Polito
Pieres scores twelve goals in Valiente I victory; Las Monjitas falls to
Alegria, 8-6
By Alex Webbe
It was a
patch-quilt team lineup that took the field in the first chukker for ERG, with
Carlitos Gracida (2) playing in place of Scott Wood (0) and Sugar Erskine (7)
taking the place of an injured Sebastian Merlos (9), and even that makeshift
lineup didn’t manage to make it through the opening chukker as they took an
old-fashioned beating from Valiente I, 18-8, with Valiente I’s Polito Pieres
wielding the big stick, scoring eleven goals on the day.
Agustin
Merlos scored the first goal of the day in the opening seconds on a penalty conversion
to put ERG in front, 1-0, but that was when the wheels started to come off of
the wagon. Two Valiente I goals had them
ahead, 2-1, when a collision off of the ball sent ERG’s Paco de Narvaez falling
to the ground. Medics took the field as
a bruised de Narvaez got to his feet and was taken to the sidelines. A restructured alignment had Julio Gracida
filling in as they searched for another replacement. Pieres scored twice in the final minute of
the chukker, the second goal getting drilled through the goalposts in the final
seconds for the 4-1 lead.
The second
period had ERG taking the field with Jeff Blake (6) and Julio Gracida (4)
joining Erskine and 9-goaler Agustin Merlos, now the only remaining member of
the original ERG team, and play resumed.
Merlos scored the first goal of the chukker on a brilliant 150 yard run
just one minute into the period. Two
minutes later Merlos connected on a beautifully executed neck shot from 70
yards out for a goal, cutting the Valiente I lead to a single goal, 4-3. Pieres closed out the scoring in the second
with two goals from the field in the final two minutes of play, the last with
18 seconds on the clock as Valiente I continued to hold a three goal lead, 6-3.
The shifting
alignment of the ERG team was caught off guard in the third as Valiente I
practiced team discipline and positioning throughout the chukker. Two minutes into play, Nacho Astrada scored
his first goal of the game, a scored he added to with a penalty goal later in
the chukker. Disciplined defense kept
ERG off of the scoreboard for the first time all day as the Valiente I offense
took control of the game. For the third
consecutive period, Pieres scored the final goal as Valiente I extended their
lead to six goals, 9-3, to end the first half.
A
reorganized ERG team returned to the field in the second half and traded goals
with Valiente I in the fourth. Single
goals from Merlos and Erskine were countered by goals from Pieres and Miguel
Astrada. After four chukkers Erg
trailed, 11-5.
Pieres
converted a penalty shot for a goal to open the fifth followed by a goal from
Nacho Astrada to give Valiente I an eight goal lead, 13-5. Pieres added another goal to the pot before
Erskine kept ERG from getting shutout again with their only goal of the
chukker. Pieres scored for the third
time to end the period with Valiente I ahead, 15-6.
There was no
let-up in Pieres in the final chukker as he added three more goals from the
field for Valiente I. Merlos responded
with a pair of goals from the field, but the final results had been evident for
the last few chukkers as Valiente I rode on to a dominating 18-8 win over ERG.
Pieres set
the pace for all players with twelve goals (one on a penalty shot). Nacho Astrada was credited with four goals
(one on a penalty shot) and Miguel Astrada added two more for the victory.
Merlos led
the ERG offense with six goals (one by penalty). Erskine added two goals in the loss.
ALEGRIA 8, LAS MONJITAS 6
Alegria (1-1)
picked up its first win of the US Open with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over Las
Monjitas (0-2) Saturday afternoon.
Eduardo
Astrada gave Las Monjitas an early 1-0 lead after converting a penalty shot for
a goal. Five minutes later, Fred Mannix
scored the tying goal for Alegria, 1-1.
Eduardo Astrada scored his second goal of the chukker with five seconds
on the clock to put Las Monjitas in front, 2-1, after the first chukker.
Alegria came
back in the second period, scoring two unanswered goals to move ahead of Las
Monjitas, 3-2. Fred Mannix scored his
first goal from the field, and Tomas Garcia Del Rio scored the go-ahead goal on
a penalty shot.
The pace was
fast in the third chukker, with Fred Mannix scoring from the opening throw-in
to extend the Alegria lead to two goals, 4-2.
Eduardo Astrada scored on a penalty shot for Las Monjitas and the first
half of the game ended with Alegria holding on to a narrow 5-4 advantage.
Del Rio converted
a penalty shot for a goal in the fourth followed by a goal from the field from
Javier Astrada. Julian Mannix closed out
the scoring in the fourth with a goal from the field and a 6-4 Alegria lead.
Eduardo
Astrada converted a penalty goal in the fifth, but Mariano Aguerre scored a
goal from the field for the only offense in the chukker. After five periods of play, Aguerre was
ahead, 7-5.
Hooks and
hard bumps began to define the character of the final chukkers of play with
Aguerre adding another goal from the field and Eduardo Astrada responding in
kind for Las Monjitas with less than two minutes left in the game. Time expired with Las Monjitas trying to
score one last goal and Alegria rode off the field with the 8-6 win.
Eduardo Astrada scored four times for Las Monjitas. Javier Astrada added two goals in the loss.
Julian
Mannix was credited with three Alegria goals.
Aguerre and Del Rio scored two goals apiece and Fred Mannix added a goal
in the victory.