By Alex Webbe
A record 16 teams are competing in this year’s Ylvisaker Cup at the International Polo club in Wellington, with six of them kicking off the competition on Thursday as Orchard Hill, Valiente I and Circa scored opening victories in the 20-goal competition.
Orchard Hill opened the day with a rousing 15-7 win over Pony Express behind ten goals from Facundo Obregon in the one-sided romp.
“The team went well,” smiled team captain Steve Van Andel following the win. Everything was working for us,” he added.
Pony Express received one goal by handicap and added another on a penalty goal from Tomas Goti in the first chukker, but goals from Lucas Criado and Obregon had it all even at 2-2 at the end of the period.
Goti opened the second with a goal from the field but Criado converted a penalty shot for a goal to keep it all even at 3-3 as the chukker ended.
Obregon got it going in the third period with three consecutive goals to put Orchard Hill on top, 6-3. Goti responded with a pair of penalty goals. Obregon scored his sixth goal of the game on a penalty conversion for a 7-5 halftime lead.
Obregon opened the fourth chukker with a goal from the field that was promptly countered by Goti for Pony Express. A goal from Criado ended the period with Orchard Hill stretching its lead to three goals, 9-6.
Three more goals in the fifth and shutout defense had Orchard Hill galloping off to a 13-6 advantage, picking up a pair of goals from Obregon and a single goal from Pablo Spinacci. After five periods of play, Orchard Hill held a commanding 12-6 lead.
Two final chukker goals from Criado and a tenth goal from Obregon ended the Orchard Hill charge in the 15-7 win. Agustin Grossi managed a single goal in the closing chukker for Pony Express.
Obregon led all scoring with ten goals. Criado scored four times and Spinacci accounted for one goal in the victory.
Goti set the pace for Pony Express with five goals. Grossi added a goal and the team received one goal by handicap.
VALIENTE 1 10, METALTEK 8
In a see-saw battle between Valiente I and Metaltek, Valiente I held on for the hard-fought 10-8 win that wasn’t decided until the final minute of play.
First chukker goals from Metaltek’s Will Johnston and Sebastian Merlos (penalty conversion) were answered by goals from Santiago Bottaro and Santiago Toccalino for Valiente as the first period ended in a 2-2 tie.
The teams stayed even after the second chukker at 4-4 with Valiente I getting single goals from Toccalino and Bottaro while Carlucho Arellano and Merlos countered with goals for Metaltek.
In a defensive-oriented third chukker, Toccalino managed the only goal on a penalty shot for the narrow 5-4 halftime lead.
Second half action began with Arellano tying it up at 5-5 on a penalty conversion. Jeff Hall kept Valiente in front, 6-5 with a penalty conversion that ended the chukker.
Arellano opened the fifth chukker with a penalty goal to tie it at 6-6, but Valiente I quickly responded as he took the ensuing throw-in 150 yards for the go-ahead score, 7-6. Robert Jornayvaz scored his first goal of the match to give Valiente I a two goal lead, 8-6. Arellano added a goal from the field to keep Metaltek within striking distance, 8-7, as the chukker ended
Arellano tied it up again in the final period of play at 8-8, but Valiente I stormed right back. Jornayvaz hammered the ball through the Metaltek goal for a 9-8 lead with two minutes left in regulation play. Metaltek continued to mount a successful attack, but the Valiente I defense was u to the task. A final Metaltek four put Bottaro at the penalty line with seconds left on the clock. The shot was good for the 10-8 final score and a Valiente I win.
A balanced Valiente I attack saw Bottaro score four times; Toccalino add three goals; Jornayvaz registered two goals and Hall added a goal for the victory.
Arellano accounted for four goals for Metaltek. Merlos scored three times and Johnston tallied once.
CIRCA 14, ALEGRIA 11
Hilario Ulloa led a determined Circa attack back from a two goal, 7-5 halftime deficit to a convincing 14-11 win over a talented Alegria team, after scoring eight goals for the cause.
Alegria’s Julian Mannix and Circa’s Martin Pepa exchanged opening goals before Alegria stormed back with consecutive goals from Mannix and Aguerre for a 3-1 Alegria lead. Three consecutive goals (two from Hilario Ulloa and one from Guille Aguero) gave Circa a 4-3 lead to end the chukker.
A determined Alegria returned to the field in the second period as they put up four straight goals without a peep coming from Circa. Mannix and Aguerre scored two goal apiece before Circa finally got on the scoreboard with a single goal from Pepa. After two periods of play, Alegria took a 7-5 lead.
Pepa scored a goal from the field to open the third chukker and Ulloa converted a 40-yard penalty shot to deadlock the game at 7-7, but the score was temporary. Alegria responded with a penalty goal from Mannix and a goal from the field from Aguerre, and Alegria took a two goal, 7-5 lead off the field with them at the end of the first half of play.
Once again, Circa tied it up in the fourth on goals from Pepa and Ulloa. Alegria countered with goals from Mannix and Aguerre, once again, and ended the chukker with its two goal lead, 9-7.
Circa controlled the fifth period, picking up a pair of goals from Ulloa (one from the field and one on a 60-yard penalty conversion) and a single goal from Pepa. Mannix scored the final goal of the chukker, but Alegria continued to trail by two goals,12-10.
Another penalty goal from Ulloa and a goal from the field from Pepa extended the Circa lead to four goals, 14-10 before Alegria (0-1) connected on any successful offense of its own. A goal from the field from Mannix, however, was all it could muster. A final goal from the field from Guille Aguero ended the contest in a 15-11 Circa (1-0) victory.
Ulloa scored eight times to lead the Circa attack. Pepa accounted for five goals and Aguero added two goals in the win.
Mannix let the Alegria team with six goals. Aguerre contributed four goals and Grossi scored once in the loss.