Coca-Cola vs. Orchard Hill

03/11/2012, 10:00 am |

Coca-Cola - 14, Orchard Hill - 7

Coca-Cola (1-1)made up for the 15-8 shelling it suffered at the hands of Lechuza Caracas (2-0) last Thursday by dealing a 14-7 beat-down to Orchard Hill (0-2) in 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup play at the International Polo Club in Wellington Tuesday afternoon.

Coca-Cola took an early 3-2 lead on first chukker goals from Luis Escobar, Gillian Johnston and Hilario Ulloa. Orchard Hill managed a 60-yard penalty goal from Mariano Gonzalez and a goal from the field from Pablo Macdonough.

Two more goals from the field from Escobar in the second period were joined by a 60-yard penalty goal from Julio Arellano for a 6-4 lead. Orchard Hill was held to penalty goals from Gonzalez and MacDonough.

Shutout defense by Coca-Cola and a goal from Hilario Ulloa watched the lead expand to three goals at the end of the first three chukkers of play, 7-4.

Orchard Hill tried to climb back into the fray in the second half, keeping Coca-Cola off of the scoreboard, but managed only a single goal from Gonzalez. Coca-Cola continued to lead, but Orchard Hill had cut the spread down to two goals, 7-5.

Goals from Ulloa, Arellano and Escobar went unanswered in the fifth chukker as Orchard Hill continued to have trouble organizing an effective attack. The Coca-Cola lead was five goals now, 10-5.

Orchard Hill scored the first two goals in the opening 60 seconds of the sixth chukker, but that would be the end of the mini-rally. A goal from the field from MacDonough just thirty seconds into lay was complimented by a 60-yard penalty conversion from Gonzalez twenty-nine seconds later. The Coca-Cola lead was narrowed to three goals, 10-7. A pair of goals from Arellano (one from the field and one on a penalty) and a single goal from Ulloa closed out the game with Coca-Cola riding off with a convincing 14-7 win.

Ulloa scored six times for Coca-Cola. Escobar added four goals; Arellano was credited with three goals (two by penalty) and Johnston added a goal in the win.

Four of Orchard Hill’s goals came from Gonzalez (three on penalty shots). Macdonough added three goals (one by penalty).