Lucchese leads 7-3 at
halftime, loses 12-11 in OT
By Alex Webbe
Lucchese looked like a world beater in the opening half of
play as they rolled up a 7-3 halftime score against Ben Soleimani’s Restoration
Hardware team in USPA Piaget Silver Cup action at the Santa Barbara Polo Club Sunday
morning when the bottom dropped out from under them in a 12-11 overtime loss.
Pelon Stirling rang up six first half goals (three on
penalty shots) as Lucchese took a four goal lead after the first three
chukkers. However, the talented
10-goaler was held to only two goals for the balance of the game.
Hilario Ulloa, on the other hand scored once in the opening
chukker for his only goal of the first half.
His mallet turned to gold in second half play as he scored five goals in
the next three chukkers and his final goal to win the game in overtime.
The victory keeps Restoration Hardware undefeated with a 2-0
record while the defending championship Lucchese team remained winless at 0-2.
Lucchese’s Stirling led the field with eight goals on the
day (four on penalty conversions). Ulloa
scored seven times for Restoration Hardware in the win.
LA HERRADURA 11,
CATAMOUNT 10
Marianito Obregon lit it up Sunday afternoon, scoring seven
times in La Herradura’s 11-10 win over Catamount. Catamount (Scott Devon, Brandon Phillips,
Julio Gracida and Mike Azzaro) received one goal by handicap and added goals
from Brandon Phillips and Mike Azzaro to it for an early 3-1 lead. Obregon scored the only goal of the chukker
for La Herradura (Alvaro Fernandez, Marianito Obregon, Memo Gracida and Carlos
Gracida) as they fell behind, 3-1.
Two more goals from Obregon in the second chukker and a goal
from Memo Gracida was bolstered by a disciplined defense that kept Catamount
off of the scoreboard in the second period.
La Herradura took the lead, 4-3.
Obregon scored again in the third, but Catamount responded
with three goals (one each from Scott Devon, Phillips and Azzaro) to take the
lead back, 6-5.
Obregon scored the first goal of the second half on a
40-yard penalty shot and followed it up with a shot from the field that
scored. Julio Gracida (son of Memo)
scored the final goal of the chukker for a 7-7 tie.
With stellar defensive work by both sides, fifth chukker
action was limited to a single goal from the field by Memo Gracida for an 8-7
La Herradura as the period ended.
A sixth chukker penalty goal from Obregon was countered by a
pair of penalty goals from Phillips, and it was all even at 9-9. Consecutive goals from Carlos Gracida put La
Herradura in the lead with time running short for Catamount. Catamount team captain Scott Devon, scored
the final goal of the game for an 11-10 victory.
Obregon set the pace for his team with seven goals to lead
the La Herradura entry in scoring.
Phillips had four goals for Catamount.
FARMERS AND MERCHANTS
BANK 13, erg 11
Everyone’s wondering when they are going to see the real ERG
as they fell apart in the sixth chukker and gave up four goals in the 13-11
loss.
A balanced FMB attack had every member of the team scoring
in their 13-11 win over ERG in Sunday‘s 3PM contest.
ERG took the early lead on goals from Sugar Erskine (a
penalty conversion) followed by a pair of goals from Paco de Narvaez. Inaki Laprida scored the only goal of the
chukker as FMB fell behind, 3-1.
The two teams exchanged single penalty goals in the second
(Lucas Criado for FMB and de Narvaez for ERG).
ERG sat on a 4-2 lead after two chukkers.
Erskine scored twice for ERG in the third period while FMB
responded with a goal from the field from Laprida and a pair of penalty goals
from Criado. ERG boasted a narrow one
goal lead, 6-5.
The game continued to stay close. Fourth chukker play saw Criado score three
times for FMB (once by penalty conversion).
ERG responded in kind with Erskine scoring once and de Narvaez adding
two more goals. ERG retained the narrow
one goal edge, 9-8.
Goals from Erskine and de Narvaez stretched the ERG lead to
two goals, with Laprida scoring the only goal for FMB. A determined FMB team rode onto the field in
the final chukker and took control of the game.
Dan Walker scored twice in the final period while Criado and Henry
Walker scored as well. The four goals
went unanswered and ERG fell to 1-1. FMB
stands at 1-1 as well.