Ellerstina wins, willmeet La Dolfina in Argentine Open final
By Alex Webbe
Ellerstina (Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Nico Pieres and Nachi du Plessis) defeated Alegria (Polito Pieres, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde ad Fred Mannix) Tuesday afternoon and will face La Dolfina (Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero) in the 2014 Argentine Open final on Saturday, December 6th.
Following a rain-delayed semifinal, Ellerstina and Alegriamet in a rematch of last year’s semifinal showdown, a game which was won byAlegria in upset fashion, sending them to their first Argentine Open final.
While team captain Fred Mannix returned to the Alegrialineup after sitting out since the Tortugas Open, Ellerstina wasn’t aslucky. Argentine Open veteran MarianoAguerre remained sidelined with a shoulder injury with South African 8-goalerNachi du Plessis taking his place on the field.
In a tentative opening chukker by teams, Nico Pieres and cousinPolito Pieres exchanged goals for a 1-1 finish.
Facundo Pieres converted a 30-yard penalty shot to give Ellerstinaa 2-1 edge. Alegria responded with a 30-yard penaltyconversion from Polito Pieres and a goal from the field on a fine individualeffort from Hilario Ulloa for a 3-2 advantage for Alegria.
Polito Pieres tapped the ball in from 25-yards out, 4-2, butEllerstina responded in spades. NicoPieres put the ball through the goal posts from about five yards out, 4-2, followedby a cut shot from 10-yards out from Nachi du Plessis that had it all even at4-4. Facundo Pieres put Ellerstina inthe lead, 5-4, with his second goal of the game and Gonzalito Pieres blasted theball through the goal at the bell for a 6-4 lead.
Fourth chukker play saw Polito Pieres cut the Ellerstinalead to a single goal, 6-5. FacundoPieres carried the ball between and through two opponents, scoring his thirdgoal of the game, putting Ellerstina on top by two goals at the end of thefirst half, 7-5.
Both teams concentrated on their defensive efforts as the secondhalf began. Facundo Pieres convertedanother penalty shot to extend their lead to three goals, 8-5. Hilario Ulloa matched his goal with a scoreof his own. With just three chukkersleft to be played, Ellerstina held on to a two goal lead, 8-6.
Facundo Pieres scored two of his three sixth chukker goalsfrom the field while Polito Pieres fourth to keep Alegria in the game. Polito scored once on a penalty shot and oncefrom the field. With two periods left toplay, Ellerstina held on to their two goal lead, 11-9.
Ellerstina looked more and more comfortable with theirmakeshift lineup as the game wore on. Apair of goals from Gonzalito Pieres and a single goal from Nico Pieres in the openingminutes of the seventh had Ellerstina in the lead by five goals, 14-9. Polito Pieres converted a penalty shot whileteammate Hilario Ulloa added their second goal of the chukker with Facundo Piereson his hip to end the chukker trailing 14-11.
Ellerstina cut loose in the final chukker, racing out to afive goals lead, 17-12. A final goalfrom Polito Pieres cut the lead to four goals, but it was Ellerstina that gotrevenge from last year’s “upset”, 17-13.
The victory puts Ellerstina back into the Argentine Openfinal after being absent for a year, scheduled to play their old nemesis, LaDolfina.
Facundo Pieres was credited with nine goals on the day(three on penalty shots). GonzalitoPieres scored five times; Nico Pieres added three goals and du Plessis added agoal for the win. Polito Pieres scoredsix of his team high nine goals on penalty shots. Hilario Ulloa scored Alegria’s other fourgoals in the loss.
Chapaleufú 11, LaAguada/Las Monjitas 10 OT
In an earlier game Chapaleufú needed a goal in overtime butmanaged to beat La Aguada/Las Monjitas 11-10.
Pepe Heguy tied it up at 9-9 in the waning moments of thegame, allowing Eduardo Heguy to score the winning goal in the overtime period.