By Alex Webbe
Faraway scored the first two goals of the game and never trailed on their way to a 10-9 win over Piaget in the finals of the 2011 Hall of Fame Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington Saturday afternoon.
Lucas Monteverde scored the first goal of the game and Mike Azzaro scored another quick goal to give Faraway a 2-0 lead. Lolo Castagnola finally got Piaget on the scoreboard to end the first chukker trailing 2-1.
Faraway added to its lead in the second frame with goals from Azzaro and Lucas Monteverde. Nachi Heguy converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal from Piaget. Piaget’s Juan Bollini reinjured a knee and was replaced by 7-goaler Hector Galindo. Faraway led 4-2 at the end of two.
Faraway made a statement in the third period with Monteverde scoring two goals and Negro Astrada (filling in for the injured Nic Roldan) added a goal while the team defense kept Piaget off of the scoreboard. The first half ended with Faraway boasting a commanding 7-2 lead.
Melissa Ganzi drove the ball through the goal posts to open the scoring in the fourth chukker, but Astrada countered with a goal from Faraway. Two more goals from Castagnola cut into the Faraway lead, but Piaget continued to lag behind, 8-5.
Piaget got a pair of goals from Castagnola in the fifth, but Faraway responded with a single goal from Monteverde. The period ended with Faraway holding on to a two goal lead, 9-7.
Castagnola cut the Faraway lead to a single goal, 9-8, with his sixth goal of the contest, but Azzaro responded with a penalty goal for Faraway, 10-8. Galindo scored his first goal of the day in the final chukker, but that would be as close as Piaget would get, as Faraway rode off with the 10-9 win.
Alejandro Astrada was named MVP while Nic Roldan’s mare, Colette, was honored as Best Playing Pony.