Valiente I wins in OT; MetalTek takes Pony Express Apart in Ylvisaker Cup

By Alex Webbe

Second round play in the 2012 Ylvisaker Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington got underway Sunday afternoon with Valiente I running its record to 2-0 with overtime win at the expense of Orchard Hill (1-1) while MetalTek (1-1) finally got into the winning column with a 16-8 victory over Pony Express (0-2).

In an opening chukker that saw six penalties whistled, Valiente I fought Orchard Hill to a 2-2 tie with Santiago Toccalino converting a pair of 60-yard penalty shots for goals in the opening chukker. Orchard Hill responded with a goal from the field from Pablo Spinacci and Facundo Obregon (penalty conversion).

Orchard Hill shutout the Valiente I attack in the second period while picking up two goals from Lucas Criado for a 4-2 advantage after two chukkers of play.

Jeff Hall and Toccalino scored single goals in the third for Valiente I, but Orchard Hill was up to the challenge. Criado responded with two goals as orchard Hill maintained a two goal lead after the first half of play, 6-4.

The umpire’s whistles continued to sound throughout the fourth chukker with five more fouls being called. Toccalino scored a penalty goal for Valiente I in the opening twenty seconds of play, followed by a goal from the field from Hall two minutes later, and it was all even at 6-6. Spinacci scored on a penalty shot and added a goal from the field on a perfectly executed tail shot to end the chukker. Orchard Hill continued to lead, 8-6.

Ten more penalties were whistled in the fifth with Toccalino converting two of them and having two of them blocked. A third goal from Toccalino cut the Orchard Hill led to a single goal, 10-9, as Spinacci and Obregon managed single goals.

Toccalino tied it again at 10-10 in the first fifty seconds of the sixth period, but Obregon gave the lead back to Orchard Hill, 11-10 just a minute later on a penalty goal. Toccalino converted a 40-yard penalty shot midway through the period resulting in an 11-11 tie that would force the game into sudden-death overtime.

Hall took the opening throw-in in overtime down the field to the Orchard Hill goal where a foul on the goal line gave Valiente I a penalty shot from less than a yard away. Toccalino stroked the ball through the goal posts for the Valiente I win.

Toccalino led all scoring with ten goals (seven on penalty shots). Hall scored twice.

Spinacci and Criado scored four goals apiece for Orchard Hill. Obregon added three goals in the loss.

METALTEK 16, PONY EXPRESS 8

MetalTek and Pony Express fought to 3-3 tie after the first chukker, but caved in the third when MetalTek put four goals on the scoreboard on their way to a 16-8 win.

Pony Express received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal MetalTek team and added two more on goals from Juan Garcia Grossi. MetalTek countered with single goals from Sebastian Merlos, Carlucho Arellano (40-yard penalty conversion) and Will Johnston.

Arellano added two more goals (one from the field and one from the penalty line) in the second frame. Pony Express answered with a penalty conversion from Tomas Goti. MetalTek held a narrow 5-4 advantage.

Goti scored on another penalty goal in the third, but MetalTek fired back with three goals from the field from Merlos and another penalty goal from Arellano. At the end of the first half, MetalTek held a comfortable 9-5 edge.

The MetalTek attack continued to harass the Pony Express defenders in the fourth, converting on just one goal in three attempts, but the pressure was on. Bob Daniels converted a penalty shot for Pony Express with the period ending with MetalTek maintaining its four goal lead, 10-6.

Merlos converted a 60-yard penalty goal to open the scoring in the fifth chukker, but that would be the end of their attack. Goals from Daniels and Grossi ended the period with Pony Express trailing by only three goals, 11-8.

If there was ever any doubt about the final result of the match, MetalTek put an end to the speculation in the sixth. A pair of goals from Stevie Orthwein and three goals from Arellano (one penalty goals and a goal from the field) were combined with lights-out defense that kept Pony Express off of the scoreboard for a 16-8 final.

Arellano led the field with eight goals (six on penalty shots). Merlos added five goals. Orthwein accounted for two goals and Johnston scored once in the win.

Grossi led the Pony Express offense with three goals. Daniels and Goti scored two goals apiece and the team received one goal by handicap.