By Alex Webbe 

Orchard Hill rebounded from Tuesday’s loss in the finals of the Monty Waterbury finals to score a convincing 15-8 win over Golden Zebra in the opening game of the 2010 USPA Silver Cup at the 302 Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina.

Orchard Hill got one goal by handicap to start the match, and got three straight goals from Chris Stratemann, Nic Roldan (penalty shot) and Lucas Criado for an early 4-0 lead.  Julian Daniels finally got Golden Zebra on the scoreboard with a penalty conversion, but the first chukker ended with Orchard Hill holding on to a 4-1 lead.

Criado added two more goals to the Orchard Hill total in the second period, but Daniels responded with a pair of goals from the field to keep pace.  Orchard left the field after the first two chukkers leading 6-3.

“We just weren’t finishing plays,” said Daniels.  “We couldn’t get the ball through the goal posts.” He added.

Daniels, who has had a stellar 20-goal season for golden Zebra lined up at the Back position, with Snow at Number 3 and Owen Rinehart at Number 2, but the former 10-goalers had difficulty getting the ball over the goal line.

“We actually played quite well in the first four chukkers,” Daniels added, but we couldn’t seem to score.  A goal here or there, and we’d have been back in it, but it’s difficult playing catch up against a team like Orchard Hill.”

The Orchard Hill momentum continued to build into the third chukker.  Goals from Criado and Roldan had them up by five goals, 8-3, before Adam Snow managed to break through for his first goal of the game.  The first half ended with Orchard Hill up, 8-4.

Snow and Daniels each converted a penalty shot for Golden Zebra in the fourth to close the game, but Roldan’s third goal of the game kept Orchard out in front, 9-6 as the chukker ended.

Orchard Hill took control in the fifth, with goals from team captain Steve Van Andel, Roldan and Criado.  A disciplined defense held Golden Zebra to a single goal from Daniels as Orchard Hill took a commanding 12-7 lead into the final chukker of play.

Orchard Hill was at its peak in the last seven minutes of the game, getting goals from Van Andel, Roldan and Criado for the second consecutive chukker.  A 60-yard penalty conversion by Daniels is the only thing that kept Golden Zebra from being shut out in the 15-8 beating.

Criado set the pace for Orchard Hill with six goals.  Roldan scored five times while teammate Van Andel accounted for two goals and Stratemann added one in the win.  Orchard Hill got one goal by handicap.

Daniels was high scorer for Golden Zebra with six goals.  Snow added two goals in a losing effort.

PONY EXPRESS 14, WINFIELD 13

Kris Kampsen led all scoring with eight goals, but it wasn’t enough as Pony Express scored its first win of the 20-goal fall season with a narrow 14-13 win over Winfield in silver Cup action.

Winfield received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Pony Express team and added to it in the first chukker with a pair of goals from Kampsen and a single goal from the field from 7-goaler Luis Escobar.

Pony Express answered back with single goals from Tomas Goti, Michel Dorignac and Tiger Kneece to trail 4-3 after the first chukker.

Pony Express seemed to take control in the second chukker, as Winfield continued to look for its seas legs in its first 20-goal contest of the season.  A pair of goals from Dorignac and a single goal from Goti were accompanied by shutout defense, and Pony Express galloped off with a 6-4 lead after the first two chukkers of play.

“They shot very accurately in the second chukker,” offered Kampsen, “I think that each of their goals was scored on a shot from eighty or a hundred yards out.”

Kampsen added a pair of goals in the third, but Pony Express came back with goals from Kegan Walsh (playing for Bob Daniels), Goti and Dorignac.  Pony Express retired to the sidelines at the end of the first half with a comfortable 9-6 advantage.

“Our horses were a little heavy at the start, but we got things working in the second half,” said Kampsen.

Winfield stormed back in the fourth chukker, betting a pair of goals from Kampsen and single goals from Rick Hartnett and Escobar.  The Pony Express offense was stymied for the first time all afternoon, and the chukker ended in an 11-11 tie.

Winfield continued to press the attack, with goals from Kampsen and Willie Hartnett, but the Pony Express offense proved to be too much for the team.  Goals from Goti, Dorignac and Kneece ended with contest in a hotly contested 14-13 win for Pony Express.

USPA silver Cup action will continue on Sunday with Winfield (0-1) facing Golden Zebra (0-1) in a must-win contest at 11 am while Barrington (0-0) plays Pony Express (1-0) at 4:30 pm.