By Alex Webbe
Atlant continues to distance itself from the pack in the January 4-goal League at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California picking up two more wins for an unblemished 4-0 record. The rest of the pack didn’t fare as well, with the best of them falling two games behind league-leading Atlant with no less than two losses.
Atlant (Conrad Kissling, Bolko Kissling, Ashton Wolf and Ernesto Bautista) continued its winning ways on Saturday with an 8-5 win over Thermal Polo (Hayward Pardue, Pete Laughlin, Romero Gonzalez and Reg Whyte) in a game in which they never trailed.
Bolko Kissling and Ashton Wolf scored the first goals of the game as Atlant charged out to an early lead. Romero Gonzalez took advantage of an Atlant foul to convert a penalty shot for Thermal Polo. Conrad Kissling closed out the chukker with a penalty goal and a 3-1 Atlant lead.
Bolko Kissling and Gonzalez exchanged penalty goals in the second, and Atlant continued to lead by two goals, 4-2.
Two more goals from Conrad Kissling and a goal from the field from Ashton Wolf marked a bust out chukker for Atlant as a stifling defense held Thermal Polo scoreless. At the end of three chukkers of play, Altant led, 7-2.
Thermal Polo picked up single goals from Pete Laughlin in the fourth and fifth, and another goal from Gonzalez in the final chukker, but Ernesto Bautista closed out the scoring for Atlant in an 8-5 win.
Conrad Kissling led the Atlant scoring with three goals. Bolko Kissling and wolf added two goals apiece and Bautista accounted for a single goal in the victory.
Gonzalez scored three times for Thermal Polo. Laughlin was credited with two goals in a losing effort.
ATLANT 8, PARKLANE 4
Atlant made it a weekend sweep on Sunday morning with a resounding 8-4 win over Parklane after trailing early.
Atlant received one goal from the 4-goal Parklane lineup but gave up three straight goals for Remy Miller in the opening chukker (two on penalty shots) to fall behind, 3-1.
A defensively intensive second period allowed for only one gal from Ashton wolf, as Atlant cut the Parklane lead to a single goal, 3-2.
A penalty conversion from Wolf and a goal from the field from Bolko Kissling was complimented with shutout defense in the third period to give the lead to Atlant, 4-3. Conrad Kissling added two more goals to the Atlant total (one from the field and one on a penalty conversion). Parklane continued to struggle with a punchless offense, falling behind 6-3.
Bolko Kissling opened the final chukker with a goal and Wolf converted a Safety for a goal as Atlant rode off with an 8-3 lead. Parklane finally got on the scoreboard for the first time since the first chukker with a goal from Nicolas Maciel for the final 8-4 score and Atlant win.
Wolf led the Atlant attack with three goals. Conrad Kissling and Bolko Kissling added two goals apiece.
Muller scored three goals for Parklane. Maciel added a goal in the loss.
EVERGREEN 12, FLOWERS FARMS 8
Evergreen scored its second win in the January 4-goal League Friday afternoon, downing Flowers Farms 12-8 on the strength of six goals from Jared Sheldon.
Flowers Farms started strong, picking up four first chukker goals with Ernie Ezcurra scoring twice and Erik Wright and David flowers chipping in single goals for a 4-2 first chukker lead. T. J. Elordi and Goyo Mariscal scored single goals for Evergreen in the opening period.
Wright added another goal in the second, but goals from Sheldon and Mariscal cut the Flowers Farms lead down to a single 5-4 lead as the chukker ended.
Flowers scored hs second goal of the game for Flowers Farms, but goals from Roxy Keyfauver and Sheldon had it all tied up at 6-6 at the end of the third,
Four unanswered goals from evergreen in the fourth (three from Sheldon and one from Keyfauver) sealed the deal for Evergreen as they took a 10-6 lead with one chukker to play.
Flowers and Wright added single goals in the final chukker, but Evergreen kept pace, picking up goals from Sheldon and Mariscal for the 12-8 final.
Sheldon led all scoring with six goals. Mariscal added three goals; Keyfauver scored twice and Elordi added a goal in the win.
Wright and Flowers scored three goals apiece for flowers Farms. Ezcurra added two goals.
FLOWERS FARMS 9, EMPIRE 4 8 IN OT
Flowers Farms bounced back from a Friday loss to score a hard-fought, hotly contested 9-8 overtime win over a talented Empire 4 lineup on Saturday morning.
