By Alex Webbe

Juan Martin Nero scored eight times in regulation play but needed an overtime goal Thursday morning to lead Lechuza to an 11-10 win over Las Monjitas and a trip to the 2011 finals of the US Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

Nero scored three times in the first chukker while Las Monjitas managed single goals from Agustin Merlos and Eduardo Astrada.  Lechuza held a narrow 3-2 edge after the opening period of play.

Second chukker action had Nero adding his fourth while teammate Sapo Caset converted a pair of penalty shots for goals. Las Monjitas got goals from Santiago Toccalino and Merlos (penalty conversion), but trailed 6-4 after two chukkers.

Nero notched his fifth goal of the morning, but Toccalino countered with a goal that ended the first half of play with Lechuza sitting on top of a 7-5 lead.

Las Monjitas beefed up its attack in the fourth, getting two more goals from Merlos and another from Toccalino.  Nero scored twice for Lechuza, who held on for a 9-8 edge after four chukkers.

Nero made it 10-8 in the fifth, but Merlos responded with a goal and the chukker ended with Lechuza holding on to a paper-thin led, 10-9.

Neither team seemed to be able to pull the trigger on goal shots in the sixth, but a costly penalty put Merlos at the foul line with just over a minute to play.  Merlos converts the shot at goal and overtime is signaled.

After a 10-minute intermission, the ensuing throw-in took place in the Las Monjitas end of the field, and Lechuza took immediate control of the ball.  Las Monjitas fought to control the ball, but after a couple of penalty calls that favored Las Monjitas, Nero jumped on top of the ball and carried it a short distance to the Las Monjitas goal and tallied the winning goal, 11-10, his ninth of the game and lifted his team into the 2011 US Open finals.