Coca-Cola vs. Valiente I

02/17/2012, 3:00 pm | 4 IPC

Coca-Cola - 15, Valiente I - 10

Coca-Cola rebounded after suffering their first loss of the season and handed Valiente I a healthy 15-10 beating as it continued its march toward a possible third consecutive 20-goal tournament title. Coca-Cola took the season opening Herbie Pennell Cup and rode off with the Joe Barry Memorial Cup as well before suffering a loss at the hands of Circa last week.
Coca-Cola’s Sugar Erskine finally got Coca-Cola on the scoreboard after an uneventful first couple of minutes of play. Action got no more pronounced throughout the balance of the chukker with Coca-Cola taking the narrow lead off the field with them after the first period of play.
Valiente I took control of the second period, gathering three goals from Santiago Toccalino (one on a penalty shot) and a goal from the field from Martin Donovan, for a 4-2 edge. Coca-Cola managed but a single goal on a 40-yard penalty conversion from American 9-goaler Julio Arellano. The chukker ended with Valiente in the possession of a 4-2 advantage.
Coca-Cola swept back into the lead in the third chukker on single goals from Gillian Johnston and Arellano (penalty conversion) and a pair of goals from Mason Wroe. Valiente I was held to a single goal from Jeff Hall, as they trailed 6-5 at the end of the first half.
Five more Coca-Cola goals rocked the Valiente I defense in the fourth period with Erskine scoring once from the field and Arellano scoring four times (three penalty conversions). Toccalino scored a single goal for Valiente I, but they found themselves in an 11-6 hole as the chukker ended.
Goals from the field from Arellano and Erskine ran the Coca-Cola lead to seven goals, 13-6, before Valiente I could respond. A penalty goal from Toccalino and a goal from the field from Hall cut into the Coca-Cola lead, but Valiente I continued to trail by five goals, 13-8.
Erskine added two more goals to the growing Coca-Cola total in the final chukker of play while Valiente I was limited to a pair of goals from Toccalino (one from the field and the other goal on a penalty conversion). The final horn sounded with a resounding 15-10 Coca-Cola victory.
Arellano accounted for seven of the Coca-Cola goals. Erskine scored five times. Wroe registered a goal from the field and a penalty conversion and team captain Gillian Johnston scored a single goal in the win.
Toccalino was the high scorer for Valiente I with seven goals. Hall added two goals and Donovan scored once.