Coca-Cola tramples La Ensenada 15-8 in 2012 Nespresso US
Open play
By
Alex Webbe
Coca-Cola (1-2) scored its first win of the season, 15-8,
at the expense of a winless La Ensenada (0-2) team in a Friday morning contest
that was squeezed in between showers at the International Polo Club. Had La Ensenada been more accurate with their
penalty shooting, it could have been much closer (La Ensenada missed on five
penalty shooting opportunities).
Hilario Ulloa scored the first goal of the game in the
opening seconds of play, with La Ensenada’s Matias Magrini converting a pair of
penalty shots for a 2-1 La Ensenada advantage.
Coca-Cola responded with three unanswered goals, with Ulloa and Luis
Escobar scoring from the field and Julio Arellano converting a 40-yard penalty
shot for an early 4-2 lead.
The teams swapped goals in the second chukker, as Ulloa
and Arellano (penalty goal) got Coca-Cola on the scoreboard while La Ensenada
had to rely on a goal from the field from Juan Garcia Grossi and a penalty goal
from Magrini. Coca-Cola continued to
lead by two goals, 6-4.
Coca-Cola registered three more goals in the third with
team captain Gillian Johnston scoring her first goal of the game and Arellano
adding two more goals to a silent La Ensenada offense. After the first half, Coca-Cola was in front
by a comfortable five goals, 9-4.
La Ensenada managed a single goal from Grossi in the
fourth but watched Coca-Cola pour it on with Arellano adding two more goals
while teammate Ulloa scored for the third time.
With two chukkers to play, Coca-Cola held a commanding 12-5 advantage
over an ineffective La Ensenada attack.
Johnston carried the ball over 150 yards down the field
for a goal to open the fifth with Ulloa adding another from the field. La Ensenada team captain Ernesto Gutierrez
tallied his first goal of the game and they trailed by eight goals, 14-6.
Ulloa put Coca-Cola ahead 15-6, just two minutes into the
final chukker when La Ensenada showed a spark of life. Single goals from Lucas James and Gutierrez
closed out the scoring in the 15-8 Coca-Cola romp.
Arellano led the Coca-Cola attack with seven goals (three
on penalty shots). Ulloa added five
goals in the win. Johnston scored twice
and Escobar added a goal.
La Ensenada efforts resulted in a balanced attack with
Gutierrez, Magrini, James and Grossi scoring two goals apiece in a losing
effort, with both of Magrini’s goals coming on penalty shots and James picking
up one of his scores from the penalty line.