They’re (Patagones) a tough team, but I thought we did well against them.”
Obregon was the leading scorer for Equuleus with five goals. Snow and Gonzalez added three goals apiece.
Carlos Avendano accounted for three goals for Patagones. Gracida scored twice and Donovan and Gonzalo Avendano scored single goals in the loss.
ZACARA 11, LUCCHESE 8
Lucchese received one goal by handicap and got a first chukker goal from Luis Escobar, but watches ad three goals from Zacara’s Gonzalo Del Tour took the early lead.
Two unanswered goals from Andres Weisz and Kris Kampsen gave Lucchese the lead after the second chukker, 4-3.
Zacara rebounded in the third, picking up goals from Del Tour and Jeff Blake, and ending the first half with a narrow 5-4 advantage.
Lucchese fought back in the fourth, getting a pair of penalty goals from Kampsen and a goal from the field from Escobar. Zacara managed a single goal from Del Tour, and the period ended with Lucchese on top of a 7-6 score.
Weisz scored again in the fifth, but goals from Del Tour (penalty conversion) and Mariano Uranga tied it up at 8-8.
Zacara took control of the final chukker, scoring three times while shutting out the Lucchese offense in the 11-8 win.
“I don’t know what went wrong today,” said a bewildered Kampsen after the game. “It just wasn’t working for us today. We’re a better team than that.”
Del tour scored eight goals for Zacara. Teammate Uranga added two goals and Blake scored once.
Kampsen set the pace for Lucchese with three goals. Escobar and Weisz each scored two goals in the loss.
The victory puts Zacara in Sunday’s finals of the 2011 Ylvisaker Cup finals against Equuleus.