Joe BarryMemorial Cup Semifinals Set
ByAlex Webbe
Coca-Cola (3-0) scored early and often against previouslyunbeaten Heathcote (2-1) in Joe Barry Memorial Cup action at the InternationalPolo Club in Wellington Sunday afternoon, registering a 12-8 win and a berth inthe semifinals on Wednesday, January 25.
A choppy start had Coca-Cola scoring the first goal ofthe game on a penalty shot from American 9-goaler Julio Arellano, countered bya goal from the field from Heathcote team captain Steve Lefkowitz for a 1-1tie. Tommy Biddle put Heathcote on top,2-1, with a 60-yard penalty conversion, but that would be Heathcote’s lastlead. A goal from the field from MasonWroe and a second penalty goal from Arellano ended the first chukker with Coca-Colaout in front, 3-2.
Arellano added two more penalty goals in the second whileteam captain Gillian Johnston scored her first goal of the day. The Coca-Cola defense was solid, shutting outthe Heathcote attack and leaving the field with a 6-2 lead.
Both defenses stiffened in the third chukker. Heathcote’s Lucas Monteverde registered theonly goal of the period while Coca-Cola was held scoreless. The first half ended with Coca-Cola holding a6-3 advantage after three chukkers of play.
An early Coca-Cola foul put Biddle at the penalty line inthe fourth chukker for another Heathcote penalty goal, 6-4, but that would bewhere the Heathcote offense fizzled. Fourstraight goals from Coca-Cola (two from Sugar Erskine and two from Arellano)threw water on any hope Heathcote started to gain regarding a rally. Erskine followed Biddle’s penalty goal with a150 yard shot for a score. Arellanoconverted another penalty shot for a goal, followed by single goals fromErskine and Arellano. The Coca-Cola leadhad expanded to six goals, 10-4 with two chukkers left to play.
Biddle opened the fifth period with another 60-yardpenalty conversion and added a goal from the field to cut the Coca-Cola to fourgoals, 10-6, but a final penalty goal from Arellano had Coca-Cola up by fivegoals, 11-6.
Heathcote tried to mount another rally, and picked up apair of goals on penalty shots from Biddle, when Coca-Cola finallyresponded. Arellano’s eighth goal of theday ended the game with a 12-8 Coca-Cola victory and a spot in Wednesday’ssemifinals against Chris Del Gatto’s Circa (3-0) team.
Arellano led the Coca-Cola attack with eight goals. Erskine scored twice while Wroe and Johnstonadded single goals in the win.
Biddle scored six times for Heathcote. Lefkowitz and Monteverde each scored a goalin a losing effort.
LUCCHESE14, VALIENTE I 11
In earlier action Lucchese raced out to an 8-4 halftimelead before downing Valiente I 14-11 to keep its record unblemished at 3-0 andset up a Wednesday showdown with Valiente II (3-0) in Bracket 1 play.
The 19-goal Lucchese team received one goal by handicapbut it was Santiago Bottaro who scored the opening goal of the game for a 1-1tie. Jeff Hall carried the ball over 150yards down the field for Valiente I’s second goal of the game. Lucchese 9-goaler Pelon Stirling scored thefinal goal of the chukker seconds before the final horn, and the game was alleven at 2-2 after the opening chukker of play.
Masterful stickwork and superior horses carried Stirlingup and down the field in the second chukker as he scored the opening two goalsof the period for a 4-2 Lucchese lead. Hall responded with a gal for Valiente I, but Stirling delivered a longpass down the field to Santiago Torres for another Lucchese goal. At the end of two chukkers, Lucchese held a5-3 advantage.
Lucchese opened the third chukker with three consecutivegoals for an 8-3 lead. Stirling scoredon a penalty goal followed by goals from the field from Andres Weisz and teamcaptain John Muse (which he scored on a pass from the throw-in at midfield). Robert Jornayvaz got Valiente I on thescoreboard with a goal at the final horn as Lucchese boasted an 8-4 lead at theend of the first half.
Stirling added two more goals in the fourth chukker, butpenalties slowed Lucchese down. ValienteI picked up four goals on penalty shots (one from Hall and three from SantiagoToccalino) and the Lucchese lead was cut to just two goals, 10-8.
Stirling and Toccalino exchanged penalty goals in thefifth, with Weisz scoring the final goal of the chukker. The Lucchese lead was back at three goals,12-9.
Torres scored his second goal of the game in the finalchukker. Bottaro and Toccalino addedsingle goals, and Stirling ended the game with his eighth goal of the day inthe 14-11 win.
