Cinque Terre to Meet Pony Express in La Martina Finals
By Alex Webbe
Nic Roldan scored seven goals in leading Cinque Terre to a 12-9 win over Boca Developers to make it to Sunday’s finals of the 2010 La Martina Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club while two late goals from Steve Orthwein carried Pony Express to a round-robin win over Newport and Endeavor to earn the other finals berth.
Cinque Terre scored early with goals from Alessandro Bazzoni and Nic Roldan before Sunny Hale answered with a goal from Boca Developers. With the aid of two goals by handicap, Boca Developers held a narrow 3-2 lead.
Lucas Lalor and Roldan added single goals in the second chukker with Boca Developers getting two goals from Diego Coscio. Cinque Terre trailed 5-4 after two chukkers.
Goals from Bazzoni and Roldan accounted for the only scoring of the third chukker, as the Cinque Terre defense tightened. The first half ended with Cinque Terre holding a 6-5 advantage,
Consecutive goals from Joey Casey and Coscio gave Boca Developers a brief one goal lead, but Cinque Terre stormed back to even it up with a goal from Bazzoni. Sunny Hale converted a penalty shot for Boca Developers, but Lucas Lalor’s second goal of the game had it all even at 8-8 as the fourth chukker ended.
Cinque Terre’s defense stiffened again in the fifth, while Roldan added two more goals from the field. Boca Developers tried to find an attack, but the stubborn defensive play of Cinque Terre shut them out. Cinque Terre took a 10-8 lead into the final chukker.
Roldan’s sixth and seventh goals of the game gave Cinque Terre a 12-8 lead as time started running out for Boca Developers. A final goal from Sunny Hale would end the game with Cinque Terre holding on to a 12-9 advantage for the win.
PONY EXPRESS EMERGES VICTORIOUS FROM ROUND-ROBIN
A balanced attack that saw all four members scoring goals led Newport to a 4-3 win over Endeavor in the opening three chukkers of the La Martina Cup round-robin Friday afternoon.
Larry Austin got Endeavor on the scoreboard early, but Isabella wolf countered with a goal from Newport. Sugar Erskine converted a penalty shot to end the first period of play with Endeavor holding a tenuous 2-1 edge.
Newport tied it with a goal from Gene Goldstein before Brad Sherer put Endeavor back on top, 3-2 at the end of the second chukker.
The third chukker, however, belonged to Newport. A converted penalty shot by Michel Dorignac was complimented by a goal from the field from J. J. Celis. Shutout defense gave Newport the win, 4-3.
Tomas Goti got Pony Express on the attack early, forcing a Newport foul that resulted in a penalty goal in the opening chukker, as the round-robin continued.
Isabella Wolf scored to even the game at 1-1 as the first chukker ended.
Goals from Stevie Orthwein and Leo Mandelbaum had Pony Express ahead 3-1 before a goal from the field from Dorignac cut the lead to 3-2, Pony Express.
Pony Express went up 4-2 on Goti’s second goal of the game, but it would be a Dorignac penalty goal that would end the game with Pony Express on top of a 4-3 win.
The final phase of the round robin had Pony Express facing off against Endeavor, with Endeavor needing a two goal lead to move into the finals.
Scherer and Del Walton got Endeavor on the board early with single goals before Goti responded with a goal from the field. Endeavor took the early 2-1 lead.
Two more goals from Endeavor’s Sugar Erskine gave them a 4-2 advantage. Goti cut the lead to a single goal as he scored his second goal of the match.
Stevie Orthwein score a pair of goals in the final chukker while the Pony Express played lights out defense and ending the game in a 4-4 tie.
Paired with an earlier win in the round-robin, Pony Express advanced to the finals of the 2010 La Martina Cup.
Cinque Terre will meet Pony Express in Sunday’s finals while Endeavor, Newport and Boca Developers with engage in a preliminary round-robin.
TEAMS
Cinque Terre Boca Developers
Alessandro Bazzoni 1 Brian Sweet 0
Nic Roldan 9 Diego Coscio 5
Lucas Lalor 4 Joey Casey 5
Marc Ganzi 1 Sunny Hale 3
Endeavor Newport
Larry Austin 1 Gene Goldstein 1
Del Walton 4 Isabella Wolf 1
Sugar Erskine 7 Michel Dorignac 7
Brad Scherer 2 J. J. Celis 4
Pony Express
Bob Daniels 0
Stevie Orthwein 4
Tomas Goti 7
Leo Mandelbaum 2
Friday, April 30 3pm Cinque Terre vs. Boca Developers
5pm Round-robin: Endeavor, Pony Express and Newport
Sunday, May 2 10am Consolation Final
Noon Cinque Terre vs. Endeavor