By Alex Webbe
Lechuza Caracas team captain Victor Vargas scored three goals to lead his team to a 12-8 win over Isla Carroll in the second round of the 2008 Hall of Fame Cup on the Lechuza Caracas Polo Club in Wellington.
The beleaguered Isla Carroll foursome has had little to crow about since it scored a 15-12 win over Las Monjitas for the C. V. Whitney Cup Championship on March 2nd, and felt that in spite of spotting the 22-goal Lechuza team four goals to start the game (the Hall of Fame Cup is played on handicap), they had a good shot at earning its way back into contention for the cup.
Vargas scored the first goal of the game to give Lechuza a 5-1 lead before Isla Carroll came back with single goals from Magoo Laprida and 10-goaler Facundo Pieres to end the first chukker trailing 5-2.
Pieres scored from the field in the second period while Lechuza’s sole goal came on a penalty conversion by Sapo Caset.
Marcos di Paola’s converted penalty shot in the third chukker cut the Lechuza lead to two goals as Isla trailed 6-4 at the half.
An invigorated Lechuza returned to the field in the fourth chukker with Vargas scoring his second goal of the game. Caset scored another goal before Pieres kept Isla Carroll from getting shut out, but Lechuza left the field leading 8-5.
“It was cold and it was windy,” said Isla Carroll team captain John Goodman as he reflected on the game. “They played well,” he added, “and we just didn’t have our best game.”
Pieres converted a goal in the fifth chukker for Isla Carroll, but Lechuza charged right back. Goals from Vargas and Caset gave them a 10-6 lead. A final goal from the field from Pieres ended with chukker with Lechuza on top, 10-7.
Goodman scored to cut the lead to two goals again, but Lechuza answered with goals from Caset and Guille Aguero for the final 12-8 win.
Facundo Pieres led all scorers with five goals on the game. Teammates Laprida, di Paola and Goodman each added a goal.
Sapo Caset’s four goals led the way for Lechuza Caracas. Victor Vargas scored three times and Guille Aguero added a goal. Lechuza received four goals by handicap.
Hall of Fame Cup play continues on Wednesday morning with a 10 am game between Orchard Hill and Bendabout.
At noon, Pony Express will play Crab Orchard in the semifinals of the 2008 US Open Championship. Returning to the field will be every member of last year’s Open Championship Crab Orchard team. This year, however, 10-goaler Matias Magrini and 8-goaler Pelon Sterling will be playing for Bob Daniels’ Pony Express team along with 8-goaler Nick Roldan. Both Adolfo Cambiaso (10) and team captain George Rawlings (1) will return for Crab Orchard along with new teammates Nachi Heguy (9) and Jeff Blake (6). In the second semifinal of the day, 2005 US Open Champion White Birch will face 2006 US Open Champion Las Monjitas at 3 pm.