MaseratiUS Open Quarterfinals decided
ByAlex Webbe
The final preliminary rounds of play took place Thursday afternoon in the 2013 Maserati US Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, with eight teams (Alegria, Audi, Coca-Cola, ERG, Lechuza Caracas, OrchardHill, Valiente, Zacara) moving forward to participate inthe tournament quarterfinals.
Zacara scored the first win of the day in a 9-7 victory over Piaget (0-3).
Mike Azzaro scored the first goal of the game with a fast and well-placed shot that seemed to set the pace for the game, but such was notthe case. With both teams settling into defensive modes, it was the last score of the chukker for a humble 1-0 Zacaralead.
The two teams exchanged goals in the second, with Nacho Novillo Astrada (flow in just the day before to replace Piaget’s injured 10-goaler,Sapo Caset) scoring consecutive goals in the second. Nacho Novillo Astrada tied it up at 1-1 just90 seconds into the chukker, and gave Piaget its first lead of the game, 2-1,on his second goal from the field at the 2:10 mark. Facundo Pieres converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a tying goal, 2-2, goal with 1:31 left in the chukker. Azzaro’s second goal of the game came with just 34 seconds remaining in the period for a 3-2 Zacara edge.
Three and-one-half minutes into the third chukker, Azzaro scored this third goal of the game, 4-2. Piaget 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada missed a 30-yard penalty shotwhen the ball hit the goalpost. Pieres made it 5-2 on a penalty shot of his own. A goal from the field from Piaget’s Nacho Badiola cut the Zacara lead totwo goals, 5-3 with just over a minute in the period. Magoo Laprida scored the final goal of the period, giving Zacara a 6-3 advantage.
The superiority of the Zacara team on the field was evidentto all in attendance, and since they had already qualified for the quarterfinals, the rest of the game was played more for exercise than outcome.
Miguel Novillo Astrada scored the only goal of the fourthchukker, cutting into the Zacara lead. Theperiod ended with Piaget trailing by two goals, 6-4.
Zacara pressed back just enough in the fifth to remindPiaget who was in charge. A goal from thefield from Azzaro was followed by a 60-yard penalty conversion (Safety). Piaget was unable to score, and Zacarastretched the lead to four goals, 8-4.
Zacara team captain Lyndon Lea scored in the opening minuteof the sixth chukker, giving Zacara a five goals lead, 9-4. Piaget rallied the team and scored threeconsecutive goals, but could get no closer, falling to Zacara, 9-7.
Azzaro led Zacara in scoring with four goals. Pieres added three goals to the Zacara totalwith teammates Lea and Laprida scoring single goals in the win. Miguel Novillo Astrada was credited withthree goals for Piaget. Badiola andNacho Novillo Astrada scored two goals apiece in the loss.
FARAWAY8, LECHUZA 7
The smart money would probably have been on Lechuza inthe 2pm contest. Lechuza had alreadyregistered wins over Piaget and Orchard Hill, but they would be taking thefield without 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero (small cut inside of the leg thatrequired a couple of stitches). On thestrength of a 2-0 record, Lechuza had already secured a spot in the tournamentquarterfinals, but a winless Faraway (0-2) team had other ideas.
There was no give in the Faraway defense in the openingchukker and very few openings in Lechuza’s either. It was Nic Roldan who finally scored the onlygoal of the first chukker with 46 seconds left in regulation time for the early1-0 lead.
Lechuza rallied in the second frame with single goalsfrom Mariano Gonzalez (substituting for the injured Nero) and PolitoPieres. There was no effective offense byFaraway as Lechuza established a 2-1 advantage after two chukkers of play.
Roldan tied it up at 2-2 with a goal from the field inthe third period, but with time running out, Lechuza team captain, VictorVargas received a well-placed pass from teammate Francisco Elizalde and scoredthe goal that gave his team a 3-2 halftime edge.
Vargas added to the Lechuza lead in the opening minute ofthe fourth period, 4-2, but Faraway responded. A goal from Santiago Chavanne cut the lead to a single goal, 4-3. Elizalde closed out the chukker with a goalfrom the field with just 47 seconds on the clock. Lechuza continued to lead, 5-3.
