Semifinals set for Ylvisaker Cup

By Alex Webbe

Villa Del Lago got off to a strong start in Sunday’s first Ylvisaker Cup quarterfinal at the International Polo Club in Wellington, but it was Audi that rode off with the 14-9 win. Magoo Laprida scored the first two goals of the game, converting a penalty goal halfway into the opening chukker and following it up with a goal from the field two minutes later. Nico Pieres kept Audi from being shut out with a goal in the last minute of the period to trail, 2-1.

Pieres took the opening throw-in of the second chukker and raced down the field to score the tying goal, 2-2, and Nic Roldan put Audi in front with his first goal f the game, 3-2. Laprida evened the score at 3-3 halfway through the period. An Audi foul gave Villa Del Lago a boost when the Umpires awarded them with a Penalty 1, a free goal on a foul in the Audi goal mouth. The second period ended with Villa Del Lago leading 4-3.

Jared Zenni scored for Villa Del Lago in the opening 30 seconds of the third followed by a pair of penalty conversions from Laprida as Audi found themselves trailing, 7-3. Another Penalty 1 was awarded in the final two minutes of the chukker, but this time it went in favor of Audi, 7-4. Thirty seconds later Pieres cut the Vila Del Lago lead to a pair of goals, 7-5, to end the first half.

Audi raced into the field in the second half, kicking it off with a goal from Roldan in the opening seconds of play, 7-6. Pieres complimented it with a goal from the field that was followed by a penalty conversion from Roldan for an 8-7 advantage. Laprida managed to tie it up at 8-8 to end the chukker.

Laprida’s seventh goal of the morning had Villa Del Lago ahead, 8-7 when the Audi attack kicked in. Roldan scored on a pair of neck shots and added a 60-yard penalty conversion for an 11-9 lead with a bewildered Vila Del Lago repairing to the trailers to obtain fresh mounts for the final period of play.

Roldan’s fourth consecutive opened the sixth chukker with another goal to give Audi a three goal cushion, 12-9. Pieres added another goal two minutes later and Roldan wrapped it up with his eighth goal of the match in a 14-9 win.

Roldan led the field in scoring with eight goals, four on penalty shots. Pieres added five goals with the team picking up a goal on a foul. Laprida registered seven goals in the Villa Del Lago effort, three on penalty shots; Zenni added a goal and the team received one goal on a penalty.

COCA-COLA 12, ZACARA 10

Zacara 10-goaler Facundo Pieres got his team rolling early, scoring twice in the opening chukker of their quarterfinal showdown with Coca-Cola before a second half collapse saw them lose 12-10.

Pieres and Coca-Cola’s Julio Arellano traded goals in the first chukker with each player scoring twice from the field for the early 2-2 gridlock.

Three more goals from Pieres in the second period moved Zacara out to a 5-4 lead as Pieres scored twice from the field and added a penalty conversion for a goal as well. Arellano kept Coca-Cola in the race with a pair of penalty goals of his own but trailed by a single goal, 5-4.

Both defenses stiffened in the third with Arellano converting a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal and a 5-5 tie in the opening seconds of the period before watching Zacara team captain Lyndon Lea and Pieres add single goals for the 7-5 halftime lead.

For all intents and purposes, Zacara gave the game away in the fourth chukker.

Coca-Cola’s 7-goaler Sugar Erskine and Facundo Pieres exchanged goals in the opening two minutes of the fourth chukker before Arellano scored on four unanswered goals for a 10-8 lead with two chukkers left in regulation time.

Arellano’s tenth goal of the game came on a penalty shot in the fifth chukker. Zacara was able to do little more than respond with a penalty goal from Pieres. Coca-Cola carried the 11-9, two goal lead into the sixth period.

Zacara had their chances in the final chukker of the match with the sure-shot Pieres missing on a 30-yard penalty shot and leaving another near-goal on the doorstep of the Coca-Cola goal before clearing it out of the area. With time running out, Coca-Cola’s Gillian Johnston picked up the ball and raced down the field where she scored her first goal of the game for the 12-10 victory.

Arellano led all scoring with an impressive ten goals on the day. Six of his goals came on penalty shots. Erskine and Johnston added single goals for the win. Pieres scored nine times for Zacara and team captain, Lyndon Lea, added a goal in the loss.

LECHUZA SENDS ERG PACKING, EARNS SEMIFINAL BERTH

Lechuza Caracas needed a win to move into Wednesday’s semifinals of the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup and managed to do just that in their 10-7 win over an aggressive ERG lineup.

