Polo magazine, polo cup, polo, Joe Barry, memorial cup.

Audi to meet Crab Orchard in Joe Barry
Memorial cup final

By Alex Webbe

Villa Del Lago 8-goaler Polito Pieres scored the first two goals of Wednesday
afternoon’s 20-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup semifinal at the International Polo Club in
Wellington, but it would be Marc Ganzi’s Audi team that would ride off with the 9-7 win.

With the Audi team struggling to find any offense, Villa Del Lago scored two
unanswered goals from the field from Polito Pieres for an early 2-0 lead. The first goal
came nearly halfway into the seven minute chukker while the second goal came with
just 42 seconds left in regulation play.

Audi managed to right the ship in the second chukker with a pair of goals from Nic
Roldan (one on a penalty conversion) and a goal from the field from teammate Carlitos
Gracida. Polito Pieres continued to have the hot hand as he responded with three
goals of his own. Polito Pieres scored two times from the field and converted a 30-yard
penalty shot. Villa Del Lago continued to lead, 5-3.

The Audi defense came up strong in the third, shutting down the Villa Del Lago offense
for the first time all day. Mark Ganzi scored his first goal of the game, cutting the Villa
Del Lago lead to a single goal, 5-4, at the end of the first half.

Roldan added two more penalty goals in the fourth and Ganzi added another goal from
the field for Audi. Polito Pieres and Agustin Obregon each scored a goal for Villa Del
Lago, who found themselves deadlocked at 7-7.

It was five minutes into the fifth chukker before either team mounted a successful
attack. A foul by a defending Villa Del Lago player sent Roldan to the penalty line
where he scored on a 40-yard penalty shot. Audi took the lead for the first time all day,
8-7.

For the second consecutive chukker Villa Del Lago was unable to find any offensive
spark. Ganzi’s third goal of the game came with over six minutes left in the period, but
Villa Del Lago was unable to score and Audi drove off with the 9-7 victory and a berth in
Sunday’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup final.

Polito Pieres scored six goals (one on a penalty shot) for Villa Del Lago. Teammate
Agustin Obregon added a single goal in the loss. Nic Roldan’s five goals (four on
penalty conversions) led the Audi attack. Marc Ganzi scored three times and Carlitos

Gracida added a goal in the win.

CRAB ORCHARD 12, ZACARA 11

In the day’s second semifinal of the Joe Barry Memorial Cup the combination of
Mariano Aguerre and Matias Magrini scored a combined twelve goals, lifting Crab
Orchard to an exciting 12-11 win over a powerful and talented Zacara foursome.

Zacara was slow to start with Mariano Aguerre scoring the first goal of the game with
just over three minutes gone in the opening chukker. Both goals came from the field
and went unanswered, giving Crab Orchard the early 2-0 advantage.

The Zacara attack got on track in the second period. Zacara team captain Lyndon
Lea scored one goal from the field while Facundo Pieres made good on three penalty
shots for goals. Aguerre added two more goals from the field for Crab Orchard and two
chukkers into the match it was all even at 4-4.

Fourteen-year-old Matias Gonzalez gave Zacara its first lead of the game with a goal in
the third chukker. Penalty goals from Aguerre and Magrini closed out the scoring in the
first half, however, giving Crab Orchard the 6-5 edge.

Magrini scored the first goal of the fourth chukker on a run from the opening throw-in to
stretch the Crab Orchard lead to two goals, 7-5. Ensuing goals from Facundo Pieres
(one on a 40-yard penalty shot) ended the period in a 7-7 tie.

A raging Crab Orchard attack had Zacara on their heels for much of the fifth chukker,
with mistakes, penalties and technical fouls spelling the Zacara demise. Magrini
converted three consecutive 30-goal penalty shots for goals, and Aguerre scored on a
60-yard Safety as Crab Orchard took a commanding 11-7 lead.

Lea opened the final chukker with a goal from the field and Facundo Pieres converted
a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal, cutting the Crab Orchard lead to a manageable two
goals, 11-9, with over five minutes left to play. Just when the Zacara offense was
beginning to gel, a costly foul sent Magrini to the penalty line once again where he
converted a 40-yard shot for a goal, 12-9. Zacara continued to battle. Facundo Pieres
managed another goal from the field, but time was running out. A final goal from Pieres
came with 25 seconds on the clock, ending the chukker and the game with a 12-11
Crab Orchard victory, and a spot in the tournament final on Sunday, January 27 against
Audi.

Matias Magrini and Mariano Aguerre each scored six goals for Crab Orchard. Two of
the Aguerre goals came on penalty shots while Magrini scored five of his six goals on
penalty shots. Zacara’s Facundo Pieres led all scoring on the day with eight goals, five
goals on penalty shots. Lyndon Lea added two goals and Matias Gonzalez added a

goal in a losing cause.