Bob Jornayvaz got a friendly welcome to high-goal polo at the International Polo Club in Wellington on Sunday afternoon when his Valiente polo team scored an 11-9 win over Pony Express in the 2010 C. V. Whitney Cup.
Valiente heads to semi finals. Photo by Gregory Ratner - http://ratnersportsphotography.com
Making its first appearance in the esteemed 26-goal tournament, Valiente relied on 9-goaler Nacho Astrada as he scored nine of the teams eleven goals in the match.
Nacho Astrada opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the first chukker of play, but Pony Express responded with single goals from Carlos Gracida and Matias Magrini, and ended the chukker with a 2-1 lead.
The teams ended the second chukker in a tie, with Valiente getting single goals from Magoo Laprida and Nacho Astrada while Bautista Heguy accounted for the only Pony Express of the period.
Valiente got it offense on track in the third chukker with a pair of goals from Nacho Astrada and a single goal from brother Miguel Astrada. Pony Express was held to a single penalty goal from Heguy, and left the field at the half with a 6-4 advantage.
Long drives and scoring attempts were countered by equally well executed defensive plays with Valiente going up 7-4 before Pony Express got back into the game with consecutive goals from Heguy and Carlos Gracida. Valiente continued to hold the lead, but the margin had slipped and Pony Express now trailed by a single goal, 7-6.
There were five goals scored in the fifth chukker, as Valiente got a pair of penalty goals from Nacho Astrada. Pony Express responded with two goals from Nacho Astrada and a penalty conversion from Bob Daniels to knot it up at 9-9,
Nacho Astrada scored two final chukker goals for the win as a resolute defense kept Pony Express off the scoreboard.
The victory launches Valiente into Wednesday’s 4 pm tournament semifinals against Steve Van Andel’s Orchard Hill quartet.
Nacho Astrada led all scoring with nine goals, teammates Magoo Laprida and Miguel Astrada added single goals in the win,
Heguy led the scoring for Pony Express with five goals. Carlos Gracida scored twice, and Bib Daniels and Matias Magrini each scored a goal.
For his efforts, Nacho Astrada was named MVP while best Playing Pony honors went to Nachi Heguy’s Carbon.
CRAB ORCHARD 10, LAS MONJITAS 9
Adolfo Cambiaso, “the Great One” in the polo circles, returned to the International Polo Club earlier in the day in the quarterfinal s of the C. V. Whitney Cup, but it was local Wellington resident, Julio Arellano who stole the show and the game in a hard-fought 10-9 win.
Adolfo Cambiaso playing for Crab Orchard. Photo by Ami De la Mer - http://www.PhotosByAmiDeLaMer.com
“We missed some opportunities early in the game,” said Los Monjitas 9-goaler Javier Astrada, “but we nearly got it done,”
Las Monjitas took the field without team captain Camilo Bautista, sidelined with a back injury, and controlled the game for much of the first five chukkers.
Fourteen-year-old Geronimo Obregon took Bautista’s place in the lineup that controlled much of the game, with Las Monjitas charging out to a 6-4 halftime lead.
Javier Astrada scored to put Las Monjitas up 7-3 before Arellano answered with a penalty conversion. Crab Orchard trailed 6-4 as the fourth chukker ended.
Two quick Crab Orchard goals from Arellano and Hilario Ulloa in the fifth tied it at 6-6 before Negro Astrada put Las Monjitas back on top with a penalty goal, 7-6.
Penalties were the final undoing of Las Monjitas, with Crab Orchard converting three penalty goals and knotting it up at 9-9. Shots at goal were taken by both teams as they struggled to decide the final outcome, but it was Arellano who made the play of the day.
Breaking free with the ball with less than thirty seconds in the game, and avoiding the hook of a Las Monjitas player, Carlos Arellano carried the ball down the field to score the winning goal in the Crab Orchard 10-9 win.
Arellano led all scorers with seven goals. Cambiaso scored twice and Hilario Ulloa accounted for a goal in the win.
Negro Astrada and Javier Astrada scored three goals apiece for Las Monjitas. Geronimo Obregon scored twice and Eduardo Astrada added a goal.
The win boosts Crab Orchard into Wednesday’s playoff picture with a 3 pm Wednesday afternoon semifinal game against the 2009 defending champion, Audi.