Zacara
and Lechuza Caracas skate past opposition
By
Alex Webbe
Zacara (2-0) and Lechuza Caracas (2-0) skated past the
opposition in Saturday afternoon’s Maserati US Open games at the International
Polo Club in Wellington as tournament play continues
in American polo’s most prized cup.
Faraway 8-goaler Matias Magrini scored the first goal of
the game two minutes into the first chukker, but Zacara wasted little time in
responding. Magoo Laprida tied it up at
1-1 just a minute later, and Zacara 10-goaler Facundo Pieres gave them a 2-1
lead with 3:05 left in the period. Mike
Azzaro’s first goal of the game came with 48 seconds on the clock and gave
Zacara an opening chukker 3-1 advantage.
Azzaro and Magrini exchanged goals in the first half of
the second chukker, with Magrini blasting the ball through the Zacara goalposts
from over 60-yards out. The Zacara lead
held at two goals, 4-2. Nic Roldan
converted a penalty shot for Faraway, cutting the lead to a single goal, 4-3
when Zacara answered back. Consecutive
goals from Laprida and Pieres (60-yard penalty conversion) ended the chukker with
Zacara leading by three goals, 6-3.
Magrini jumped on a Zacara clearing shot that was left right
in front of the goal in the first 30 seconds of the second period that cut the
lead back to two goals, 6-4. Roldan
converted another penalty shot at the 3:57 mark to make it a one goal game
again, 6-5. Laprida and Pieres scored consecutive
goals for an 8-5 Zacara lead. Magrini’s
fourth goal of the game was followed by a goal from Laprida with 10 seconds
left on the clock. The first half ended
with Zacara in control of the game and a confused Orchard Hill foursome being
unable to put two plays together. The
first half ended with Lechuza Caracas holding a three goal edge, 9-6, with
three chukkers left to be played.
Pieres added two more goals in the fourth chukker for an
11-6 Zacara lead. Nic Roldan fought
desperately to keep Faraway in the game with his third penalty conversion of
the night. The period ended with Zacara
in front by four goals, 11-7.
Pieres scored on the opening throw-in of the fifth
chukker, and Laprida scored his fifth goal of the game to put Zacara ahead by
five goals, 12-7. Two minutes later
Laprida added another goal for the final score in the chukker. With one chukker left to be played, Zacara
was riding a comfortable 13-7, six goal edge.
Two minutes into the final chukker Azzaro scored on a
shot from the field, and Pieres added a goal on a shot from over 120 yards in
front of the goal for the final score in the 15-7 Zacara win. While the Zacara record sits at 2-0, Faraway remains
winless at 0-2.
Pieres was credited with a game high seven goals (two on
penalty shots). Laprida added five goals
and Azzaro scored three times. Faraway
got four goals from Magrini and three more from Roldan in the loss.
LECHUZA
CARACAS 13, ORCHARD HILL 10
Lechuza Caracas (2-0) closed out Maserati US Open play
for the day with a 13-10 win over Steve Van Andel’s Orchard Hill (0-2) lineup
to join Valiente (2-0), Zacara (2-0) and Alegria (1-0) as one of only four
teams to remain undefeated in the tournament.
Lechuza Caracas scored the first three goals of the game
with Polito Pieres scoring just two minutes into the game followed by a goal
from 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero at 3:52.
Pieres made it 3-0 on a 60-yard penalty shot. Matias MacDonough finally got Orchard Hill on
the scoreboard with a penalty conversion.
The chukker ended with no further scoring and Lechuza Caracas on top of
a 3-1 lead.
Seven-goaler Francisco Elizalde took the opening throw-in
in the second chukker and raced to the Orchard Hill goal for a score, 4-1. Elizalde topped that performance with a beautifully-executed
cut shot that had Lechuza Caracas in front, 5-1. Matias MacDonough converted a penalty shot,
cutting the Lechuza Caracas lead to three goals, 5-2. Nero’s second goal of the game came with just
37 seconds left in the chukker, putting Lechuza Caracas ahead by three, 6-2.
Matias MacDonough and Pieres monopolized the scoring in
the third chukker. Matias MacDonough
scored on two penalty shots for goals while Pieres scored three times (once
from the field. At the end of the first
half Lechuza Caracas appeared to be in full control of a 9-4 contest.
Both teams pumped up their defenses in the fourth. Two minutes into the period Pieres got loose
and scored a goal from the field. Matias
MacDonough responded for Orchard Hill with his fifth penalty goal of the
match. The period ended with Lechuza
Caracas sitting on a comfortable 10-5, five goal lead.
Matias MacDonough converted a penalty shot for an Orchard
Hill goal to open the fifth. Lechuza
Caracas team captain, Victor Vargas, picked up at midfield and carried it over
150 yards down the field to score. With
one chukker left to play Lechuza Caracas was on top, 11-6.
Orchard Hill opened the final chukker with consecutive
goals from Brazilian 8-goaler Rodrigo Andrade and Matias MacDonough, 11-8. Vargas and Pieres responded for Lechuza
Caracas with single goals from the field to make it 13-8. Andrade added two more goals in the final two
minutes of the game for the final 13-10 score and a second straight win for Lechuza
Caracas.
Pablo MacDonough led the Orchard Hill offense with seven
goals, all on penalty shots. Andrade
scored three sixth chukker goals in the loss.
Pieres led the Lechuza Caracas attack with seven goals (three on penalty
shots). Vargas, Nero and Elizalde each
scored twice in the win.