By Alex Webbe
With the Villa de Lago 8-7 win over Santa Clara, the semifinal match-ups were finalized for the 2011 Freebooters Classic 14-goal at the International Polo Club.
Villa de Lago charged onto the field in the first chukker, taking advantage of one goal by handicap and adding three more to it for a 4-1 lead.
Villa de Lago got two goals from Carlucho Arellano and a goal from Tomas Obregon while holding Santa Clara to a single penalty goal from Luis Escobar. The first chukker ended with Villa de Lago leading, 4-1.
Juan Curbelo scored his first goal from the field for Santa Clara in the second, but Arellano responded by converting a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal. The lead remained the same with Villa de Lago holding a 5-2 advantage.
Goals from Tomas Obregon and Agustin Obregon extended the Villa de Lago lead to four goals, with Diogo Gallego accounting for Santa Clara’s only goal in the chukker. Villa de Lago took a handy 7-3 lead to the sidelines with them at the end of the first half.
Santa Clara’s defense tightened in the fourth, holding Villa de Lago scoreless for the first time all day but managed only a single goal from Escobar. Villa de Lago held the lead at 7-4.
Escobar accounted for both Santa Clara goals in the fifth chukker while limiting Villa de Lago to a penalty goal from Tomas Obregon. The lead was cut to just two goals with a full chukker left to be played.
Santa Clara mounted attack after attack in the waning minutes of the final chukker and emerged with just one penalty goal from Escobar. The final horn sounded giving Villa de Lago the 8-7 win and a berth in next week’s semifinals against Goose Creek. Metal Tech will face Circa in the second semifinal match-up.
Luis Escobar led the field with five goals for Santa Clara. Curbelo and Gallego scored single goals in the loss.
Arellano and Tomas Obregon scored three goals apiece for Villa de Lago. Agustin Obregon scored another goal and the team received one goal by handicap.