By Alex Webbe
An undefeated Equuleus team took the field against once-defeated ERG, and showed no mercy as they ran off with a 12-10 victory in Ylvisaker Cup play at the International Polo Club in Wellington Thursday afternoon.
Playing under threatening skies and on-again, off-again showers. The two teams played to a 2-2 first chukker tie before Equuleus put three unanswered goals on the scoreboard in the second for a 5-2 lead.
ERG rallied in the third, getting a pair of penalty goals from Jason Crowder and a goal from the field from Paco De Narvaez to tie it at 5-5. A goal from Equuleus 7-goaler Mariano Gonzalez ended the first half with ERG trailing 6-5.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fourth with ERG getting goals from Charley Micheo while Equuleus responded with goals from Gonzalez and Marianito Obregon. Equuleus held the lead at 8-7.
The fifth chukker belonged to Equuleus with Adam Snow and Gonzalez scoring single goals and Obregon adding a pair. Shutout defense had Equuleus leaving the field at the end of the chukker with a commanding 12-7 advantage.
ERG tried to stage a comeback in the sixth chukker, getting a pair of goals from Torres and a single goal from Crowder, but there was not enough time left, as Equuleus cruised to the 12-10 win.
“We just weren’t clicking today,” said Jason Crowder. “We weren’t connecting on passes and weren’t closing on the other team as quickly as we needed to. It was a very frustrating match,” he added.
The victory assures Equuleus (3-0) of a first place finish in its bracket and a spot in next week’s semifinals while ERG’s (2-2) fate rests in the outcome of the remaining bracket matches.
LECHUZA 11, BENDABOUT 9
Lechuza (1-2) scored its first Ylvisaker Cup win in an 11-9 victory over Bendabout (1-2) despite every member of the Bendabout team getting on the scoreboard..
With sixteen-year-old Matt Coppola taking the place of team captain Victor Vargas, Lechuza scored the first goal of the game on a Gaston Lisioli penalty shot, but fell behind 2-1 after the second chukker as Gillian Johnston and Chris Nevins each scored a goal for Bendabout.
A four goal third chukker had Guille Aguero and Toto Collardin each scoring a pair of goals while the Lechuza defense held Bendabout to a single goal from Nevins. Lechuza took a 5-3 lead at the end of the first half, and wouldn’t trail again.
Three more Lechuza goals in the fourth game them an 8-4 lead, with Lucas Criado accounting for the only Bendabout score in the chukker. Lechuza took a five goal, 10-5 lead into the final chukker of play.
Bendabout bounced back in the sixth and final chukker as Lechuza held on for the win. Bendabout got a pair of goals from Criado and single goals from Inaki Laprida and Johnston. Aguero scored his fifth goal of the game for the final 11-9 Lechuza win.
“I think we went a lot better today,” said Aguero, who led all scoring with five goals. “I think we’re playing the way we should,” he added.
Ylvisaker Cup competition will continue on Saturday with a Lucchese (3-0) team that has already clinched a playoff position slated to play Valiente (0-3) at 2 pm followed by a contest between Patagones (2-1) and Mt. Brilliant (2-1) that will decide the other playoff contender from Bracket I.