By Alex Webbe
This weekend the January 4-goal League at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California got underway with Evergreen (T. J. Elordi, Roxy Keyfauver, Jared Sheldon and Goyo Mariscal) downing Flower Farm (Erik Wright, David Flowers, Ernie Ezcurra and Jeff Graham) Friday night under the lights; Atlant (Conrad Kissling, Bolko Kissling, Ashton Wolf and Ernesto Bautista) pummeling Empire4 (Leigh Brecheen, Rob Scapa, Lolo Payan and Charlie Peterson) in a Saturday morning contest; and Atlant scoring a second win over Evergreen on Sunday afternoon.
In a Friday night encounter, Evergreen held off a sixth chukker rally to hand Flower Farm a 9-7 defeat on the strength of seven goals from Jared Sheldon.
Evergreen received one goal by handicap and picked up first chukker gals from Sheldon and Goyo Mariscal for a 3-2 lead. Flower Farm came up with single goals from Erik Wright and Jeff Graham to keep it close.
Two more goals from Sheldon in the second period were answered by a goal from Wright as Evergreen extended its lead to two goals, 5-3.
Wright scored his third goal of the day for flower Farm in the third, but two more goals from Sheldon ended the third chukker with Evergreen riding off with a 7-4 lead.
Sheldon scored his sixth and seventh goal of the evening in the fourth with Wright scoring Flower Farm’s only goal. With one period left to play, Evergreen led 9-5.
With Evergreen coasting to the finish, Flower Farm added single goals from Wright and Ernie Ezcurra, but would fall short in the 9-7 game.
Sheldon led all scoring with seven goals. Teammate Mariscal scored one goal and Evergreen received one goal by handicap.
Wright set the pace for Flower Farm with five goals. Ezcurra and Graham scored single goals in the loss.
ATLANT 13, EMPIRE4 6
Empire4 seemed to have no answer for the Atlant offense Saturday morning, falling by a score of 13-6 in the early round of play in the January 4-goal league.
Atlant received one goal by handicap and added to it in the first chukker with single goals from Ashton Wolf and Conrad Kissling. Charlie Peterson supplied the only goal for Empire4 as they trailed 3-1 after the first chukker.
Peterson added two more goals in the second period, but Atlant got two more goals from Conrad Kissling and a single goal from the field from Wolf for a 6-3 advantage. Peterson supplied the only goal in a defensive tilted third chukker, cutting the Atlant lead to two goals, 6-4. Disciplined defense held the talented Atlant foursome scoreless for the first time all day.
Atlant put the game out of reach in the fourth chukker with five additional goals. Wolf scored twice as Ernesto Bautista added three goals for a commanding 11-5 score. Lolo Payan managed to keep Empire4 from being shutout with a single goal with seven minutes left to play.
Peterson scored his fifth goal of the day for Empire4, but it was hardly enough, with Wolf and Conrad Kissling adding single goals to close out the game in a 13-6 Atlant romp.
Wolf accounted for five goals for Atlant. Conrad Kissling scored four times and Bautista added three goals for the win. Atlant also received one goal by handicap.
Peterson set the pace for Empire4 with five goals. Payan added a goal in the loss.
ATLANT 11, EVERGREEN 7
Atlant got opening goals from Conrad Kissling and Bolko Kissling while Evergreen’s Jared Sheldon responded with a single goal to trail 2-1 after the first chukker of play.
Conrad Kissling converted a 40-ard penalty shot and Ashton Wolf scored from the field to give Atlant a 4-2 lead after two chukkers. Sheldon converted a penalty shot for an anemic Evergreen offense for the team’s second goal of the match.
The Atlant defense held Evergreen scoreless in the third chukker while adding three goals to its total. A pair of goals from Conrad Kissling and another goal from Wolf had Atlant leading by five goals after three periods, 7-2.
Goals from Bolko Kissling and Conrad Kissling gave Atlant a total of nine goals as Sheldon supplied Evergreen’s only offense with a single goal. With one chukker left to play, Atlant sat on top of a 9-3 score.
Wolf and Bolko Kissling scored goals in the final chukker while Evergreen exploded with four goals, all from Sheldon. Three penalty conversions and a goal from the field accounted for all seven of the Evergreen goals, but it was Atlant who left the field with the 11-7 win.
Conrad Kissling led the Atlant attack with five goals. Bolko Kissling and wolf scored three goals apiece.