Coca-Cola won the first Semi-final of the USPA Gold Cup on Wednesday 19th March, winning 11-10 against Brookshire at the National Polo Center and taking their place in Sunday's Final.
The hard-fought contest saw Brookshire leading at halftime having come out strong from the first whistle. Gillian Johnston's team recovered and surged in the fourth chukka however, managing to equalize at 7-all. They upped their defensive game with some incredible saves from the goalline and played to their strengths of a strong 4 man attacking side to spread the Brookshire defense thin and push through 4 goals.
They kept the momentum going, outscoring Brookshire 3-2 in the fifth chukka, taking a 10-9 lead heading into the final period. The last chukka was a heated battle, with both teams giving it their all. It ended 1-1, a penalty seeing Brookshire try to win back their advantage, but it wasn't enough and Coca-Cola secured the 11-10 victory and earned the first spot in the final.
This will be Coca-Cola's second consecutive final, having previously played in the CV Whitney Cup final, where they were defeated by La Dolfina Tamera.
The Teams:
Chukka Breakdown:
Score Progression:
Game Statistics:
Coca Cola start their comeback with a throw in win and a pass up to Gillian Johnston who has read the play well and run upfield into an attacking position. She takes possession and runs it to goal undefended: