La Dolfina 10-goaler Pelon Stirling scored five times as his team ran over Washington Saturday afternoon in the second round of Argentine Open play at Palermo in Buenos Aires. (Photo courtesy of Matias Callejo)
La Dolfina (Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero) remained unbeaten in Argentine Open play with a convincing 18-8 win over Washington (Diego Cavanagh, Ezequiel Ferrario, Facundo Sola and Alfredo Cappella) Saturday afternoon at the number one field at Palermo. The La Dolfina record stands at 2-0 and keeps them on track to defend their 2015 title.
La Dolfina scored early with Pelon Stirling driving the ball through the Washington goalposts just 33 seconds into the game. Facundo Sola responded two minutes later to tie the game at 1-1. Adolfo Cambiaso gave the 2-1 lead to La Dolfina with a goal at the 3:19 mark but missed an ensuing penalty shot. Facundo Sola and Pablo MacDonough traded goals to end the chukker with La Dolfina holding on to a fragile 3-2 lead.
La Dolfina controlled the second chukker, shutting down the Washington attack while picking up a pair of goals of their own. A goal from the field from Stirling and a 60-yard penalty conversion from Cambiaso ended the period with La Dolfina on top of a 5-2 score.
La Dolfina continued to roll in the third. Stirling scored his third goal of the day midway through the period followed by a penalty goal from Cambiaso, 7-2. MacDonough added a goal for the 8-2 advantage with Washington unable to score for the second consecutive chukker.
Washington dug in defensively in the fourth, shutting down the powerful La Dolfina attack and picking up a goal of their own from Sola on a penalty shot. At the end of the first half it was La Dolfina leading, 8-3.
Alfredo Cappella opened the scoring in the second half with his first goal of the afternoon, 8-4, but that would be the extent of the Washington offense. Cambiaso added two more goals and MacDonough ended the chukker with his third of the day for an 11-4 advantage.
Washington continued to struggle in the sixth. Unable to stop the La Dolfina attack, Washington gave up two goals to Stirling and single goals to Cambiaso and Juan Martin Nero. The La Dolfina lead ballooned to eleven goals, 15-4, with just two chukkers remaining in regulation play.
The pace quickened for Washington as they fought for respectability in the seventh. Sola scored the opening goal countered by a score from MacDonough. The eleven-goal lead held with La Dolfina on the winning end of the 16-5 score.
Washington outscored La Dolfina in the final period of play, picking up goals from Cavanagh, Sola and Diego Cavanagh. La Dolfina answered with goals from MacDonough and Cambiaso for the 18-8 win.
Cambiaso scored seven goals for the La Dolfina victory. Stirling and MacDonough each scored five times with Nero adding a goal. Sola’s five goals led the Washington effort. Cavanagh scored twice and Cappella added a goal in the loss.
Alegria 9, Cria Yatay 7
In a defensive opening chukker, Inaki Laprida scored the only goal of the for Cria Yatay (Guillermo Terrera, Magoo Laprida, Joaquin Pittaluga and Inaki Laprida) as they held Alegría (Guillermo Caset, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde and Fred Mannix) scoreless and took the early 1-0 lead.
Sapo Caset tied the game at 1-1 with Alegria’s first goal of the afternoon. An aggressive Cria Yatay attack responded with goals from Guillermo Terrera and Magoo Laprida to extend their lead to two goals. Alegria wasn’t able to answer back and fell behind, 3-1.
Maqoo Laprida’s second goal of the day gave Cria Yatay a three-goal advantage, 4-1, but Alegria fired back. Caset scored added two more goals and Joaquin Pittaluga put one on the scoreboard for Cria Yatay. After three periods of play, the 30-goal Cria Yatay team led, 5-3.
Caset continued to press the attack for Alegria, scoring consecutive goals to tie the game at 5-5. Magoo Laprida gave the lead back to Cria Yatay and the first half ended with Cria Yatay in front, 6-5.
Goals were scarce in the fifth as both teams concentrated their efforts on defense. Lucas Monteverde scored the only goal of the chukker as Alegria tied the game at 6-6.
Alegria picked up steam in the sixth chukker behind back-to-back goals from Hilario Ulloa. Cria Yatay’s offense was shutout as Alegria team captain Fred Mannix closed out the chukker with his first score of the day to give his team a three-goal lead, 9-6.
The Alegria defense continued to pressure Cria Yatay, holding them scoreless once again. Alegria, however, was held without a goal and the score remained 9-6, Alegria.
Pittaluga cut the Alegria lead back to two goals, 9-7, at the 3:14 mark of the eighth chukker, but could go no further. The Alegria defense held as they rode off the field with the 9-7 win.
Caset led the field in scoring with five goals. Ulloa added two goals with Mannix and Monteverde each chipping in a goal for the win. Magoo Laprida scored three times for Cria Yatay. Pittaluga added two goals with Inaki Laprida and Terrera each accounting for a single goal in a losing effort.
Argentine Open competition continues at Palermo on Sunday with La Aguada-Las Monjitas (Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Eduardo. Novillo Astrada, Miguel Novillo Astrada and Ignacio Novillo Astrada) facing La Irenita (Juan Ruiz Guiñazu, Juan M. Zavaleta, Matías MacDonough and Clemente Zavaleta) at 2pm followed by a match between Ellerstina (Facundo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres, Polito Pieres and Nico Pieres) and El Paraiso (Agustin Merlos, Ignacio Toccalino, Ignacio Heguy and Santiago Toccalino) at 4:30pm.