Catamount scores second tournament championship - by Alex Webbe

A balanced scoring attack and a coordinated team effort powered Catamount to a 12-9 win over Bendabout in the finals of the Ylvisaker Cup Wednesday morning at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

Claiming its second straight tournament championship (Catamount had just captured the Joe Barry Memorial Cup in January), Catamount relied on the talented 8-goaler Nicolas Roldan and a cast of supporting players that made it look easy.

Catamount’s player-coach Todd Offen was named tournament MVP for the second time this year, but was quick to credit the team for the most recent win.
Catamount jumped out to an early 3-2 lead, but couldn’t seem to separate itself from a stubbort Bendabout that trailed by a single goal, 5-4, at the end of the second chukker.

Consecutive goals from Roldan, Scott Devon and Todd Offen made it 8-4 before Miguel Novillo Astrada managed to get Bendabout on the board with a penalty conversion. Roldan answered with a penalty goal of his own, however, and the half ended with Catamount on top, 9-5.

Scoring went back and forth in the fourth chukker. Brothers Miguel Novillo Astrada and Alejandro Novillo Astrada each scored for Bendabout, but Roldan added a goal from the field and another on a penalty shot, and Catamount maintained a four goal lead, 11-7. Bendabout managed to shutout the Catamount offense for the first time all game long in the fifth period, but could only come up with a single goal to trail 11-8.

Bendabout trailed by three goals going into the final chukker when Catamount put the game on ice. A single goal on a penalty conversion by Alejandro Novillo Astrada was all Bendabout was allowed, as Offen accounted for Catamount’s final goal in the 12-9 win.

Nicolas Roldan scored five times for Catamount. Offen added four goals; team captain Scott Devon scored twice and Brandon Phillips added a single goal in the win.
Alejandro Novillo Astrada led Bendabout with five goals. Miguel Novillo Astrada added three goals and team captain Gillian Johnston scored once.

Miguel Novillo Astrada’s Serrano, was named Best Playing Pony.