Elizalde and Gonzalez scored the opening goals of the fifthchukker for a four goal lead, 7-3. Roldancut the lead back to three goals, 7-4, on a penalty shot, with one chukker leftto play.
After leading throughout most of the game, Lechuza foundthemselves unable to score in the final minutes of the game. Chavanne opened the period with an 80-yardshot that carried through the Lechuza goalposts, and the sixth chukker belongedto Faraway. Three consecutive goals fromAmerican 8-goaler, Nic Roldan (the final goal coming on a 40-yard penalty shot)carried the day and gave Faraway its first Maserati U. S. Open victory, 8-7.
Roldan led the Faraway charge with six goals (two onpenalty shots). Chavanne added two goalsfor the win. Elizalde scored three timesfor Lechuza. Vargas and Pieres scoredtwo goals each.
ORCHARDHILL 16, ALEGRIA 6
Looking nothing like the team that captured this year’sC. V. Whitney Cup championship, Alegria fell behind early and never recoveredas Orchard Hill rolled over Alegria as if the players weren’t there.
After a 1-1 first chukker that had Matias MacDonoughscore the opening goal of the game for Orchard Hill, and Mariano Aguerrerespond with a goal for Faraway, Orchard Hill began to take control of thegame.
Ten-goaler Pablo Macdonough scored to give Orchard Hill a2-1 lead in the opening minutes of the second. Facundo Oregon answered with a penalty goal, and a 2-2 tie. Little did the Alegria team know, but itwould be as close as they would come for the balance of the game. Brazilian 8-goaler Rodrigo Andrade scored hisfirst goal of the game, 3-2, followed by a goal from Matias Macdonough, 4-2. Hilario Ulloa scored the final goalof the chukker. Orchard Hill continuedto lead, 4-3 as the second chukker ended.
Matias MacDonough and Julian Mannix exchanged goals to open the third period, 5-4, but Orchard Hill closed it out. A penalty goal from Matias MacDonough and agoal from brother Pablo MacDonough ended the first half with Orchard Hill cruising to a7-4 halftime lead.
A goal from Mariano Aguerre in the first 14 seconds of the fourth chukker cut the lead to a pair of goals, 7-5, when Matias MacDonoughcaught fire. A goal from the field was sandwiched between two penalty goals, as Orchard Hill raced out to a commanding10-5 advantage.
A 60-yard penalty shot from Matias MacDonough in the fifth was answered by a beautifully executed cut shot by Mannix. With one chukker left to play, Orchard Hillwas on top, 11-6.
An excited Orchard Hill foursome returned to the field in the second half of a game that would be highlighted by five consecutive goals. Matias MacDonough scored four of the five goals and Andrade scored the other. Atthe end of regulation time, Steve Van Andel and his Orchard Hill teammates scored an impressive 16-6 win over Alegria.
Matias MacDonough led all scoring on the day with an impressive 12 goals. Andrade and PabloMacDonough each scored twice in the 16-6 victory. Aguerre and Mannix scored two goals apiece for Alegria. Ulloa and Obregon eachadded a goal.
Wins by Zacara (3-0), Faraway (1-2) and Orchard Hill (1-2) helped decide the pairings for the quarterfinals, but not without the aid of a shootout that eliminated a final team from the competition.
The opening game of the day saw Zacara run up a 6-3 halftime score over Piaget before coasting to the 9-7 win. The victory gave Zacara a perfect 3-0 record and a first place finish in a Brackets II/III. Lechuza (2-1) and Alegria (2-1) were tied, with a coin toss giving second place to Lechuza and Alegria taking third place.
Faraway and Orchard Hill were tied for fourth place in their bracket with 1-2 records, resulting in a one-man shoot-out. Pablo MacDonough was representing Orchard Hill while Nic Roldan carried the colors for Faraway. Each player converted the 40-yard shots, but after Pablo MacDonough scored on the 60-yard shot, Roldan’s effort was wide tothe right and Orchard Hill advanced.
Sunday’s pairings in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Maserati US Open will feature two morning matches that will have Audi facing Zacara and ERG meeting Alegria. A noon contest will see Coca-Cola battling Lechuza while Valiente will entertain Orchard Hill on the club’s stadium field.