Coca-Cola tramples La Ensenada 15-8
in 2012 Nespresso US Open play

By Alex Webbe

Coca-Cola (1-2) scored its first win of the season, 15-8, at the expense of a winless
La Ensenada (0-2) team in a Friday morning contest that was squeezed in between
showers at the International Polo Club. Had La Ensenada been more accurate with
their penalty shooting, it could have been much closer (La Ensenada missed on five
penalty shooting opportunities).

Hilario Ulloa scored the first goal of the game in the opening seconds of play, with La
Ensenada’s Matias Magrini converting a pair of penalty shots for a 2-1 La Ensenada
advantage. Coca-Cola responded with three unanswered goals, with Ulloa and Luis
Escobar scoring from the field and Julio Arellano converting a 40-yard penalty shot for
an early 4-2 lead.

The teams swapped goals in the second chukker, as Ulloa and Arellano (penalty goal)
got Coca-Cola on the scoreboard while La Ensenada had to rely on a goal from the field
from Juan Garcia Grossi and a penalty goal from Magrini. Coca-Cola continued to lead
by two goals, 6-4.

Coca-Cola registered three more goals in the third with team captain Gillian Johnston
scoring her first goal of the game and Arellano adding two more goals to a silent La
Ensenada offense. After the first half, Coca-Cola was in front by a comfortable five
goals, 9-4.

La Ensenada managed a single goal from Grossi in the fourth but watched Coca-Cola
pour it on with Arellano adding two more goals while teammate Ulloa scored for the third
time. With two chukkers to play, Coca-Cola held a commanding 12-5 advantage over
an ineffective La Ensenada attack.

Johnston carried the ball over 150 yards down the field for a goal to open the fifth with
Ulloa adding another from the field. La Ensenada team captain Ernesto Gutierrez
tallied his first goal of the game and they trailed by eight goals, 14-6.

Ulloa put Coca-Cola ahead 15-6, just two minutes into the final chukker when La
Ensenada showed a spark of life. Single goals from Lucas James and Gutierrez closed
out the scoring in the 15-8 Coca-Cola romp.

Arellano led the Coca-Cola attack with seven goals (three on penalty shots). Ulloa
added five goals in the win. Johnston scored twice and Escobar added a goal.

La Ensenada efforts resulted in a balanced attack with Gutierrez, Magrini, James and
Grossi scoring two goals apiece in a losing effort, with both of Magrini’s goals coming on
penalty shots and James picking up one of his scores from the penalty line.