ERG
tops Audi 12-7; earns Butler Handicap final berth
By
Alex Webbe
ERG broke the game open in the third chukker, scoring
five goals and racing out to a commanding 9-4 halftime score on their way to a
12-7 victory over Audi in the semifinals of the Butler Handicap at the
International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida Thursday afternoon. The win boosts ERG into the tournament finals
on Sunday when they will meet the winner of Friday’s Piaget vs. Orchard Hill
showdown.
Paco de Narvaez scored the opening goal of the game on a
60-yard penalty shot for an early ERG lead, but Nico Pieres responded with a
pair of goals (one on a penalty shot) to move Audi in front, 2-1.
ERG stormed back into play in the second, scoring three
straight goals for a 4-2 lead. Agustin
Merlos scored on a penalty shot followed by a pair of goals from the field from
teammate de Narvaez. Ten-goaler
Gonzalito Pieres closed out the scoring with a goal to cut the ERG lead to a
single goal, 4-3.
ERG ran all over Audi in the third period of play,
outscoring them 5-1 and running up a five goal, 9-5 halftime lead. Merlos opened the chukker with a goal from
the field which was answered by a goal from Gonzalito Pieres. Merlos responded with three consecutive goals
followed by a 60-yard penalty conversion from de Narvaez. A stunned Audi left the field trying to figure
out what happened to them.
A refocused Audi defense returned to action in the second
half, limiting ERG to a single fourth chukker penalty goal from Merlos. Nico Pieres scored once from the field and
once on a penalty shot, but Audi could get no closer than four goals, 10-6.
The Audi defense did its job once again in the fifth,
holding their offense scoreless, but the Audi offense managed only a single
penalty goal (Nico Pieres). The lead was
cut to just three goals, 10-7, but the lead belonged to ERG and there was only
one chukker left in regulation time.
The ERG defense stepped up in the final period and kept
the Audi team off of the scoreboard completely. Single goals were added to the
ERG total by Eduardo Astrada and Merlos for the 12-7 final with the only
unusual activity occurring in the sixth chukker being the inadvertent
triggering of the sprinkler system on the north end of the field at the 2:43
mark.
Merlos led the scoring parade with seven goals. De Narvaez scored four times and Astrada added
a goal for the win. Nico Pieres was
credited with five goals for Audi. Gonzalito Pieres scored twice in a losing
effort.
ERG will play the winner of Friday’s Piaget vs. Orchard
Hill game in Sunday’s noon finals of the 2013 Butler Handicap.