L to R-Brazilian 7-goaler Joao Ganon scored ten times for CT Energia but is chased by Eduardo Astrada (right) early in the contest. Las Monjitas took the game in a 15-13 shootout.
(Photo By Alex Pacheco)
Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Geronimo Obregon, Eduardo Astrada and Alejandro Astrada) kept their playoff hopes alive Tuesday afternoon by defeating CT Energia (Alessandro Bazzoni, Kris Kampsen, Joao Ganon and Nick Manifold) in a 15-13 shootout in Ylvisaker Cup competition at the International Polo club.
CT Energia received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Las Monjitas lineup but it was Alejandro Astrada scored the first goal in the game on a penalty shot to make it 1-1. Geronimo Obregon added a goal to give Las Monjitas the 2-1 lead after the opening chukker of play.
Brazilian superstar Joao Ganon blazed into the second chukker as he scored the first three goals of the period. Ganon converted a pair of 30-yard penalty shots for goals and added another goal from the field for a 4-2 led. Eduardo Astrada scored the final goal of the chukker, cutting the CT Energia lead to a single goal, 4-3, before crashing to the ground in an accident that had him exiting the game in an ambulance. Sebastian Merlos was quickly recruited to replace him to finish out the remaining 47 seconds of the chukker.
The two teams traded goals in the third with Alejandro Astrada scoring three times (twice on penalty shots) and CT Energia responding with a pair of goals from Ganon (one on a penalty conversion) and a goal from the field from team captain Alessandro Bazzoni. CT Energia rode off the field at the end of the first half with a narrow 7-6 advantage while Las Monjitas had to make adjustments to their lineup, with the loss of Eduardo Astrada and the addition of Merlos.
Alejandro Astrada scored the first goal of the second half to tie it up at 7-7. Ganon answered back with a pair of penalty goals as CT Energia took a 9-7, two goal lead. Sebastian Merlos made his presence known with his first goal of the match, cutting the lead down to a single goal, 9-8. Alejandro Astrada tied it up with his sixth goal of the match, 9-9. Kris Kampsen put CT Energia back in front, 10-9, with a goal from the field. Merlos and Alejandro Astrada closed out the chukker with a goal from the field and a 60-yard penalty conversion respectively. Las Monjitas took the lead back, 11-0.
Ganon tied it up at11-11 on a penalty conversion, but three consecutive goals from Las Monjitas (two from Merlos and a penalty goal from Alejandro Astrada) had CT Energia trailing by two goals, 14-11. Ganon got CT Energia back into the game with a pair of goals (one on a penalty shot), to trail by a single goal, 14-13. Efforts to tie it up fell flat when Merlos scooped up the ball and raced down the field to score the final goal of the match for a 15-13 Las Monjitas victory.
Ganon led all scoring with ten goals (seven on penalty conversions). Kampsen and Bazzoni each scored a goal in the loss. Alejandro Astrada scored six of his team high eight goals on penalty shots. Merlos added five goals and Obregon and Eduardo Astrada scored single goals for the win.