Santa Clara overcome Yellow Cab in Everglades Classic Cup
Luis Escobar set the pace with five goals, as Santa Clara emerged victorious against Yellow Cab in the consolation match of the Everglades Classic Cup. The nail-biting competition was held this Friday at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Santa Clara struck early and they struck frequently, as they rolled over an experienced Yellow Cab by 10-9, in the hardly-played match. Santa Clara had some influential moves, got through some points from Luis Escobar and Diogo Gallego in the first and second
chukkas and held back their advantage until the final horn of the time completion.
Santa Clara established an early dominance in the game and acquired a 2-1 lead after the opening seven and half minute of play. Kris Kampsen and Gallego notched one goal each and put Santa Clara ahead on the score-card. The only offence from the opposite
side was carried out by Pablo Spinacci, who brought his team into the score-net.
The two teams, Santa Clara and Yellow Cab, swapped one goal in the second and moved forward into the next round. Gallego marked a goal for Santa Clara, while Lucas Monteverde managed it for Yellow Cab. The chukka ended with Santa Clara holding a single score
lead, 3-2.
The pace of the game consistently hotfooted, as the two teams exchanged another couple of goals in the third set of play. Monteverde and his team-mate, Spinacci, added one goal apiece in the score of Yellow Cab, which were countered by same two goals from
Luis Escobar and Gallego to end the first half with Santa Clara sitting on top with one goal, 5-4.
Escobar connected on another two spot-shots and expanded the Santa Clara lead up to two goals. The resilient defensemen of Santa Clara minimised the Yellow Cab attack only for a single point. The period reached to an end with Yellow Cab trailing by two goals,
7-5 with two frames left to play.
The game entered into another difficult phase where both foursomes locked in an eight-all deadlock. The Yellow Cab trio of Jeffrey Garber, Spicacci and Monteverde nailed one goal apiece and established their first lead in the game. But the strikers of Santa
Clara were not ready to abandon, as Escobar accounted for field a goal and had it all even at 8-all.
The final set of play was filled with loads of attacks and counter-attacks, goals and counter-goals which dilated the interest of the game. Escobar opened the period with a field effort, but Monteverde again tied the knots through a classic penalty-conversion.
It was Gallego who marked the game-winner and sealed the victory for Santa Clara in the consolation match.
Luis Escobar was among the leading scorers with five goals, while Diogo Gallego and Kris Kampsen four and one goal respectively in the triumph.
Lucas Monteverde too managed five goals in the contest, but to no avail. Pablo Spinacci notched three points while Jeffrey Garber added a single point in the loss.
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