La Hache won the final of the Tortugas Open on Friday 1st November, winning 14-13 against Ellerstina UAE Yellow Rose at the Tortugas Country Club with a goal in the final 30 seconds of the match.
An exciting game that was tightly contested throughout, La Hache took the early lead, and went into halftime 7-5 up. An effective halftime talk saw a reinvigoted Ellerstina take to the field for the 5th chukka where they managed to equalise at 8-8. It was all to play for throughout the second half and the play was fast and open as you would expect with 8 of the most exciting and powerful players out there on the field together. With the two teams well matched in horse power and man power, it was all down to the details.
La Hache dominated possession throughout with 18 throw ins won and 30 shots on goal resulting in 12 field goals, while Ellerstina relied more heavily on their accuracy from the penalty line, converting 6 out of their 7 opportunities having forced multiple errors from the La Hache side. La Hache's success came from their mastery of the team combination plays. Positive plays using forward running attackers who had won the position, taking their men to ensure they were free to receive the pinpoint passes from the back or midfield. A true four man team dynamic, La Hache saw Hilario Ulloa and Fran Elialde powerful and immoveable in the middle, creating space and plays while Tomas Panelo as last man was proving himself once again to be an indomitable defensive payer and Polito Pieres doing what he does best up front, creating magic with his ball skills.
It all came down to the wire. Ellerstina kept apace with La Hache until the 7th chukka where goals from Ulloa and Elizalde saw La Hache take the lead 13-10. It seemed like a done deal until, Ellerstina fought back to equalise in the last, bringing the score to 13-13. An extra chukka seemed likely but Tomas Panelo scored in the additional 30 seconds, sealing the first triple crown victory for La Hache as well as the MVP award.
The Teams:
Chukka Breakdown:
Score Progression:
Game Statistics:
