By Alex Webbe
Faraway ran out to a 7-4 halftime lead before racing past a listless Jan Pamela attack in scoring a 13-7 win in the opening game of the 2011 Alligator Challenge at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Jan Pamela received one goal by handicap and added a goal on a penalty conversion from Steve Dalton in first chukker play, but goals from Martin Zegers and Julian Daniels had it all even at 2-2.
Faraway added goals by Maureen Brennan and Daniels in the second, while limiting the Jan Pamela offensive damage to a single goal by Nick Manifold. Faraway took the lead, 4-3.
Daniels added two more goals to the Faraway total and Zegers scored for the second time in the game. Dalton converted a penalty shot for Jan Pamela’s only goal of the chukker, as Faraway left the field at the end of the first half with a 7-4 advantage.
Scoring went back and forth as the second half began. Dalton opened the fourth period with a penalty goal followed by a goal from Faraway’s Daniels. Manifold responded with a goal for Jan Pamela, and Zegers ended the scoring in the chukker with a penalty goal. Faraway maintained its three goal lead, 9-6.
Goals were hard to come by in the fifth chukker with defenses smothering scoring opportunities. Dalton finally managed to sneak a ball through the Faraway defenders for a goal, cutting the lead to two goals, 9-7.
Faraway picked up four more goals in the final chukker while Jan Pamela was held scoreless. Zegers picked up a pair of goals while teammates Daniels and Hutton Goodman added single goals for the win. Jan Pamela was held scoreless for the final seven minutes of play, but it wasn’t for lack of effort.
“We just didn’t get the scoring opportunities in the sixth chukker,” said Jan Pamela 5-goaler Steve Dalton. “I thought we were still in it, but a couple of breaks that went their way sealed the game.”
Daniels led all scoring with six goals. Zegers added five goals in the win and Brennan and Goodman added single goals for Faraway.
“They simply out-played us today,” said Dalton. “They got the breaks and capitalized on them,” he added, “they played a good game, but there are plenty games left to be played,” he smiled.