Nicolas Pieres of Ellerstina.
La Dolfina proved too strong against the newly formed Ellerstina team, as they recaptured the Argentine Open Championship title on Friday 9 December 2011, in a 16-10 victory over Ellerstina in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina in front of over 15,000 cheering fans.
La Dolfina dominated the throw-ins and controlled the ball early on, limiting Ellerstina to just a pair of penalty goals in the first three chukkers. La Dolfina displayed a strong team defense that limited Ellerstina’s shots on goal and had them struggling for a goals from the field. Penalties were also the bane of the young Ellerstina team as they gave up seven goals from fouls. Three missed penalty scoring opportunities from Cambiaso (two blocked, one missed) kept Ellerstina in the game, but it was clear early that Ellerstina would have trouble scoring.
La Dolfina took advantage of continued disciplined teamwork and some missed opportunities from Ellerstina to run the score to 7-2 at the end of the third chukker. Nero added two more goals from the field and Cambiaso scored his fourth of the game (first from the field) while Facundo Pieres missed scoring on a breakaway and had a 40-yard penalty shot blocked. Ellerstina continued to press the La Dolfina defense in the fourth, capitalizing on a pair of penalties that allowed Facundo to add a pair of goals to the Ellerstina total.
Cambiaso responded with a 30-yard penalty conversion and found a streaking Stirling down field with a pinpoint pass for another goal. The first half ended with La Dolfina riding off the field with a comfortable five goal, 9-4 advantage over a frustrated Ellerstina foursome.
A determined Ellerstina team took the field in the fifth chukker as Facundo Pieres broke through the La Dolfina defense in the opening minute of play to score his first goal from the field. He added a penalty goal less than a minute later, but that would be the end the scoring in the chukker. Ellerstina cut into the La Dolfina lead, 9-6, but were unable to take control of the play.
Gonzalito Pieres scored his first goal of the game in the sixth period on a pass from Nachi Heguy, but La Dolfina responded with a pair of penalty goals from Cambiaso. Ellerstina continued to press, but at the end of the period La Dolfina lead by four goals, 11-7. Cambiaso opened the seventh with a penalty goal followed by a goal from Facundo Pieres as he took the ensuing throw-in and raced down the field for a goal, 12-8. Four consecutive La Dolfina goals (two from Pablo MacDonough and single goals from Cambiaso and Stirling) all but ended it for Ellerstina.
The boys in black rebounded from seven goal deficits late in two earlier finals against La Dolfina, but that would not be the case this time. Determined not to give up their title without a fight, Ellerstina charged onto the field in the final chukker as if it were all even, but the La Dolfina defense would just not crack. A penalty goal from Facundo Pieres and a goal from the field from Nico Pieres would close out the scoring, giving the 2011 Argentine Championship trophy to La Dolfina in a thrilling 16-10 triumph.
Awards: Cambiaso led all scoring with nine goals (seven from the penalty line) and was named MVP for his efforts. Nero scored three times and MacDonough and Stirling scored two goals apiece. Facundo Pieres recorded eight goals (six on penalty shots) and was honored as the leading scorer in Open play.
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