Valiente 9-goaler Sapo Caset reaches for the ball.
(Photo by Alex Pacheco)
A misty rain didn’t slow down Joe Barry Memorial Cup action at the International Polo Club Thursday afternoon as Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and Roberto Zedda) made their 2014 debut by defeating Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Mariano Gracida, Pablo MacDonough and Nico Espain) 13-10 followed by a 10-6 Los Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Geronimo Obregon, Eduardo Astrada and Alejandro Astrada) victory over Flight Options (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Miguel Astrada and Fred Mannix).
In the opening match of the day, a swaggering Lechuza Caracas team took the field, fresh from their championship win in the finals of the season-opening 20-goal Herbie Pennell Cup, to meet the Colorado-based Valiente foursome. Nico Espain put Lechuza Caracas on the scoreboard just two minutes into the game on a goal from the field, 1-0. Sapo Caset responded with an expertly fashioned nearside neck shot that tied it up, 1-1. Santi Torres put Valiente in the lead, 2-1, with the final goal of the chukker.
Four consecutive goals from Valiente left Lechuza Caracas trailing 6-2 after the second. Caset opened the scoring with a 40-yard penalty conversion followed by a goal from the field. Torres added a goal from the field and Caset converted a 60-yard penalty shot for the 6-1 advantage. Pablo MacDonough scored Lechuza Caracas’ only goal of the chukker on a penalty shot. Valiente led by four goals, 6-2.
The two teams traded goals in the third, with Valiente’s Roberto scoring twice from the field and Lechuza Caracas getting single goals from Victor Vargas and Mariano Gracida. Valiente left the field at the end of the first half on top of an 8-4 score.
Two fourth chukker penalty goals from Lechuza Caracas 10-galer, Pablo MacDonough were answered by a single goal from Valiente’s Santi Torres. Lechuza Caracas cut the Valiente lead to three goals, 9-6.
Caset and MacDonough each scored a pair of goals in the fifth. Caset scored twice from the field while MacDonough scored one from the field and once on a 60-yard penalty shot. Lechuza Caracas trailed by three goals, 11-8.
Caset scored twice in the opening minutes of the final chukker for a 13-8 Valiente lead, and in spite of a Herculean effort by Lechuza Caracas team captain Victor Vargas that netted them two more goals, fell to Valiente 13-10.
Caset led all scorers with seven goals. Torres scored four times and Zedda added two goals for the win. MacDonough was credited with five goals (four on penalty shots). Vargas scored three times while Gracida and Espain added single goals in the loss.
LAS MONJITAS 10, FLIGHT OPTIONS 6
In a math that was highlighted by the appearance of three Astradas on the field, Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Geronimo Obregon, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Alejandro Astrada) scorched Flight Options (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Miguel Novillo Astrada and Fred Mannix) 10-6 as both teams opened their respective 20-goal seasons.
Making a triumphant return to the International Polo club fields after one year’s absence, Camilo Bautista led his orange-clad teammates to a 7-2 halftime score before cruising to the 10-6 victory.
Alejandro Astrada scored the first two goals of the contest scoring the first goal three minutes into the game before adding a penalty goal less than a minute later. A pair of penalty goals from Miguel Astrada tied it up at 2-2 to end the first chukker.
Las Monjitas scored six consecutive goals over the course of the next three chukkers as Flight Options continued to struggle with their offense. Two goals from Geronimo Obregon in the second and a penalty goal from Alejandro Astrada had Las Monjitas on top, 5-2. Two more goals in the third (Eduardo Astrada and Alejandro Astrada) were complimented by shutout defense by Las Monjitas for the 7-2 halftime lead.
Flight Options was held scoreless once again in the fourth chukker as Alejandro Astrada converted another 60-yard penalty shot to give Las Monjitas an 8-2, six goal advantage.
Flight Options managed to score twice in the fifth on goals from Miguel Astrada (one on a penalty conversion), shutting down the Las Monjitas attack for the first time all day. Las Monjitas continued to lead, however, 8-4.
Sixth chukker goals from Miguel Astrada and Fred Mannix (penalty conversion) were countered by a pair of goals from Eduardo Astrada as Las Monjitas rode away with the 10-6 victory.
Alejandro Astrada scored five times (three on penalty shots) for Las Monjitas. Eduardo Astrada added three goals and Obregon scored twice for the win. Miguel Astrada scored five of the six Flight Options goals (three on penalty conversions). Mannix added a goal on a penalty shot in the loss.
Action in the 20-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup continues on Friday with a 3PM contest between Palm Beach Illustrated (Jared Zenni, Tommy Collingwood, Magoo Laprida and Facundo Obregon) and Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Jeff Hall, Julio Arellano and Nick Morrison).