San Antonio tops New York, becomes fourth franchise to claim Benepe Cup
Credit: Jeannette High
The San Antonio Soldados became the fourth franchise to claim the Benepe Cup on Sunday afternoon, knocking off the defending champion New York Titans by a score of 155-100 in game one and 155-70 in game two. The Soldados, who joined the league as an expansion team in 2019, were making their first-ever finals appearance.
New York chaser Molly Potter opened the scoring for New York in game one with a beautiful long-range goal, but San Antonio gradually began to impose its will. Soldados chaser Javien Stewart tallied two quick goals and veteran keeper Miguel Esparza followed with a hat trick to put San Antonio up 60-20. The Soldados’ run, which keyed their game one victory, came during an unbroken 13-minute shift of dodgeball control from beaters Daniel Williams and Baldemar Nunez, who bossed the transition game and played smothering half-court defense.
The Titans’ shot-blocking and length around the hoops helped them get back into the game, but San Antonio maintained a comfortable multi-goal lead into flag runner on pitch. After pairs of goals from the Soldados chasers David Avila and Alyssa Villalba, including a highlight-reel finish on a bounce pass between the two University of Texas-San Antonio products, seeker Kris De La Fuente caught the flag runner. With a 135-70 advantage, the Soldados weathered a mini-run from New York, led by two goals from Titans chaser Lindsay Marella. Yet San Antonio needed only two goals of its own to win and eventually secured them, taking a one-game lead in the series and keeping its undefeated season alive.
In game two, with the championship on the line, the Titans came out much stronger, taking a 50-10 lead to start the contest. New York keeper Jon Jackson scored two goals and chaser Leo Fried, the East Division MVP, added two more. Beaters Tessa Cicco and Devin Lee outdueled their Soldados counterparts and controlled the pitch. Yet Williams and Nunez again started to dictate the pace. San Antonio keeper Matt Blackwood broke through the Titans chaser defense and inspired a 40-0 run for the Soldados, which evened the score at 50-50.
With the game suddenly close again, the teams traded blows. Jackson and Fried notched hat tricks with back-to-back goals, but Esparza responded with a pair of his own and San Antonio chaser Hayden Boyes tallied two more to carry the Soldados into a 90-70 lead. Avila, the South Division MVP, had just extended the run to 50-0 and given San Antonio a 100-70 advantage, when Stewart, taking a rare shift at seeker, caught the flag runner. The catch, which gave the Soldados a commanding 135-70 lead, effectively clinched the title for San Antonio. After an impressive finish from Rookie of the Year Soldados chaser Isabella Ramirez and a stunning turnover forced by Williams on the high press, San Antonio chaser Louis Sanchez did the honors, winning the Soldados their first championship.
The Soldados finished the season 15-0, defeating the Washington Admirals in the quarterfinals and the Minneapolis Monarchs in the semifinals. New York came second after compiling a 11-1 regular season record and besting the Charlotte Aviators in a quarterfinals sweep and the North Division champion Chicago Prowl in a thrilling three-game semifinals series.
