Catamount Downs Patagones 12-9 in Joe Barry Memorial Cup Action
By Alex Webbe
To hear it from the members of the Catamount (1-0) team after the match you would have thought that they lost, but following their rain-postponement from Sunday the Michigan-based team outscored Patagones 12-9 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.
“I played terribly,” said Catamount 8-goaler Nicolas Roldan, reflecting on the game. “It never felt right,” he added, “but we did get the win.”
Todd Offen, Catamount’s sometime coach played the Number 4 position and didn’t have a lot of positive things to say.
“Our teamwork wasn’t there,” Offen said. “We made too many mistakes.”
Team captain Scott Devon thought the team should have played better as well, but tempered his criticism with the reminder that it was the first game of the season and it did result in a victory.
A continuation of Sunday’s rain-postponed match, Catamount brought a 2-0 lead to the field (a converted penalty goal by Devon and a field goal from Offen) as play began in the second chukker (the teams had completed the first chukker on Sunday before the rains forced the cancellation).
Devon made it 3-0 on a goal from the field, and Roldan converted a 30-yard penalty shot to put them on top 4-0.
Carlucho Arellano finally got Patagones (0-1) on the scoreboard with a goal to end the second chukker, but had a lot of ground to make up.
The teams traded goals in the third period with Catamount 5-goaler Brandon Phillips making it 5-1 before Patagones 8-goaler Mariano Gonzalez cut the lead to three goals. Gonzalo Avendano carried the ball through the goal posts in what looked like a rally, but Roldan countered with a well-placed goal, and the chukker ended with Catamount on top of a 6-3 score.
Arellano scored again for Patagones to open the fourth period, but was quickly answered by another Roldan score. Gonzalez converted a penalty shot for Patagones before Phillips came right back with a goal for Catamount. The play was messy, the fighting was scrappy, but Catamount held on to an 8-5 lead.
“There are a lot of things we have to work on,” said Phillips, designated by Offen as the team’s MVP after the match, “but it is our first tournament game of the year, and we did win.”
Gonzalez’s single goal accounted for all of the Patagones offense in the fifth chukker as two more goals from Phillips boosted the Catamount lead to four goals, 10-6.
Patagones continued to press the attack, and two Catamount fouls were converted into goals as Gonzalez scored his fourth and fifth goals of the match, cutting the Catamount lead to 10-8.
Catamount came right back, however, proving the polo adage that as penalties go, so goes the game. Roldan scored on a 30-yard penalty shot, and teammate Offen split the goal posts from 40 yards out to ice the game. A last gasp goal by Arellano showed that there was still fight left in them, but time expired with Catamount ahead 12-9.
Gonzalez led all scorers with five goals. Teammate Arellano added three and Gonzalo Avendano scored once in the loss.
Roldan and Phillips scored four goals apiece for the win, with both Devon and Offen adding two goals each.
Catamount’s next match is scheduled for Thursday against Skeeterville (1-0).
Joe Barry Memorial Cup play will continue on Tuesday at 2 pm with Mt. Brilliant (0-1) playing Bud Light/ERG (0-1).