Photos and Story by Alan Fabricant
In front of a standing room only audience, Park Place and Coca Cola played in the finals to determine the winner of the USPA Gold Cup.
Coca Cola jumped out to a 3-1 lead to close out the first chukka. Five unanswered goals then gave Park Place Park Place a 6-3 lead.
At half-time Park Place led 7-5.
The second half went back and forth with Coca Cola tying the score 9-9 with under a minute to go.
With 5:52 left in OT 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa converted a 30-yard penalty shot to give the win to Park Place 10-9.
Park Place was represented by Ulloa, Andrey Borodin, Peke Gonzalez and the game’s MVP Louis Hine, a 19 year old British 5-goaler.
Coca Cola was led by Patron Jillian Johnson, Julian de Lusarreta, Lorenzo Chavanne ad 9-goaler Polito Pieres.
This game was dedicated to Rufino Laulhe, a 15-year-old, who was going to play his first season in Wellington with Park Place who unfortunately lost his life in a car crash in January in Argentina.
In addition, to honor him Park Place had a sticker with “Rufo” on the team’s jerseys.
