Audi Drops Zacara 11-8
By Alex Webbe
Audi (2-0) bounced back from a first half that left them trailing Zacara 5-4 to score an 11-8 win in USPA Piaget Gold Cup play Thursday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington. Zacara (1-1) received one goal by handicap and added to it in the first chukker with a goal from Magoo Laprida while holding Audi scoreless.
Carlos Gracida converted a penalty shot in the second chukker for a 3-1 advantage before Audi got started.
Ten-goaler Facundo Pieres finally got Audi on the scoreboard in the second period with a penalty shot. Moments later Nicolas Pieres scored his first goal of the game and the chukker ended with Zacara holding on to a 3-2 advantage.
The scoring went back and forth in the third chukker. Facundo Pieres scored once from the field and once on a penalty shot with Gracida doing the same for Zacara. At the end of the first half, Zacara held on to a precarious 5-4 lead.
Audi returned to the field with a passion in the fourth chukker. Nicolas Pieres broke through the Zacara defense to tie the game at 5-5. Less than a minute later, Laprida scored to give Zacara a 6-5 edge. Nicolas Pieres scored the final goal of the chukker to knot it up at 6-6.
“We just blew too many opportunities,†said Zacara 8-goaler Jeff Hall. “We played well, we had chances, we just didn’t take advantage of them,†he added.
Laprida’s third goal of the game put Zacara ahead once again, 7-6, but Audi was just getting revved up. Three straight goals from Facundo Pieres ended the period and put Audi up 9-7.
Gracida’s fourth goal of the day cut the lead to a single goal, but once again Zacara fell short. Single goals from Nicolas Pieres and brother Facundo Pieres accounted for the final 11-8 Audi win.
Zacara’s team captain, Lyndon Lea played with his team for the first time in two weeks. Lea had arrived from England earlier in the day to play.