By Alex Webbe
Ellerstina scored an opening win over Alegria Sunday afternoon in the opening round of play in the 118th Argentine Open played on the fields at Palermo in
Buenos Aires. The 20-17 victory held little in common with arch-rival La Dolfina’s 23-10 walk over Chapa Uno yesterday, but a win is a win, and Ellerstina certainly showed its ability to score goals in the match.
Ellerstina took an early 2-1 lead after the first chukker with goals from Facundo Pieres and Nico Pieres. Francisco Bensadon kept Alegria from being shut out with a single goal.
Ellerstina and Alegria scored two goals apiece in the second period. Bensadon added two more for Alegria while Facundo Pieres accounted for both of Ellerstina’s goals. Although seemingly in control, Ellerstina held on to a narrow one goal 4-3 lead after two.
Ellerstina notched three goals in the third, two more from Facundo and one from Gonzalito Pieres. Ellerstina opened up a two goal spread, 7-5, holding Alegria to just two goals from Francisco de Narvaez.
Alegria pumped up its efforts in the fourth, outscoring Ellerstina 3-2 and trailing by
a single goal, 9-8, at the end of the first half of play. Alegria got one from Bensadon and a pair from de Narvaez. Ellerstina got single goals from Nachi Heguy and Nico Pieres.
Two goals from Ellerstina’s Gonzalito Pieres in the fifth were offset by a single goal
from de Narvaez. After five chukkers of play, Ellerstina led by a just two goals, 11-9.
Ellerstina exploded for three goals in the sixth, getting two from Facundo Piers and one from Nico Pieres. Alegria struggled to stay close, tallying goals from Freddie Mannix, Mariano Aguerre and de Narvaez and trailing by two goals, 14-12.
The teams combined for six more goals in the seventh. Ellerstina picked up single goals from Facundo, Nico and Gonzalito Pieres. Alegria countered with goals
from Mannix, Aguerre and de Narvaez, again. Alegria still trailed by two goals, 17-15, with seven minutes left to play.
Ellerstina outscored Alegria 3-2 in the final period of play with Facundo Pieres scoring all three. Mannix responded with a pair of goals, but the 2010 Argentine Open defending champion held on for the 20-17 win.
Facundo Pieres led all scoring with 11 goals. Nico Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres scored four goals apiece with Nachi Heguy adding a goal for the win.
De Narvaez set the pace for Alegria with seven goals. Mannix and Bensadon scored four goals each while Aguerre added two goals.
ESTANCIA GRANDE 18, CHAPA II 13
Estancia Grande closed out the day’s Argentine Open play with an 18-13 win over Indios Chapaleufu II.
Estancia Grande charged out to an early4-1 lead with Agustin Merlos and Lolo Castagnola scoring two goals apiece. Eduardo Heguy converted a penalty goal for Chapa II.
Agustin Merlos scored two more goals for Estancia Grande in the second but Chapa II
responded with three goals, cutting the Estancia Grande lead to two goals, 6-4.
A penalty goal from Agustin Merlos and a goal from the field from Lucas Monteverde were answered by two penalty conversions from Heguy. At the end of three chukkers Estancia Grande maintained a two goal lead, 8-6.
Agustin Merlos scored on a penalty shot and Castagnola added a goal from the
field. Heguy scored his team’s only goal of the chukker as Estancia Grande rode off the field at the end of the first half with a 10-7 lead.
Defenses tightened in the fifth, with Chapa II shutting down the Estancia Grande offense for the first time all day. The Chapa II attack didn’t do much better, managing a single goal from Alejandro Novillo Astrada and a penalty goal from Alberto Heguy. Chapa II still trailed, but it was just a single goal behind, 10-9.
Monteverde scored a pair of goals in the sixth and Sebastian Merlos added a goal. Astrada scored from the field for Chapa II and Eduardo Heguy converted a penalty shot for a goal. Estancia Grande led 13-11. Sebastian Merlos received his fourth yellow card in the game, however, and would not be allowed to play in Estancia
Grande’s next outing.
Agustin Merlos added two more goals to the Estancia Grande total with Julio Arellano scouring the only goal of the seventh chukker for Chapa II. Estancia Grande took a three goal, 15-12 lead into the final period.
Alberto Heguy managed a single goal in the eighth, but two goals from Castagnola and a goal from Monteverde shut the door on Chapa II as Estancia Grande celebrated the 18-13 win.
Play will continue in the opening rounds of play in the Argentine Open on Saturday,
November 26 with La Aguada (1-0) meeting Chapa Uno (0-1) at 2pm followed by a
faceoff between La Dolfina (1-0) and Pilara Piaget (0-1) at 4pm. On Sunday, November 27, Estancia Grande (1-0) will meet Alegria (0-1) at 2pm followed by a showdown between La Dolfina (1-0) and Chapa II (0-1).