Tonkawa and Valiente into Joe Barry Semifinals
By Alex Webbe
A full day of 20-goal matches in the 2014 Joe Barry memorial cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington as 14 teams took to the fields in an effort to secure semifinal berths in the popular tournament.
Bracket III’s Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalito Pieres, Rodrigo Andrade and Tomas Alberdi) and Bracket IV’s Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and Roberto Zedda) both won their third consecutive games on Sunday, earning semifinal tournament berths. Tonkawa (3-0) scored a 9-8 win over Faraway (Hutton Goodman, Martin Pepa, Santiago Chavanne and Mariano Gonzalez) while Valiente knocked Flight Options out of the tournament with a 12-10 win.
At the end of the day there were four teams in Bracket I and Bracket II with identical 2-1 records. Villa Del Lago/Casablanca (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Polito Pieres and Inaki Laprida) won their second of three games with a convincing 15-10 victory over El Cabure (Federico Virasoro, Carlucho Arellano, Agustin Merlos and Stevie Orthwein); Palm Beach Illustrated (Jared Zenni, Facundo Obregon, Magoo Laprida and Tommy Collingwood); Los Machitos (Steve Lefkowitz, Sterling Giannico, Mariano Aguerre and Matias Magrini) snuck past Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Jeff Hall, Julio Arellano and Nick Morrison); while Coca-Cola (2-1) still manages to make it into a penalty shoot-out in spite of their first loss to Los Machitos on Sunday.
The competition began with a pair of 10am games with Tonkawa racing out to a 5-2 halftime lead over Faraway and then having to rally to secure the 9-8 win.
Gonzalito Pieres scored the first goal of the day from the field that was countered by a goal from Faraway’s Mariano Gonzalez. A 40-yard penalty conversion from Pieres closed out the opening chukker with Tonkawa on top, 2-1.
Both defenses tightened up in the second period. Rodrigo Andrade scored the only goal of the chukker for Tonkawa. Faraway was scoreless and fell behind 3-1.
Gonzalez cut into the Tonkawa lead with a 60-yard penalty goal in the third, but Pieres responded with a pair of penalty goals of his own. The first half ended with Tonkawa leading by three goals, 5-2.
A re-focused Faraway team took the field in the fourth, shutting out the Tonkawa attack for the first time all day while registering three unanswered goals (one from Gonzalez and two from Santiago Chavanne) to tie it up at 5-5.
Faraway took the lead for the first time all day with Chavanne scoring his third goal of the day, 6-5. Pieres connected on a 60-yard penalty shot for Tonkawa followed by a goal from the field from Tomas Alberdi. At the end of five chukkers of play, Tonkawa was in the lead, 7-6.
Chavanne scored consecutive goals in the sixth to put Faraway back in the lead, 8-7Pieres responded with a 40-yard penalty conversion to tie it at 8-8, and Andrade scored the final goal of the game for the 9-8 Tonkawa win.
VILLA DEL LAGO/CASABLANCA 15, EL CABURE 10
Polito Pieres continues to impress as he scored ten times in leading Villa Del Lago/Casablanca (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Polito Pieres and Inaki Laprida) to a comfortable 15-10 win over El Cabure (Federico Virasoro, Carlucho Arellano, Agustin Merlos and Stevie Orthwein).
The two teams matched one another goal for goal in the opening chukker with Inaki Laprida and Polito Pieres scoring the opening two goals of the game for the early 2-0 lead. El Cabure responded with a pair of penalty goals from Agustin Merlos and the two teams were deadlocked at 2-2.
Villa Del Lago/Casablanca came back with four goals in the second. Pieres scored twice from the field and once on a 40-yard penalty shot while teammate Laprida added his second goal of the game for a 6-4 advantage. El Cabure picked up a pair of penalty goals with Carlucho Arellano and Merlos each scoring on the penalty shots.
Villa Del Lago/Casablanca took control of the game in the third, scoring four consecutive goals while keeping El Cabure off of the scoreboard. Agustin Obregon scored his first goal of the day while Pieres added three more goals, giving him seven in the first half. At the end of three chukkers Villa Del Lago/Casablanca was solidly in the lead, 10-4.
Merlos added a goal to the El Cabure total to open the fourth, 10-5, but the talented Villa Del Lago/Casablanca team stormed back. Three more goals from Pieres left El Cabure in the dust, 13-5.
Merlos scored on a penalty shot in the fifth but was answered by a goal from the field from Obregon. With one chukker left to play in regulation time, Villa Del Lago/Casablanca owned an eight goal lead, 14-6.
With Villa Del Lago/Casablanca seemingly saving their horses, Merlos scored four times in the sixth chukker. Laprida scored on a 60-yard penalty goal for Villa Del Lago/Casablanca as they rode off with the 15-10 win.
Pieres led all scoring with ten goals. Laprida added three and Obregon scored twice for the win. Merlos led the El Cabure attack with nine goals. Arellano added a goal in a losing effort.
