Crab Orchard, Black Watch Register Wins in US Open
By Alex Webbe
The performance of defending 2007 US Open Champion Crab Orchard in the opening round of play wasn’t exactly that of a well-oiled machine, but it was enough to salvage a 12-10 win over a determined Orchard Hill team.
After a slow start that saw the teams tied at 1-1 after the opening chukker of play, Orchard Hill 8-goaler Jeff Hall scored three unanswered goals for a 4-1 lead after the second period.
Crab Orchard rebounded to score four consecutive goals to take a 5-4 lead before a goal from Orchard Hill’s Lucas Criado tied it at 5-5 at the end of the first half.
The fourth chukker belonged to Orchard Hill as Criado and Hall each scored a goal and team captain Steve Van Andel added another one to take an 8-5 advantage, but Crab Orchard wasn’t ready to roll over yet.
In the fifth period, Jeff Blake, Nachi Heguy and Adolfo Cambiaso scored consecutive goals to knot it up at 8-8. A penalty conversion by Jeff Hall put Orchard Hill back on top at 9-8 to end the chukker.
Crab Orchard barreled back into the game from the onset of the final chukker. Two goals from Heguy and two more from Cambiaso gave Crab Orchard a total of twelve goals while Orchard Hill’s Hector Galindo’s single goal was all that it could muster as time expired.
Nachi Heguy led the Crab Orchard attack with five goals. Cambiaso scored four times and Blake added three goals for the win.
Jeff Hall scored five goals for Orchard Hill. Criado scored three times and teammates Galindo and Van Andel added single goals in the loss.
In earlier action, Black Watch handled downed Audi 14-10 in a game that saw Matias MacDonough score a game high nine goals.
Black Watch opened the game with four straight goals (two from Pablo Macdonough and single goals from brother Matias MacDonough and Nacho Figueras). Audi’s Gonzalito Pieres converted a penalty shot to end the period trailing 4-1.
Audi got three goals from Pieres in the second chukker, but goals from Figueras and Matias MacDonough kept Black Watch ahead, 6-4.
Audi’s defense stepped up in the third period, shutting out Black Watch, while goals from Audi team captain Melissa Ganzi and Pieres tied it at 6-6.
“I think we felt in control in the fourth period,†said Pablo MacDonough. “We handled the ball well and our teamwork was working.â€
Audi got goals from Paco de Narvaez and Pieres while Black Watched’s Matias Macdonough scored twice to keep it tied, 8-8.
The fifth period was a breakaway chukker for Black Watch. Although Pieres opened with a go-ahead goal, Matias MacDonough scored three straight goals (two on penalty shots) while brother Pablo MacDonough closed the frame with Black Watch on top of a 12-9 score.
“We felt that we had the game in control in the sixth chukker,†said Pablo MacDonough, “but we also knew that we had to continue to press our attack.â€
Matias MacDonough scored two more goals while Audi managed only a single penalty conversion by Pieres to end the game in a 14-10 Black Watch win,
Matias MacDonough led all scoring with nine goals. Pablo MacDonough scored three times and Figueras added two goals.
Gonzalito Pieres led Adi with eight goals. Melissa Ganzi and Paco de Narvaez added single goals in the loss.
US Open play is scheduled to continue on Wednesday with a noon game between 2008 USPA Piaget Gold Cup Champion Las Monjitas and Lechuza Caracas. A 3pm contest will feature White Birch and Pony Express.