Zacara, ERG and Valiente I score US Open Wins

By Alex Webbe

In a match that was very much a defensive battle-at speed, Valiente I, outlasted Las
Monjitas 8-6. The contest saw no less than four Astrada brothers on the field between
the two teams Saturday afternoon in the 2012 Nespresso US Open tournament at the
International Polo Club in Wellington.

Scoring came easy in the opening minutes of play with Javier Astrada scoring for Las
Monjitas less than 30 seconds into the game, and Bob Jornayvaz getting his Valiente I
team on the scoreboard with a goal from the field. Eduardo Astrada scored his first goal
of the game to put Las Monjitas back on top, 2-1. Miguel Astrada knotted it up at 2-2
with a penalty conversion in the last minute for the final score of the period.

Nacho Astrada opened the second chukker with a beautifully executed nearside neck
shot that gave Valiente I its first lead of the game. Inaki Laprida tied it up at 3-3 with a
goal from the field less than a minute later in what would be the last goal of the chukker.

Consecutive goals from Javier Astrada and Eduardo Astrada had Las Monjitas ahead,
5-3 in the third period. Both teams fought for control of the ball until Polito Pieres
scored with 1:37 left in the first half. A second goal from Pieres came with 12 seconds
on the clock for a 5-5 halftime score.

Resolute defensive work by Valiente I kept Las Monjitas from scoring in the fourth
chukker as Nacho Astrada and Miguel Astrada tallied single goals. After four chukkers
of play, Valiente led, 7-5.

Horse races from one end of the field to the other characterized the fifth chukker.
Missed shots at goal and great defensive work resulted in Miguel Astrada scoring the
only goal of the chukker. Valiente I extended its lead to three goals, 8-5.

The pace never slowed down in the final chukker, but goals were hard to come by. With
44 seconds left in regulation time, Eduardo Astrada scored the only second half goal for
Las Monjitas as they fell to Valiente I, 8-6.

A balanced Valiente attack had Miguel Astrada scoring three times. Pieres and Nacho
Astrada added two goals apiece and team captain, Bob Jornayvaz, scored once in the
win.

Javier Astrada led the Las Monjitas attack with three goals. Eduardo Astrada scored
twice and Laprida added a single goal in the loss.

ERG 13, ORCHARD HILL 10

After battling back and forth for the first five chukkers of play, ERG turned it on in the
final chukker to record a 13-10 win over Orchard Hill as first round play continues in the
US Open.

Mariano Gonzalez got Orchard Hill on the scoreboard early with a penalty conversion,
but Agustin Merlos responded just a minute later with a penalty goal for ERG, 1-1.
Gonzalez closed out the scoring in the first chukker with his second penalty conversion
for a 2-1 Orchard Hill lead.

Two minutes into the second chukker Gonzalez scored again from the penalty line for
a 3-1 Orchard Hill advantage, but that was when ERG came alive. Agustin Merlos
pushed the ball through the Orchard Hill goalposts while galloping parallel to the end
line and then scored his second goal from the field just a minute later to tie the game at
3-3. Agustin Merlos scored the final goal of the chukker on another penalty shot, and
ERG left the field on top of a 4-3 score.

The third chukker was defensive in nature with choppy play and errant passes. Paco de
Narvaez scored the only goal of the chukker in the last 36 seconds as ERG ended the
first half up by two goals, 5-3.

Orchard Hill took the reins in the second half, with an opening goal from Gonzalez
from the throw-in followed by a goal from the field from Lucas Criado to tie it up at 5-5.
Agustin Merlos responded with a penalty goal from Agustin Merlos to put ERG back on
top, 6-5. A centering pass from Agustin Merlos three minutes later caught a streaking
de Narvaez who drove it through the goal posts for a score, 7-5. Ten-goaler Pablo
MacDonough broke through the ERG defense to score his first goal of the game, 7-6. A
penalty goal from Agustin Merlos ended the chukker with ERG ahead, 8-6.

Goals from Criado and MacDonough (penalty shot) tied it up again at 8-8 as the fifth
chukker got underway. De Narvaez answered with a goal for ERG, 9-8 that
Criado countered with another goal from the field, 9-9. Sebastian Merlos closed out the
scoring in the fifth period with a well-executed scoring effort for a 10-9 ERG lead.

Agustin Merlos scored the first goal of the final chukker on a penalty conversion,
extending the ERG lead to 11-9. Criado finally got Orchard Hill on the right track again
with his fourth goal of the game, but the rally fell short. Agustin Merlos scored the final
goal of the game in a 13-10ERG victory.

Agustin Merlos led all scoring with nine goals (five on penalty shots). De Narvaez
added three goals and Sebastian Merlos scored once in the win.

Criado and Gonzalez scored four goals apiece for Orchard Hill (three goals from
Gonzalez were on penalty shots). MacDonough added two goals (one by penalty) in

the loss.

ZACARA 15, ALEGRIA 10

On the strength of nine goals from Facundo Pieres, Zacara opened the day with a 15-10
win over Alegria as US Open play continued into the weekend.

In a slow-starting game, Mike Azzaro scored the first goal of the game to put Zacara
ahead, 1-0, on a goal from the field. Tomas Garcia del Rio responded with a penalty
conversion for a tying goal, 1-1, for the only other score of the chukker.

Fred Mannix jumped all over the ball on the ensuing throw-in in the second chukker,
carrying it right down the field for a go-ahead goal, 2-1. Pieres tied it up with a penalty
goal, 2-2, but Alegria was ready. Consecutive goals from Mariano Aguerre and Del Rio
had Alegria ahead, 6-5. Pieres ended the chukker with a goal in the last 13 seconds for
a 6-6 halftime deadlock.

Fourth chukker goals from Pieres and Azzaro were countered by a single goal from
Alegria’s Aguerre. Zacara left the field at the end of the chukker with an 8-7 edge.

Laprida was on the receiving end of a well-placed centering pass from Azzaro to open
the fifth, 9-7. Del Rio responded with a goal from the field, cutting the Valiente I lead
to a single goal, 9-8. Three consecutive goals from Valiente I saw Pieres convert a 40-
yard penalty shot while Azzaro added two goals from the field in the last 1:34 of the
chukker for a comfortable 12-8 lead.

Laprida took a long pass from Pieres to score the opening goal of the sixth chukker just
20 seconds into play. Aguerre converted a 60-yard penalty shot, 13-9, followed by a
steal by Pieres who carried the ball at a full clip 280 yards down the field to score, 14-9.
Aguerre converted a Safety (60-yard penalty conversion), 14-10, but Pieres closed out
the game with his ninth goal of the match for a 15-10 win.

Aguerre scored four goals for Alegria (two by penalty). Del Rio was credited with three
goals (two by penalty). Julian Mannix scored twice and Fred Mannix added a goal in
the loss.

Pieres lit them up with nine goals (four by penalty). Azzaro added four goals and
Laprida scored twice.