The victory gives Lucchese a perfect 3-0 record and willmake Wednesday’s meeting with Valiente II (3-0) a showdown for the number oneseed in Bracket 1 and a berth in Sunday’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup finals.
Stirling was credited with eight goals on the day forLucchese. Torres scored four times andMuse scored once. Lucchese received onegoal by handicap.
Toccalino registered five goals for Valiente I. Hall scored three times; Bottaro added twogoals and Jornayvaz scored once.
AUDI16, VILLA DEL LAGO 8
A swarming Audi (2-1) attack overwhelmed Villa Del Lago(0-3) Sunday afternoon, outscoring them 10-5 after the first three chukkers ofplay and rolling on to a 16-8 win in Joe Barry Memorial Cup action.
Last week’s 11-10 overtime loss to Circa might haveknocked Audi out of the Joe Barry Memorial Cup competition, but Sundays victorykeeps them in the hunt for the tournament’s subsidiary tournament, the BobbyBarry Cup.
A balanced Audi attack registered five first chukkergoals as Nic Roldan converted two penalty shots for goals and Marc Ganzi,Rodrigo Andrade and Lucas Lalor scored single goals in the openingchukker. Villa Del Lago received onegoal by handicapped and added a goal on a 40-yard penalty shot from PelonEscapite. Audi held a 5-2 lead after thefirst seven minutes of play.
Escapite and Matias Obregon scored single goals for VillaDel Lago in the second period of the game, but Audi countered with a pair ofpenalty goals from Roldan. Audicontinued to lead, 7-4.
Magoo Laprida scored his first goal of the game in thethird, but Roldan roared back with three more Audi goals. Roldan converted two more penalty goals andadded a goal from the field. The firsthalf came to a halt with Audi dominating Villa Del Lago, 10-5.
Shutout defense and goals from Roldan (penalty goals) andGanzi had Audi leading by seven goals at the end of the fourth chukker, 12-5 asVilla Del Lago struggled to find an effective offense.
Villa Del Lago’s most productive chukker came in thefifth as they picked up single goals from Obregon, Laprida and Escapite. Audi answered with a single goal from Lalor,but led by a 13-8 score with one chukker left in regulation time.
The Audi defense shut out Villa Del Lago for the secondchukker, adding three more goals along the way. Two more goals from Roldan and a goal from Andrade gave Audi theconvincing 16-8 victory.
Roldan led all scorers on the day with ten goals. Audi teammates Ganzi, Andrade and Lalor addedtwo goals apiece.
Escapite led the Villa Del Lago attack with threegoals. Obregon and Laprida scored twogoals each, and the team received one goal by handicap.
METALTEK9, ZACARA 8
MetalTek struggled and lost its first two games in Joe BarryMemorial Cup play by a total of three goals, but finally registered a victoryat the expense of winless Zacara Sundaywith a hard-fought 9-8 triumph.
Argentine 9-goaler Sebastian Merlos opened the scoringwith a goal in the first chukker followed by a goal from teammate Will Johnstonfor a 2-0 MetalTek lead.
Carlucho Arellano converted a penalty goal in the secondfor a 3-0 score before Zacara could respond. Marcos Llambias finally got Zacara on the scoreboard with a penaltygoal. At the end of two chukkers, MetalTekheld a 3-1 advantage.
Arellano drove the ball through the Zacara goal postsfrom 120 yards out just two minutes into the third period, and added anotherjust moments later. Llambias convertedanother penalty shot for a goal to end the first half with MetalTek holding onto a 5-2 lead.
Zacara charged onto the field in the second half with aresolute defense that paralyzed the MetalTek offense. Two goals from Gonzalo Del Tour (one from thefield and one on a penalty shot) gave new life to Zacara as they trailed by asingle goal, 5-4 after four chukkers.
MetalTek did everything they could to curb the Zacararally, picking up an opening penalty goal from Arellano in the fifth chukker anda goal from the field from Merlos for a 7-4 lead. Jeff Blake scored for Zacara, but StevieOrthwein converted a 60-yard penalty shot for MetalTek for a three goal, 8-5advantage. Del tour closed out thechukker with a penalty goal. MetalTekcontinued to hold the lead, 8-6.
Orthwein converted another 60-yard penalty shot in thesixth for a 9-6 lead, but a determined Zacara team charged right back. Consecutive goals from Lyndon Lea andLlambias ended the game with MetalTek riding off with the 9-8 win.
Arellano led the MetalTek attack with four goals. Merlos and Orthwein scored two goals apieceand Johnston added a goal in the win.
Del Tour and Llambias each scored three goals forZacara. Lea and Blake registered singlegoals in the loss.