La Dolfina Claims Tortugas Open Victory Over Ellerstina
The highly anticipated Tortugas Open final featuring eight 10-goalers saw La Dolfina claim the exciting 11-9 victory in front of a capacity crowd at Tortugas Country Club.
The back and forth affair saw La Dolfina race out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening chukka, with David Stirling leading the way with two goals. The stout defence of La Dolfina, along with their ability to counter attack left Ellerstina a step behind early in the game. Ellerstina found their stride over the following chukka as they used a strong performance from set plays and an effective defense of their own to keep la Dolfina off the scoresheet. Gonzalito Pieres opened the scoring for Ellerstina in the second chukka and brought his team within one after a penalty 2 conversion to begin the 3rd chukka. Before the end of the half, the two teams traded goals with Adolfo Cambiaso and Polito Pieres anchoring their respective teams, scoring two goals each as La Dolfina held on to narrow 5-4 lead at halftime.
After Gonzalito Pieres scored his third goal of the game to even the score, La Dolfina began to take control of the game behind the performance of Juan Martin Nero, who created numerous opportunities for the potent La Dolfina attack. Outscoring Ellerstina 4-2 in the fifth chukka, La Dolfina’s lead caused Ellerstina to press forward in an attempt to close the deficit but found themselves out of the play as they chased down fouls and unable to slow the quick La Dolfina counter attack.
The duo of Nero and Cambiaso helped continue La Dolfina’s defensive performance as they limited the opportunities for Ellerstina, holding Ellerstina to just 12 shots in the game. Ellerstina was able to take advantage of their limited opportunities from the field, shooting an effective 58% from the field, with Facundo Pieres scoring in the seventh chukka to bring his team within one. A late goal from Stirling sealed the game for La Dolfina wit Ellerstina unable to overcome their 2 for 6 shooting from the penalty line. Capturing the first tournament of the Triple Crown with the 11-9 victory, La Dolfina look to continue their run in the upcoming Hurlingham and Argentine Opens.