By Alex Webbe

It was a patch-quilt team lineup that took the field in the first chukker for ERG, with Carlitos Gracida (2) playing in place of Scott Wood (0) and Sugar Erskine (7) taking the place of an injured Sebastian Merlos (9), and even that makeshift lineup didn’t manage to make it through the opening chukker as they took an old-fashioned beating from Valiente I, 18-8, with Valiente I’s Polito Pieres wielding the big stick, scoring eleven goals on the day.

Agustin Merlos scored the first goal of the day in the opening seconds on a penalty conversion to put ERG in front, 1-0, but that was when the wheels started to come off of the wagon.  Two Valiente I goals had them ahead, 2-1, when a collision off of the ball sent ERG’s Paco de Narvaez falling to the ground.  Medics took the field as a bruised de Narvaez got to his feet and was taken to the sidelines.  A restructured alignment had Julio Gracida filling in as they searched for another replacement.  Pieres scored twice in the final minute of the chukker, the second goal getting drilled through the goalposts in the final seconds for the 4-1 lead.

The second period had ERG taking the field with Jeff Blake (6) and Julio Gracida (4) joining Erskine and 9-goaler Agustin Merlos, now the only remaining member of the original ERG team, and play resumed.  Merlos scored the first goal of the chukker on a brilliant 150 yard run just one minute into the period.  Two minutes later Merlos connected on a beautifully executed neck shot from 70 yards out for a goal, cutting the Valiente I lead to a single goal, 4-3.  Pieres closed out the scoring in the second with two goals from the field in the final two minutes of play, the last with 18 seconds on the clock as Valiente I continued to hold a three goal lead, 6-3.

The shifting alignment of the ERG team was caught off guard in the third as Valiente I practiced team discipline and positioning throughout the chukker.  Two minutes into play, Nacho Astrada scored his first goal of the game, a scored he added to with a penalty goal later in the chukker.  Disciplined defense kept ERG off of the scoreboard for the first time all day as the Valiente I offense took control of the game.  For the third consecutive period, Pieres scored the final goal as Valiente I extended their lead to six goals, 9-3, to end the first half.

A reorganized ERG team returned to the field in the second half and traded goals with Valiente I in the fourth.  Single goals from Merlos and Erskine were countered by goals from Pieres and Miguel Astrada.  After four chukkers Erg trailed, 11-5.

Pieres converted a penalty shot for a goal to open the fifth followed by a goal from Nacho Astrada to give Valiente I an eight goal lead, 13-5.  Pieres added another goal to the pot before Erskine kept ERG from getting shutout again with their only goal of the chukker.  Pieres scored for the third time to end the period with Valiente I ahead, 15-6.

There was no let-up in Pieres in the final chukker as he added three more goals from the field for Valiente I.  Merlos responded with a pair of goals from the field, but the final results had been evident for the last few chukkers as Valiente I rode on to a dominating 18-8 win over ERG.

Pieres set the pace for all players with twelve goals (one on a penalty shot).  Nacho Astrada was credited with four goals (one on a penalty shot) and Miguel Astrada added two more for the victory.

Merlos led the ERG offense with six goals (one by penalty).  Erskine added two goals in the loss.

ALEGRIA 8, LAS MONJITAS 6

Alegria (1-1) picked up its first win of the US Open with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over Las Monjitas (0-2) Saturday afternoon.

Eduardo Astrada gave Las Monjitas an early 1-0 lead after converting a penalty shot for a goal.  Five minutes later, Fred Mannix scored the tying goal for Alegria, 1-1.  Eduardo Astrada scored his second goal of the chukker with five seconds on the clock to put Las Monjitas in front, 2-1, after the first chukker.

Alegria came back in the second period, scoring two unanswered goals to move ahead of Las Monjitas, 3-2.  Fred Mannix scored his first goal from the field, and Tomas Garcia Del Rio scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty shot.

The pace was fast in the third chukker, with Fred Mannix scoring from the opening throw-in to extend the Alegria lead to two goals, 4-2.  Eduardo Astrada scored on a penalty shot for Las Monjitas and the first half of the game ended with Alegria holding on to a narrow 5-4 advantage.

Del Rio converted a penalty shot for a goal in the fourth followed by a goal from the field from Javier Astrada.  Julian Mannix closed out the scoring in the fourth with a goal from the field and a 6-4 Alegria lead.

Eduardo Astrada converted a penalty goal in the fifth, but Mariano Aguerre scored a goal from the field for the only offense in the chukker.  After five periods of play, Aguerre was ahead, 7-5.

Hooks and hard bumps began to define the character of the final chukkers of play with Aguerre adding another goal from the field and Eduardo Astrada responding in kind for Las Monjitas with less than two minutes left in the game.  Time expired with Las Monjitas trying to score one last goal and Alegria rode off the field with the 8-6 win.
Eduardo Astrada scored four times for Las Monjitas.  Javier Astrada added two goals in the loss.

Julian Mannix was credited with three Alegria goals.  Aguerre and Del Rio scored two goals apiece and Fred Mannix added a goal in the victory.