Lechuza Holds Off Las Monjitas for a 10-8 Win
By Alex Webbe
LECHUZA CARACAS 10, LAS MONJITAS 8
In earlier US Open action, Lechuza Caracas (1-1) fought off a late game rally to beat Las Monjitas 10-8 in the second round of the United States Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington Sunday afternoon.
Sapo Caset scored three unanswered goals in the opening chukker to put Lechuza on top 3-0 after the first chukker of play.
Caset added another goal on a penalty shot with Las Monjitas finally getting on the scoreboard as Nacho Astrada converted two penalty shots for Las Monjitas.
Team captain Victor Vargas put his Lechuza team up 5-2 with his first goal of the game in the second chukker but was countered by a single goal from Eduardo Astrada from Las Monjitas. Lechuza sat on top of a 5-3 halftime lead.
Following a brief intermission, the teams returned to the field for Las Monjitas, but could do little offensively. Nacho Astrada scored a single goal from the field while Sapo Caset converted a penalty goal to maintain a two goal lead to end the chukker, 6-4.
The fifth chukker belonged to a resurgent Las Monjitas team. Following an opening penalty goal from Caset, Eduardo Astrada scored for Las Monjitas and brother Nacho Astrada added two of his own. After leading throughout the match, Lechuza found itself tied with Las Monjitas 7-7.
“We knew that if we lost, we were out,†said Caset. “We knew that we had to come back and control the ball.â€
Just as Las Monjitas controlled the fifth chukker, Lechuza owned the sixth.
Caset opened the final chukker by converting a tie-breaking penalty shot followed by goals from Victor Vargas and Nacho Astrada for a 10-7 lead.
Las Monjitas continued to pressure the Lechuza Caracas goal, with Nacho Astrada scoring his sixth match goal, and time ran out with Las Monjitas fighting to salvage the game.