By Alex Webbe
Isla Carroll 10-goaler Facundo Pieres scored eight goals in leading an underdog Isla Carroll team to a 15-12 upset win over Las Monjitas in the finals of the 2008 C. V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Las Monjitas drew first blood, with Javier Astrada scoring the first goal of the game, but the game belonged to Isla Carroll from that point on.
Goals from Marcos di Paola, Facundo Pieres and Magoo Laprida gave Isla Carroll a lead they would never give up.
Isla Carroll took a 6-3 lead to the sidelines at the end of the first half as Las Monjitas tried to regroup.
Isla Carroll came out blasting in the fourth period, scoring four consecutive goals at one point, to charge off with an 11-6 advantage.
Two more goals from Pieres were complimented by a goal from di Paola to extend Isla Carroll’s lead to six goals, 14-8 to end the fifth chukker, and the game seemed all but won.
Las Monjitas staged a last chukker rally that made it close, but time ran out with Isla Carroll on top, 15-12.
Pieres led all scoring with eight goals. Di Paola scored five times and Laprida and John Goodman added single goals for the win.
Javier Astrada scored seven goals for Las Monjitas. Nacho Astrada added three goals and Eduardo scored twice for Las Monjitas.
Pieres was named MVP and his horse, Once Catorce, was named Best Playing Pony.
CRAB ORCHARD WINS IGLEHART CUP
In earlier high-goal action, Crab Orchard rallied for a come-from-behind 12-11 win over Orchard Hill in the finals of the Iglehart Cup, the subsidiary tournament for the C. V. Whitney Cup.
Orchard Hill received one goal by handicap from the 26-goal Crab Orchard team but quickly fell behind 3-1 with Crab Orchard’s Nachi Heguy scoring on a penalty shot followed by two goals from Jeff Blake. Orchard Hill bounced back to tie the game, however, on goals from Hector Galindo and Jeff Hall.
Galindo and Hall added single goals in the second chukker to take a 5-4 lead, as Heguy’s penalty conversion was all the scoring power Crab Orchard could muster in the period.
Orchard Hill extended the lead to 7-5 on the strength of goals from Lucas Criado and Hall. Blake’s third goal of the game kept Crab Orchard from being blanked.
A recharged Crab Orchard returned to the field for the second half. Two unanswered goals in the fourth chukker by Adolfo Cambiaso and Blake tied it at 7-7, and the teams exchanged goals in the fifth to keep it even at 10-10 after five periods.
Hall gave Orchard Hill an 11-10 lead in the final chukker, but penalties cost them the game as Heguy converted two penalty shots for the 12-11 win.
Jeff Blake was named MVP while Hector Galindo’s Mickey won Best Playing Pony honors.
High goal action will continue on Tuesday at the International Polo Club with White Birch playing Zacara at 3 pm in the opening round of the 2008 USPA Piaget Gold Cup.