LECHUZA CARACAS 10, LAS MONJITAS 8
Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Mariano Gracida, Pablo Macdonough and Nico Espain) scored their first win of the Joe Barry memorial cup Sunday afternoon with a 10-8 win over Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Geronimo Obregon, Eduardo Astrada and Alejandro Astrada).
Las Monjitas scored the first three goals of the match with Geronimo Obregon scoring the opening goal from the field followed by a pair of penalty conversions from Alejandro Astrada. Lechuza Caracas was shutout in the first chukker and trailed, 3-0.
Lechuza Caracas turned the tables on Las Monjitas in the second period, getting goals from Nico Espain and Pablo MacDonough (penalty goal) to pull to within a goal of the lead, 3-2.
Alejandro Astrada scored on a penalty goal and added a goal from the field for Las Monjitas in the third, but Lechuza Caracas fired back with three goals of their own. MacDonough added two penalty goals and Espain scored his second goal from the field for a 5-5 halftime tie.
Alejandro Astrada scored twice in the fourth (once on a 60-yard penalty shot) while holding Lechuza Caracas to a single goal from the field from Espain. With two chukkers left to play, Las Monjitas took back the lead, 7-6.
Penalty goals from MacDonough and Alejandro Astrada were followed by a goal from the field from Gracida. After five chukkers of play it was all even at 8-8.
Lechuza Caracas beefed up the offense in the final chukker, and it paid off for them. Nico Espain scored the go-ahead goal, 9-8, and Lechuza Caracas team captain Victor Vargas scored the insurance goal in the 10-8 win.
Espain and MacDonough scored four goals apiece. Vargas and Gracida added single goals in the win. Alejandro Astrada led all scoring on the afternoon with seven goals. Obregon added a goal in a losing effort.
AUDI 13, CT ENERGIA 12
CT Energia (Alessando Bazzoni, Kris Kampsen, J. P. Ganon and Nick Manifold) got off to an impressive 7-5 halftime start, but the wheels fell off the wagon in the final chukker as they lost to Audi (Marc Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Nic Roldan and Nico Pieres, 13-12.
CT Energia received one goal by handicap and Nick Manifold scored the first two goals of the chukker from the field while Audi’s Nico Pieres added a goal on a 60-yard penalty shot for the first chukker, 3-1 advantage to CT Energia.
Four of the five second chukker goals came on penalty shots, with Pieres and Nic Roldan each scoring on 60-yarders and Roldan adding a 40-yard penalty shot. Kris Kampsen added two more goals to the CT Energia total (one from the field and one on a penalty shot), but Audi had cut the CT Energia lead to a single goal, 5-4.
Pieres tied it up at 5-5 with his third goal of the game, but another penalty goal from Kampsen was followed by a goal from the field from Brazilian 7-goaler Joao Ganon. At the end of the first half CT Energia was enjoying a two goal, 7-5 lead.
Marc Ganzi converted a short penalty shot for an Audi goal in the fourth, but goals from the field by Manifold and Ganon stretched the CT Energia advantage to three goals, 9-6.
Ganon’s third goal of the contest had CT Energia on top, 10-6, but that was when the momentum switched. Audi scored three times from the field and added a 60-yard penalty shot. With one chukker left in regulation play it was all even at 10-10.
Ganzi scored on a 30-yard penalty shot in the sixth followed by a goal from the field from Pieres as Audi moved in front, 12-10. Ganon responded with a 40-yard penalty conversion, 12-11. Ganzi scored from the field as Audi moved in front, 13-11, with time running out. Kampsen scored the final goal of the game, but it was Audi that rode off the field with the 13-12, come-from-behind win.
Ganzi and Pieres led the Audi attack with four goals apiece. Ganon and Kampsen each scored four goals in a losing effort for CT Energia.
PALM BEACH ILLUSTRATED 13, ORCHARD HILL 11
A youthful Palm Beach Illustrated team (Jared Zenni, Facundo Obregon, Magoo Laprida and Tommy Collingwood) stopped Orchard Hill (Steve Van Andel, Lucas Criado, Facundo Pieres and Marcos Alberdi) and 10-goaler Facundo Pieres 13-11 to improve their record to 2-1.
First chukker action saw Facundo Obregon scored twice for Palm Beach Illustrated with the opening goal from the field and a 60-yard penalty conversion. Orchard Hill answered back with a goal from the field from Lucas Criado and a short penalty shot from Facundo Pieres, 2-2.
The two teams matched one another goal for goal in the second with Magoo Laprida giving Palm Beach Illustrated the early edge on a goal from the field followed by another 60-yard penalty goal from Obregon. Once again Criado and Pieres answered back with goals to knot it up at 4-4 after two.
Pieres added two more penalty goals in the third, and Criado scored his third as Orchard Hill took a 7-6 halftime lead. Both of Palm Beach Illustrated’s goals in the chukker came on penalty goals from Obregon.
