Orthwein and Celis Lead Boca Developers to 12-9 Win
By Alex Webbe
Stevie Orthwein and J. J. Celis scored six goals apiece in leading Boca Developers to a 12-9 win over Heronwood in the 2009 Rocco’s Tacos Cup hosted by the Grand Champions Polo club.
Okaying the second semifinal match of the tournament at the Palm City Polo Club field in Boca Raton, Heron wood showed early strength, putting up the first two goals from Hector Galindo and Leo Mandelbaum before Boca Developers got its game started.
Orthwein converted a penalty shot and scored a goal from the field for Boca Developers before the chukker ended for a 2-2 tie.
Celis opened the second chukker with a goal from the field to put Boca Developers up 3-2, but the lead was temporary. Mandelbaum carried the ball through the goal posts to knot it up again at 3-3. A penalty conversion by Heronwood team captain Michael Smith Liss had his team leaving the field with a 4-3 advantage.
“The horses were great,†said Mandelbaum. “They ran effortlessly. They made my job easy.â€
Mandelbaum added two more goals to the Heronwood total in the third chukker, but Celis answered for Boca Developers with three goals of his own, and the game was all even at 6-6.
Mandelbaum added two more goals in the fourth chukker to put Heronwood up by two goals in the fourth period had Heronwood up 8-6, but a final goal from Orthwein kept Boca Developers in it, trailing 8-7 at the end of the chukker.
The fifth chukker proved to be Heronwood’s undoing. Three more goals from Orthwein and a single goal from Celis pushed Boca Developers out to an 11-8 lead, as the Boca offensive punch was complimented by shutout play on defense.
Celis added his sixth goal of the game in the final chukker for a commanding Boca Developer lead. Liss ended the scoring in the period with his second goal of the game. Boca Developers earned a position in Sunday’s tournament finals where they will face a Grand Champions team on its home field in Wellington Sunday afternoon.
Celis and Orthwein provided the bulk of the Boca Developers offense, scoring six goals apiece, while Mandelbaum scored six times for Heronwood. Liss added two goals in the Heronwood loss with teammate Hector Galindo adding a goal.