Las Monjitas Over Orchard Hill 9-7
By Alex Webbe
Four first chukker goals by Las Monjitas put Orchard Hill in a hole from which it never escaped as they fell to Las Monjitas 9-7 in the semifinal of the IPC cup Thursday afternoon.
Nacho Astrada converted two penalty shots and teammates Adam Snow and Eduardo Astrada scored single goals for a 4-0 lead.
Orchard Hill scrambled to get something on the board in the next two chukkers, but a pair of penalty goals taken by Pablo MacDonough cut the lead to 4-2, Las Monjitas.
Eduardo Astrada scored two goals from the field in the fourth period while holding Orchard Hill to a single goal from MacDonough as Las Monjitas stretched its lead to 6-3.
MacDonough charged out in the fifth chukker, putting two goals on the board before Nacho Astrada converted another penalty shot for Las Monjitas for a 7-5 lead. Orchard continued to press the Las Monjitas, cutting the lead to a single goal, 7-6, on a well-placed goal by Hector Galindo.
Nacho carried the ball through after a melee in from of the Orchard Hill goal for an 8-6 lead, but Lucas Criado answered back with a goal from the field to make it 8-7.
The backbreaker came on a play made by Eduardo Astrada in what the Orchard Hill players took as a foul. With three Orchard Hill players stopped and appealing for a whistle, Eduardo Astrada carried the ball 150 yards to goal for the final score.
The victory puts Las Monjitas in Sunday’s finals of the IPC Cup against White Birch.
MacDonough led all scorers with five goals. Galindo and Criado added single goals in the loss.
Eduardo Astrada and brother Nacho Astrada scored four goals apiece. Adam Snow scored once for Las Monjitas.