Two more fourth chukker goals from Criado padded the Orchard Hill lead to two goals, 9-7. Laprida managed Palm Beach Illustrated’s only goal of the period on a shot from the field.
Pieres scored on a penalty shot and a goal from the field for an 11-7 lead in the fifth, but a 40-yard penalty goal from Obregon and a field goal from Laprida had Palm Beach Illustrated trailing 11-9, but kept them in the game.
In the final a determined Palm Beach Illustrated team took control of the field, scoring four unanswered goals and riding off with the 13-11 victory. Single goals from Jared Zenni and Obregon were complimented by a pair of goals from Tommy Collingwood as the young Palm Beach Illustrated team found a way to win.
Obregon led all scoring with seven goals on the day (five on penalty shots). Laprida scored three times while Collingwood added two goals and Zenni scored once for the win. Pieres set the scoring apiece for Orchard Hill with six goals (five on penalty conversions). Criado added five in the loss.
LOS MACHITOS 8, COCA-COLA 7
Los Machitos (Steve Lefkowitz, Sterling Giannico, Mariano Aguerre and Matias Magrini) upset Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Jeff Hall, Julio Arellano and Nick Morrison) in Sunday’s stadium match after six chukkers of nose to nose combat. Both teams ended the preliminary competition with 2-1 records, and both qualified for the Monday morning shootout to determine the final two semifinalists of the tournament.
American 9-goaler Julio Arellano scored the opening goal of the day for Coca-Cola, but Los Machitos team captain Steve Lefkowitz leveled the score at 1-1 in the low-scoring first period.
A pair of penalty goals from former 10-goaler Matias Magrini had Los Machitos in front 3-1 in the second. Coca-Cola drew close with a goal from the field from Jeff Hall, but trailed after two, 3-2.
Mariano Aguerre and Gillian Johnson traded goals in the third as Los Machitos guarded a narrow 4-3 halftime lead.
Fourth chukker goals from Hall and Nick Morrison gave Coca-Cola a 5-4 edge, but Magrini scored the final goal of the chukker for a 5-5 tie,
Aguerre opened the fifth with a goal from the field, 6-5, but Coca-Cola fired right back. A score from Hall and a well-executed goal from Johnston had Los Machitos trailing, 7-6, at the end of the chukker.
Los Machitos took the day with a pair of goals from Magrini (one on a penalty conversion) as Coca-Cola was unable to generate any last chukker offense. The hard-fought game went to Los Machitos, 8-7.
Magrini’s five goals led the Los Machitos attack. Former 10-goaler Aguerre scored twice and was named MVP. Hall led the Coca-Cola attack with three goals. Gillian Johnston’s fifth chukker pony, Blue Duck, garnered Best Playing Pony honors.
VALIENTE 12, FLIGHT OPTIONS 10
In a bonus game, and the final match of the day, Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and Roberto Zedda) scored their third consecutive win and earned a semifinal berth by defeating Flight Options (Melissa Ganzi, Fred Mannix, Miguel Astrada and Juan Bollini) 12-10.
Valiente opened the scoring with a goal from the field from Santi Torres followed by a 60-yard penalty conversion from Sapo Caset. Miguel Astrada kept Flight Options on task with a pair of penalty goals for the early 2-2 tie,
Astrada converted a 60-yard penalty shot for Flight Options for a brief 3-2 lead, but Caset converted a 40-yard penalty goal and added another from the field as Valiente left the field on top of a 4-3 score.
The two teams exchanged goals in the third with Roberto Zedda and Torres (penalty goal) scoring for Valiente while Flight Options got single goals from Fred Mannix and Astrada. After three chukkers of play, Valiente held a one goal, 6-5, lead.
Caset’s fourth goal of the day had Valiente in front, 7-5, to start the second half, but a penalty goal from Mannix cut the lead back to a single goal, 7-6.
Valiente scored three goals from the field in the fifth with Caset garnering two of them and Torres scoring the third. Mannix scored three times for Flight Options, and Valiente rode off with a 10-9 edge after five chukkers.
Mannix tied it up at 10-10 with his sixth goal of the game, but Valiente wasn’t through yet. A penalty goal from Caset and a goal from the field from Torres proved to be the difference in the 12-10 Valiente victory.
Caset scored seven times for Valiente (three on penalty shots). Torres added four goals and Zedda scored once. Mannix’s six goals (two on penalty conversions) set the pace for the Flight Options offense. Teammate Miguel Astrada scored twice from the field and twice on penalty shots for another four goals in the loss.
As a result of their 3-0 bracket records, both Tonkawa and Valiente advance to the Joe Barry Memorial Cup semifinals. The remaining two spots are slated to be determined in a four team shootout on Monday morning with Coca-Cola, Vila Del Lago/Casablanca, Palm Beach Illustrated and Los Machitos in the mix.
"Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly" 
Rabii Benadada
