(L to R)-Horseware 5-goaler Juan Martin Obregon scored all six of his team’s goals as he battles Villa Del Lago 5-goaler Carlucho Arellano in 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup play on Wednesday afternoon at the International Polo Club. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
A young Horseware team (Matt Coppola, Juan Martin Obregon, Mariano Gracida and Tommy Collingwood) put up- a good fight Wednesday afternoon in Ylvisaker Cup play at the International Polo Club, but in the end, it was Villa del Lago (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Hilario Ulloa and Carlucho Arellano) securing a berth in Sunday’s quarterfinals with a 10-8 win.
The 18-goal Horseware team received two goals by handicap from the 20-goal Villa Del Lago lineup and ran the lead up to 3-0 with an opening goal from the field from Juan Martin Obregon. Hilario Ulloa responded with penalty goals from the 40 and 30-yard markers. The first chukker ended with Horseware on top of a 3-2 score.
A scoreless second period followed with neither side taking control of the game. Choppy play resulted in missed shots on goal and squandered opportunities. The score remained 3-2.
Neither offense picked up significantly in third period action. Ulloa tied the game at 3-3 with a 30-yard penalty conversion in the opening minute of play. Juan Martin Obregon pushed Horseware back into the lead with his second goal of the game. The first half ended with Horseware defending a fragile 4-3 advantage.
Another 30-yard penalty goal from Juan Martin Obregon came in the first minute of the fourth chukker, 5-3, with Ulloa countering with a 40-yard penalty conversion of his own, 5-4. Augustin Obregon scored his first goal of the day for Villa Del Lago, leveling the score at 5-5. With a great individual effort, Juan Martin Obregon took the ball away from Villa Del Lago at midfield and raced toward the opponent’s goalposts, driving it through with just four seconds left on the clock. Horseware retained the lead, 6-5.
All three goals scored in the fifth chukker came on penalty shots, with Ulloa scoring twice from the 30-yard line and giving Vila Del Lago their first lead of the game, 7-6. A Villa Del Lago fouls sent Juan Martin Obregon to the penalty line with less than a minute on the clock where he converted the shot for a goal and a 7-7 tie.
Horseware penalties were the deciding factor in the final seven minutes of the game with Ulloa converting from the 60, 40 and 30-yard marks, 10-7. Juan Martin Obregon scored the final goal of the day for Horseware as they fell to Villa Del Lago, 10-8.
Ulloa led all scoring with nine goals, all from the penalty line. Agustin Obregon added a goal in the win. Juan Martin Obregon (Agustin’s cousin) scored all six of Horseware’s goals (four from the penalty line) and the team received two goals by handicap. The win boosts Villa Del Lago into a position in Sunday’s Ylvisaker Cup quarterfinals.
Equine Liquid Biocell 13, Coca-Cola 11
Earlier in the day, Equine Liquid Biocell (Tomas Obregon, Jared Zenni, Magoo Laprida and Juan Valerdi) rode out to an 8-5 lead over Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Julian de Lusarreta, Julio Arellano and Del Walton) in the fourth chukker on their way to a 13-11 victory.
Coca-Cola 8-goaler Julio Arellano set the offensive pace for is team with seven goals. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Coca-Cola had already secured a quarterfinal position after winning their first two sins of the tournament, but the play was rough and tumble and resulted in players from each side being replaced following a collision in fifth period play.
Coca-Cola 3-goaler Del Walton is reported to have suffered a broken collarbone and was replaced by Tommy Alberdi. Marcos Garcia Del Rio replaced Tomas Obregon. The fifth period ended in a 9-9 tie with Equine Liquid Biocell outscoring Coca-Cola 4-2 in the sixth for the win.
Coca-Cola got single goals from Gillian Johnston and Julio Arellano (40-yard penalty conversion) to take an 11-9 lead. Equine Liquid Biocell answered back with single goals from Juan Valerdi, Magoo Laprida and a pair of goals from Jared Zenni for the 13-11 win.
Equine Liquid Biocell team captain Jared Zenni set the pace for his team with six goals on the day. Magoo Laprida and Juan Valerdi added three goals each with Tomas Obregon accounting for a goal in the win. Julio Arellano led Coca-Cola in scoring with seven goals. Johnston and Julian de Lusarreta each scored twice.
Following the final round of preliminary play in the 2017 Ylvisaker Cup, Orchard Hill, Valiente II, Valiente I, Coca-Cola, Villa Del Lago, Postage Stamp Farm and Tonkawa earned spots in Sunday’s quarterfinals. Shootouts will determine the eighth quarterfinal position, with Sunday’s pairings and playing order yet to be determined.