By Alex Webbe
The highly touted Black Watch polo team let one get away from them on Sunday afternoon as Las Monjitas captured a 9-7 game from them in the opening round of play in the 2009 U. S. Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Jumping out to an early 3-1 lead after two chukkers of play it looked like it was only a matter of time before the blew out the orange jerseyed Las Monjitas players. Each team scored a single goal in the third period, and the first half ended with Black Watch ahead 4-2.
The great equalizer came in the opening minute of the fourth chukker when Las Monjitas was awarded two penalty shots, which were converted for a 4-4 tie. Fred Mannix, Jr. broke loose and scored to put Black Watch back on top, 5-4, but Eduardo Astrada scored he tying goal just before time ran out.
Eduardo Astrada began the fifth chukker with a goal from the field to give Las Monjitas its first lead since the first chukker, but Sugar Erskine came back with a tying goal just seconds later. A penalty conversion from Luis Escobar put Black Watch back on top7-6 before a penalty in Black Watch’s end of the field awarded Las Monjitas a penalty hit.
Nacho Astrada converted the 40-yard penalty shot for a goal and the chukker ended up all even at 7-7.
The final chukker belonged to Las Monjitas. Black Watch continued to pressure the Las Monjitas defense, but it was Black Watch that converted the first costly foul of the final chukker.
Nacho Astrada scored the penalty shot for a goal and Adam Snow threw the dirt on the coffin as Black watch struggled earnestly to make a come back, but time expired with Las Monjitas taking home a hard-fought 9-7 win.
“It was a battle,” offered Las Monjitas Number 2, Adam Snow, “and they got the better of us in the first three chukkers,” he added. “Fortunately, we were able to turn it around.”
“This was the toughest team, to me,” said Las Monjitas team captain Camilo Bautista, because we are forced to play against six and seven-goal players. Finally we pulled it off. We’re back,” he beamed.
Eduardo Astrada was named MVP while his horse, a 9-year-old gelding named Buquebus, was named Best Playing Pony.
WHITE BIRCH 12, LECHUZA CARACAS 11
In earlier U. S. Open Cup action, White Birch beat the 2009 USPA Gold Cup championship team, Lechuza Caracas, 12-11 in overtime behind seven goals from Lechuza star forward, Sapo Caset.
White Birch jumped out to an early 5-3 halftime lead and seemed to have control of the game, but no one told Lechuza.
Trailing White Birch 11-7 going into the sixth chukker, Lechuza came alive. Behind two goals from the field from Nicolas Espain and single goals from Victor Vargas and Sapo Caset, the powerful Lechuza team tied it up at 11-11 at the end of regulation time.
“They had nothing to lose,” said White Birch 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre, “so they came out punching and scored two goals in the first two minutes.