ERG team captain Scott Wood scored the first goal of the game on a penalty conversion less than two minutes into the game, but Lechuza Caracas fired right back with Polito Pieres scoring a penalty goal of their own for the 1-1 tie. With two minutes and forty seconds left in the period, Adam Snow gave Lechuza Caracas their first lead of the game, 2-1 to end the chukker.

Pieres added another penalty goal in the second on a penalty shot and then laced a pin-point pass to team captain Victor Vargas who scored to give Lechuza Caracas a 4-1 lead. ERG was held scoreless.

Vargas sent a pass to a racing Pieres in the third period for a 5-1 advantage before ERG fired back. Consecutive goals (one from the field and one on a penalty shot) from Paco de Narvaez closed out the chukker with Lechuza Caracas leaving the field at the end of the first half with a 5-3 edge.

The two teams exchanged goals again in the fourth period with ERG’s hector Galindo adding a pair of goals from the field while Polito Pieres scored twice, once from the field and once on a penalty shot for a goal. With two chukkers left to play Lechuza continued to maintain a two goal lead, 7-5.

Goals were scare in the fifth period as both teams swept up and down the field with nothing to show for it. Former 10-goaler Snow managed to tap the ball through the ERG goal posts with nine seconds left on the clock to put Lechuza Caracas ahead, 8-5.

The pace continued in the final period of the game with the two teams exchanging goals one last time. Blake and de Narvaez scored single goals form ERG while Pieres scored a pair of goals from the field for the 10-7 win.

Pieres led all scoring with seven goals (three on penalty shots) and was named MVP for his efforts. Snow was credited with a pair of goals and Vargas added a goal for the win. ERG’s balanced attack came up short, with de Narvaez registering three goals (one on a penalty conversion). Galindo scored twice and Wood and Blake added single goals in a losing effort.

The victory sends Lechuza Caracas into Wednesday’s semifinals against Coca-Cola.

LUCCHESE RALLIES FOR 12-11 WIN OVER PIAGET

Lucchese played the last Ylvisaker Cup quarterfinal at the International Polo Club and overcame a 11-9, two goal deficit in the fifth chukker to score a come-from-behind 12-11 win over Piaget to quality for Wednesday’s tournament semifinals against Audi.

Argentine 9-goaler Sebastian Merlos was sidelined from the Lucchese team (cracked rib), but his younger brother Agustin seemed to fill in quite nicely, at the end of the game Agustin Merlos had scored ten times (four times on penalty conversions) for the win.

The 19-goal Piaget team received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Lucchese foursome and quickly added to it with a 60-yard penalty goal from Miguel Astrada. Merlos responded for Lucchese with consecutive goals from the field, and teammate Kris Kampsen scored his first goal of the day for a 3-2 lead. Astrada added another penalty goal to end the chukker in a 3-3 tie.

Astrada added another goal from the field for Piaget but Merlos fired back by scoring on a 40-yard and a 60-yard penalty shot for goals. The second period ended with Lucchese on top, 5-4.

The Piaget attack got on track in the third chukker with Joaquin scoring his first goal of the match and Astrada adding a pair of goals on penalty conversions for a 7-6 halftime advantage. Merlos managed a single penalty goal for Lucchese.

Fourth chukker goals from Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini were answered by a single goal from Merlos. Piaget extended its lead to two goals, 9-7.

Astrada’s sixth goal of the day gave Piaget a three goal lead in the fifth, 10-7. Merlos countered with a pair of goals from the field, cutting the Piaget led to a single goal, 10-9. Astrada scored the final goal of the chukker as Piaget held its two goal advantage, 11-9, with one chukker left in regulation play.

The final chukker belonged to Lucchese as they scored three unanswered goals for the 12-11 win. Merlos scored the first goal of the period on a 60-yard penalty conversion, cutting the Piaget lead to a single goal, 11-10. Teammate Andres Weisz scored his first goal of the afternoon to knot it up at 11-11 and Merlos, fittingly, scored the winning goal, 12-11, with his tenth goal of the day.

Merlos led all scoring with his ten goals. Kampsen and Weisz added single goals for the victory. Astrada set the pace for Piaget with seven goals. Panelo, Ganzi and Bollini added single goals in the loss.

The victory boosts Lucchese into Wednesday’s Ylvisaker Cup semifinals against Audi.