ERG scored a 12-11 win over Piaget Friday morning at the International Polo Club to capture a berth in the finals of the Les Armour Cup, the subsidiary of the C. V. Whitney Cup.
ERG started the first chukker with gusto, with Paco de Narvaez scoring the first two goals of the game (the second coming on a powerful 90-yard shot) for an early 2-0 lead. A strong Piaget lineup responded with single goals from 10-goaler Sapo Caset and Nacho Badiola, 2-2. Eduardo scored the final goal of the chukker in the last 48 seconds of play for the 3-2 edge.
The second chukker belonged to Agustin Merlos and Sapo Caset as they both rang up a pair of goals. Merlos opened the period with a goal in the first minute of play with Caset responding with a goal just one minute later, 4-3. A penalty goal from Caset tied it up at 4-4 with two minutes left in the chukker. Merlos scored the final goal of the chukker with 58 seconds on the clock and ERG maintained their one goal 5-4 lead with less than a minute on the clock.
Eduardo Astrada scored the first goal in the third chukker for ERG, but brother Miguel Astrada responded by carrying the ball down the field with Eduardo on his hip to score a goal of his own, 6-5. Caset converted a 40-yard penalty shot for the tying goal, 6-6, to end the first half.
ERG controlled most of the fourth chukker. Single goals from de Narvaez and Eduardo Astrada had them on top of an 8-6 score before Piaget answered. Miguel Astrada scored a goal for Piaget with 23 seconds in the period, but left the field trailing 8-7.
The two teams battled through the first half of the fifth chukker without a score when an ERG foul sent Caset to the penalty line. He converted the goal for an 8-8 deadlock. De Narvaez put ERG back in the lead, 9-8, with his fourth goal of the match and Merlos extended the lead to two goals, 10-8 in the final 35 seconds.
An injury time out was called after the fifth chukker with Piaget 10-goaler Miguel Astrada leaving the game due to a muscle pull. Trying to replace a 10-goaler was not going to happen, so team captain Melissa Ganzi sat down and brought in 5-goalers Juan Bollini and Brandon Phillips to play out the final chukker.
ERG wasted little time breaking in the new lineup, with Merlos scoring twice from the field for a four goal, 12-8 lead. Phillips finally got Piaget on the scoreboard with a goal from the field at the three minute mark, 12-9. Caset converted a penalty shot for a goal, 12-19, with just under two minutes remaining in regulation time. Piaget pressed the attack only to be repelled by the ERG defenders. In the final seconds of the chukker, Phillips broke loose with the ball and carried it 200 yards down the field for the final score of the game. Piaget came up one goal short as ERG rode off with the 12-11 win.
Caset led the pack with six goals on the day. Astrada and Phillips scored two goals apiece and Nacho Badiola added a single goal in the game. Merlos set the pace for ERG with five goals. De Narvaez scored for times and Eduardo Astrada added three goals in the win.