By Alex Webbe
A realigned Lechuza Caracas (1-2) team rolled over EFG Bank (1-2) Sunday afternoon 15-10 to secure a spot in Thursday’s Iglehart Cup semifinals at the International Polo Club in Wellington. Luis Alfonso de Borbon replaced Lechuza team captain and father-in-law Victor Vargas on a team that was running on all eight cylinders on Sunday.
Lechuza took an early 3-2 lead after the opening chukker and ran it up to an 8-6 halftime score.
“Although we lead throughout the game,” said de Borbon, “I felt we had control of the game in the fourth chukker. We got goals from Guille (Aguero) and Tomas (Goti) and went ahead 8-6,” he added.
The Lechuza attack continued throughout the second half of the game, with EFG Bank trailing by as many as seven goals in the final chukker.
“We just couldn’t get anything going today,” said Luis Escobar of EFG Bank. We had no team-play, no passing and poor defense,” he said.
Escobar scored the last two goals of the game for the final 15-10 Lechuza win, but the EFG Bank team was disappointed with its performance.
Luis Escobar led all scoring with seven goals. Teammate Jeff Hall added two goals for EFG Bank, and Whistle Uys scored once.
Guille Aguero led the Lechuza team with six goals. Santiago Toccalino scored five times. Tomas Goti added two goals to the total, and de Borbon added a single goal while playing inspired defense.
Santiago Toccalino was named MVP while Luis Escobar’s mare Stacey won Best Playing Pony honors.
PATAGONES 10, ISLA CARROLL 9
In spite of being in control of the game from start to finish, Patagones (3-0) had to stave off a last chukker rush by Isla Carroll (1-2) to remain undefeated and win a place in Thursday’s Iglehart Cup semifinals.
Patagones led 3-1 after the first chukker of play and went on to lead by as many as four goals (6-2) in the third chukker as a stubborn Isla Carroll team refused to roll over.
Patagones was up by four goals again in the final chukker of play before three unanswered goals from Isla Carroll cut the lead to a single goal. With Isla Carroll pressing the attack once again, time expired and Patagones found itself on the winning end of a 10-9 game.
Carlos Gracida led all scoring with five goals. Teammates Gonzalo Avendano and Julio Gracida added two goals apiece. Carlos Avendano added a single goal in the win.
Owen Rinehart led Isla Carroll with three goals. Sugar Erskine, Todd Offen and John Goodman scored two goals each.
LUCCHESE 11, BTA 10
Eight goals from America’s highest rated player, Mike Azzaro, set the pace for Lucchese (3-1) as it scored an 11-10 sudden-death overtime victory over BTA (1-3) to earn itself a berth in Thursday’s Iglehart Cup semifinals.
In a see-saw contest that saw the lead change hands five times, Lucchese capitalized on a penalty shot from Andres Weisz to win the game in sudden-death overtime Sunday morning.
“I was dead,” answered Azzaro when asked why he had Weisz take the penalty shot.
“We really didn’t get off to a good start,” said Weisz after the game. “Each chukker we kept getting better,” he added, “and in the end we were just looking for a break.”
Lucchese did move out to a 9-6 lead in the fourth chukker, outscoring BTA five to one, but BTA tied it again in the fifth, scoring three goals and holding Lucchese scoreless.
“I wanted it more than they did,” said exhausted Shane Rice after the game, and Lucchese left the field with the win.
Azzaro led the scoring with eight goals. Teammate Andres Weisz added three goals for the win.
Hector Galindo led the BTA attack with six goals. Pablo Spinacci scored four times.
MT. BRILLIANT 9, AUDI 7
In what amounted to little more than a practice, Mt. Brilliant (1-3) scored a 9-7 win over Audi (3-1) in Iglehart Cup play. Despite the loss, Audi will move into Thursday’s Iglehart Cup semifinals where they will meet Lechuza Caracas at 1pm.
In a low scoring contest that saw Mt. Brilliant holding on to a narrow 4-3 lead at halftime, it outscored Audi five to four to take the game by a 9-7 score.
Pelon Escapite led the field with five goals for Mt. Brilliant. Teammates Bo Goodman and Santiago Chavanne scored two goals each for the victory.
Brandon Phillips led the Audi attack with four goals. Gonzalito Pieres scored three times.
San Saba will meet EFG Bank on Wednesday at 1pm in the semifinals of the Herbie Pennell Cup, the Iglehart’s subsidiary tournament. At 3pm BTA will play Isla Carroll.
Iglehart action continues with the tournament semifinals on Thursday, February 19 with Audi’s 1pm game against Lechuza Caracas followed by a 3pm game featuring Patagones and Lucchese.