Flowers Farms received on goal by handicap and picked up another first chukker goal on a Safety conversion by Erik Wright. Empire 4 scored early goals from Lolo Payan and Leigh Brecheen for a 2-2 tie.
Second chukker goals from Ernie Ezcurra and Wright went unanswered, as Flowers Farms moved out to a 4-2 lead.
Empire 4 fired back in the third, picking up a pair of goals on penalty shots from Charlie Petersen and a goal from the field from Payan. Flowers Farms struggled with its offense, and was unable to get on the scoreboard, falling behind, 5-4.
Wright scored the first goal in the fourth to tie it up for Flowers Farms but Peterson responded with his third goal of the day to take the lead back, 6-5. Flowers closed out the scoring in the chukker for a 6-6 deadlock.
A pressing Flowers Farms attack caused Empire 4 miscues, resulting in a pair of penalty goals from Wright, but Empire 4 stormed back. Payan’s first goal brought Empire 4 within a goal of the lead, 8-7, and his second tied it up and forced a sudden-death overtime period.
Shortly into the extra chukker, Ezcurra broke through the Empire 4 defenders to score the winning goal.
Wright scored a game high five goals for Flowers Farms (1-3). Ezcurra added two goals to the total and Flowers scored once in the victory. Flowers Farms received one goal by handicap.
Payan led the Empire 4 attack with four goals. Petersen scored three times and Brecheen added a single goal in the loss.
PARKLANE 9, EVERGREEN 8
Parklane picked up its second win of the season with a 9-8 win over Evergreen behind six goals from Remy Muller Saturday morning.
Evergreen received one goal by handicap and added two more in the first chukker with Jared Sheldon scoring one goal from the field and one goal on a penalty shot for a 3-0 lead.
Parklane finally got its offense on track in the second chukker with a pair of goals from Muller and a single goal from Bill Garlock. Sheldon responded with a goal for Evergreen who maintained a 4-3 lead after two chukkers of play.
Parklane took control of the game in the third chukker, picking up two goals from Nicolas Maciel and a single goal from Muller. Evergreen picked up a single goal from Roxy Keyfauver as they trailed for the first time, 6-5.
Two more penalty goals from Muller in the fourth had Parklane on top of an 8-5 score. Goyo Mariscal closed out the chukker with a final goal from Evergreen. Parklane took an 8-6 lead into the final chukker of play.
Muller put Parklane up 9-6 to open the fifth chukker. Evergreen attempted a rally, and picked up two penalty goals from Sheldon, but fell short in the 9-8 Parklane win.
Muller led all scoring with six goals. Maciel added two goals and Garlock scored once.
Sheldon scored five goals for Evergreen. Keyfauver and Mariscal added single goals in the loss.
EMPIRE 4 11, THERMAL POLO 4
Empire 4 redeemed itself on Sunday afternoon with an 11-4 romp over Thermal Polo to even its league record at 2-2.
Empire 4 charged out to a 3-1 lead on a pair of goals from Charlie Petersen and a goal from Lolo Payan. Romero Gonzalez scored a Thermal Polo’s goal off the chukker.
Empire 4 piled it on in the second period, picking up single goals from Rob Scapa, Petersen and Payan while holding Thermal Polo. After two chukkers Empire 4 held a 6-1 advantage.
Thermal Polo continued to struggle with its offense in the third period, failing to score for the second consecutive chukker. Petersen converted a penalty shot and added a goal from the field as Empire 4 stretched its lead to seven goals, 8-1.
Payan put Empire 4 ahead 9-1 to open the fourth. Gonzalez finally scored for Thermal Polo and the chukker ended with Empire 4 holding a commanding 9-2 lead. Gonzalez and Pete Laughlin added single goals in the fifth chukker for Thermal, but Scapa and Petersen responded with single goals in the 11-4 Empire 4 win.
Petersen scored six goals for Empire 4. Teammate Payan added three goals and Scapa accounted for two goals in the win.
Gonzalez led the Thermal Polo attack with three goals. Laughlin scored oce.
Current January 4-goal League Standings
W L
Atlant 4 0
Evergreen 2 2
Parklane 2 2
Empire 4 2 2
Thermal Polo 1 3
Flowers Farms 1 2