John Muse’s Lucchese team took the field Friday afternoon to face Audi in the opening round of play in the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup at Wellington’s International Polo Club, and walked away a 10-9 winner in a hard-fought match.

Lucchese took early control of the game as Sebastian Merlos scored a pair of first chukker goals while Audi was unable to mount an effective opening period attack.  Audi trailed 2-0 after the first seven minutes of play.

Both teams were miserly in their defensive efforts with Lucchese’s Kris Kampsen being allowed the only goal from the field in the second period.  A foul committed by Audi n the goal mouth had the officials award a goal to the Lucchese team for a 4-0 lead.

Audi finally got on track in the third with Nic Roldan scoring in the opening twenty seconds of play.  Four minutes later Roldan converted a penalty shot for a goal and Audi cut the Lucchese lead to two goals, 4-2.  Merlos scored his third goal of the game in the final minute of the chukker and Audi found themselves on the losing side of a 5-2 halftime score.

The second half opened with both teams showing aggressive offenses that resulted in goals.  Kampsen was credited with two goals from the field and a penalty conversion and teammate Andres Weisz scored on a goal from the field as well.   Audi got two goals from Nico Pieres and one from Roldan.  The fourth period ended with Lucchese extending its lead to four goals, 9-5.

Audi continued to press the attack and Lucchese, for the most part, did its job defending.  Roldan converted a pair of penalty shots for goals while Merlos managed a single goal on a penalty shot for Lucchese.  At the end of five, Lucchese held a 10-7 advantage.

Audi pulled out all the stops in the final chukker of the match.  In the opening minute, a Lucchese penalty sent Roldan to the foul line where he converted the shot for a goal.  Less than three minutes later Roldan scored from the field to cut the Lucchese lead to a single goal, 10-9.  Audi continued to press the Lucchese defenders and they continued to come up strong.  Kampsen’s efforts at defending the talented Roldan may well have been the difference in the match as time and again he frustrated the Audi 8-goaler, limiting him to only three goals from the field on the day.  The final horn sounded and Lucchese rode off with the 10-9 win.

Kampsen and Merlos scored four goals apiece for Lucchese; Weisz added a goal and the team received one goal on a Penalty 1.  Roldan set the pace for Audi with seven goals on the day, four on penalty shots.  Pieres added two goals in a losing effort.

LECHUZA CARACAS 8, FARAWAY POLO 6

The 8-6 winning score for Lechuza Caracas in its win over Faraway Polo belied the intensity of the match or the number of horse races from one end of the field to the other in an effort to score, but it was Lechuza Caracas, to be sure, that rode off with the win.

Despite a revamped lineup that included Argentine 8-goaler Polito Pieres and 5-goaler Carlos Avendano, goals were hard to come by in the opening chukkers. In the first two periods, Faraway Polo was held scoreless and Lechuza Caracas managed just two goals as shots at goal went wide and attacks were defused at the last minute by disciplined defenses.

Victor Vargas scored the opening goal and the only goal of the opening chukker.  Polito Pieres accounted for the only goal in the second as Lechuza Caracas built up a humble 2-0 lead.

The two teams erupted for six gals n the third chukker, with Pieres converting three penalty shots for goals and Faraway Polo’s Santiago Chavanne responding with one penalty goal and two goals from the field.  The first half ended with Lechuza Caracas on top, 5-3.

Although the intensity increased, for the balance of the game the teams were held to single goals in each of the three remaining chukkers.

Pieres and Chavanne (penalty goals) exchanged goals in the fourth with Chavanne converting a penalty shot for a goal while Vargas scored a goal from the field.

Vargas scored his third goal of the game in the final chukker.  Pelon Escapite scored the final goal of the game, cutting the Lechuza Caracas lead back to two goals, but time expired before Faraway Polo could get another run at the Lechuza Caracas goal, falling 8-6.

Pieres registered five goals for Lechuza Caracas, two from the field and three on penalty shots.  Vargas added three goals in the win.  Chavanne led the Faraway Polo attack with five goals, four on penalty conversions.  Escapite added a goal in a losing effort.

Ylvisaker Cup action will continue on Saturday, February 2 with a 1pm match featuring ERG and Villa Del Lago followed by a 3pm contest between Valiente and Orchard Hill.

Photo Credit-Alex Pacheco