Lucchese vs. Orchard Hill

02/17/2012, 10:00 am | IPC 2

Lucchese - 14, Orchard Hill - 11

Lucchese was the first team to lock up a berth in the semifinals of the 2012 Ylvisaker Cup with a solid 14-11 win over a competitive Orchard Hill foursome.
Pelon Stirling scored the first goal of the game and teammate Cote Zegers made it 2-0 with a first chukker goal. Facundo Obregon kept Orchard Hill from being shut out with a penalty conversion. At the end of the first period, Orchard Hill trailed 2-1.
Stirling added three penalty goals in the second, with Santi Torres scoring his first goal of the game on a shot from the field. Orchard Hill managed single goals from Obregon and Lucas Criado (penalty conversion), but Lucchese extended its lead to three goals, 6-3.
Orchard Hill staged a third chukker rally that tied it up, picking up two penalty goals from Hector Galindo and single goals from the field from Criado and Obregon. Stirling scored Lucchese’s only goal of the period on a penalty goal. At the end of the first half the score was all even at 7-7.
Stirling opened the scoring in the second half with a goal from the field, but Galindo answered back with a goal for Orchard Hill to keep it knotted up at 8-8. Stirling converted a penalty shot for a goal and added two more goals from the field as Lucchese left the field at the end of the chukker with an 11-8 advantage.
Orchard Hill stormed onto the field in the fifth and continued to press their attack. Obregon converted two more penalty shots for goals to come within a goal of the lead, 11-10 when Lucchese woke up. Goals from Zegers and Torres closed out the period with Lucchese carrying a three goal, 13-10 lead into the final chukker of play.
As both teams battled for control of the ball, Obregon slipped through the Lucchese defenses and scored. Torres responded with a Lucchese goal, in what would be the final score of the game. Time expired with Lucchese taking the game by a 14-11 score and becoming the first team to qualify for the semifinals of the 2012 Ylvisaker Cup next Wednesday.
Stirling led the field with nine goals. Torres scored three times and Zegers contributed two goals to the win.
Obregon’s six goals led the Orchard Hill attack. Galindo added three goals and Criado scored twice in a losing effort.