By Alex Webbe
January’s 8-10-goal League got underway with Barrossa scoring two wins in weekend competition at the Empire Polo Club to make itself an early league favorite.
Barrossa got the ball rolling on Friday, January 13th with a 12-8 win over Empire 10 in the league opener. The teams battled to ties after the first (3-3), second (4-4) and third (5-5) chukkers before Barrossa took a lead that it never gave up.
Erik Wright scored twice in the opening chukker with teammate Jef Graham adding a single goal. Empire 10 picked up a pair of first chukker goals from Craig Steinke. Ashton wolf supplied the other goal in the opening period.
In a defensive driven second chukker, Wright scored to put Barrossa up 4-3, but Mariano Fassetta locked it up at 4-4 to end the period with both teams struggling to connect on offensive thrusts.
Ernie Ezcurra’s first goal of the match gave the lead back to Barrossa, but his teammates were unable to expand on the narrow 5-4 lead. Fassetta tallied for the second time in as many chukkers for a 5-5 halftime score.
Santiago Trotz stepped it up in the fourth period, scoring twice from the field while the Barrossa defense held Empire 10 to a single goal (Fassetta). After four chukkers of play Barrossa led the game, 7-6.
Trotz added another goal from the field in the fifth and Wright converted a penalty shot for a goal. Barrossa now held a three goal 9-6 advantage. Steinke managed one last goal in the chukker for Empire 10 and Barrossa rode off the field with a 9-7 lead.
Fassetta converted a penalty shot for a goal to open the sixth chukker but Barrossa responded with a vengeance. Two more goals from Trotz and a penalty goal from Wright closed the door on any Empire 10 threat as Barrossa rode off with the 12-8 victory.
Trotz and Wright led the win with five goals apiece. Ezcurra and Graham scored single goals for the win.
Fassetta led the Empire 10 attack with four goals. Steinke added three goals and wolf added a goal.
BARROSSA 11, TENTOLOGY 7
Barrossa returned to the pitch on Saturday to score a second consecutive win in the 10-goal competition as it handed Tentology (Gery Warner, Nicolas Maciel, Artie Cameron and Miguel Gutierrez) an 11-7 defeat and kept its perfect record intact.
Barrossa spotted Tentology two goals by handicap and wasted little time in getting them back. First chukker goals from Jef Graham and Erik tied it up at 2-2 while a disciplined defense shut out the Tentology attack. A second shutout chukker was bolstered by single goals from Wright and Graham as Barrossa rode out to a 4-2 lead. Nicolas Maciel scored Tentology’s first goal from the field in the third, but Trotz responded for Barrossa for a 5-3 lead after the first half.
Artie Cameron and Miguel Gutierrez scored single goals in the fourth period, but Barrossa answered back with goals from Wright, Trotz and Graham with Tentology trailing by an 8-5 score.
Barrossa managed just a single goal (Wright) in the fifth period, but an oppressive defense kept Tentology off of the scoreboard for the third chukker in the match.
Wright and Gutierrez each scored two goals in the final chukker of play as Barrossa rode on to capture an 11-7 victory.
Wright scored a game high six goals for Barrossa. Graham added three goals and Trotz accounted for two goals.
Gutierrez led the Tentology attack with three goals. Cameron and Maciel added single goals and Tentology received two goals by handicap.
TENTOLOGY 11, TRINITY 10 OT
Tentology bounced back from a Saturday loss to score a hard-fought 11-10 overtime win over Trinity (Rick Paicius, Robin Paicius, Mariano Gutierrez and Agustin Zavaleta) in the January 10-goal League.
Tentology received two goals by handicap from the 8-goal Trinity team and added to it with an opening goal from Nicolas Maciel. Trinity responded with a goal from Agustin Zavaleta and Tentology led, 3-1.
The pace picked up in the second frame, with Tentology getting a pair of goals from Maciel. Trinity collected two goals from Zavaleta and a goal from Rick Paicius, Tentology held on to a 5-4 advantage going into the third chukker.
Tentology picked up another goal from Maciel in the third chukker, but Trinity got single goals from Mariano Gutierrez and Zavaleta to knot it up at 6-6, where the first half would end.
Defense was the priority in the fourth period with shots being blocked, shots being missed and offensive probes being turned aside. With no goals being scored, the fourth chukker ended in the same 6-6 tie.
Maciel and Gutierrez added single goals for Tentology in the fifth while Trinity kept the pace, getting goals from Robin Paicius and Gutierrez keeping it all even at 8-8 with one chukker of regulation time remaining.
Sixth chukker action had Rick Paicius scoring consecutive goals to put Trinity ahead, 10-8. Maciel responded with a pair of goals to tie it once more, closing out the chukker and forcing sudden-death overtime.
It was Maciel’s eighth goal of the game in overtime that gave Tentology the 11-10 win, evening the Tentology record at 1-1. Gutierrez added a goal to the Tentology total and the team received two goals by handicap.
Zavaleta led the Trinity attack with four goals. Rick Paicius scored three times; Gutierrez accounted for two goals and Robin Paicius scored once in a losing cause.