By Alex Webbe
Both Las Monjitas and Isla Carroll scored one-goal victories in the semifinals of the 2008 C. V. Whitney Cup Thursday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington, placing them in the finals on Sunday at 3 pm.
The day started with a real nail bitter between Isla Carroll and Audi in a real brother against brother battle with Audi’s 9-goaler, Gonzalito Pieres battling brother Facundo (10-goals) and the Isla Carroll lineup.
Audi received one goal by handicap to start the game before Isla Carroll’s Marcos di Paola scored the first goal from the field to tie it at 1-1. Gonzalito Pieres countered with his first goal of the match, and the chukker ended with Audi ahead, 2-1.
The teams exchanged single penalty goals in the second chukker with Gonzalito Pieres pushing Audi out to a 3-1 advantage before Facundo Pieres scored for Isla Carroll. Audi led 3-2.
Isla Carroll’s di Paola tied the score at 3-3 before a goal from Paco de Narvaez gave Audi a 4-3 lead. Penalties gave Isla Carroll two penalty opportunities, which Facundo Pieres converted, and Audi trailed 5-4 at halftime.
The two teams swapped goals again in the fourth chukker, with Facundo Pieres scoring for Isla Carroll while Juan Bollini scored Audi’s only goal of the chukker. Isla Carroll held the one goal lead, 6-5.
The back and forth game through the fifth chukker and into the sixth as both teams continued to press the attack and matching one another goal for goal for the final three chukkers of the match. A team effort carried the ball down the field with less than a minute to play. Audi scored to tie the game at 11-11 with six seconds to play before a whistle sounded denoting a goal canceling penalty and possession of the ball to Isla Carroll.
Play began and Isla Carroll deftly drove the ball over the sideboards while the time expired assuring it of a spot in Sunday’s C. V. Whitney Cup finals.
Facundo Pieres led the Isla Carroll attack with six goals, Teammate Marcos di Paola added five goals for the win.
Audi’s Gonzalito Pieres scored six times. Juan Bollini added two goals and Paco de Narvaez scored once.
The 3pm semifinal between Las Monjitas and Skeeterville was just as close as Las Monjitas eked out a hard-fought 8-7 win over a determined Skeeterville team.
“We can play better than we did today,” said Las Monjitas’ Javier Novillo Astrada. “ I think the rain delay hurt both the horses and the players>’
His brother Eduardo agreed.
“They (Skeeterville) are a very good team,” he said. “They have very talented players and are very well mounted,” he added, “but we’re going to have to play better to win the tournament.”
Another low scoring game had Las Monjitas ahead 4-3 at halftime as it built up a two goal lead through the fourth and fifth chukkers.
A rallying effort by Skeeterville got them two goals in the sixth chukker, but Eduardo Astrada’s fourth goal of the game proved to be the difference.
“We had our opportunities,” said Skeeterville’s Adam Snow, “we just didn’t convert them.”
Snow was pleased, however, with the team play of the Skeeterville four and hopes to capitalize on their experience together in the Whitney Cup in the upcoming tournaments.
A fatigued Camilo Bautista, captain of the Las Monjitas team, was pleased with the win.
“We never felt comfortable with a small lead over them,” he said after the game. “They have some very talented players with a lot of experience. We knew that we had to continue to press until the very end.
Eduardo Novillo Astrada led all scorers with four goals for Las Monjitas. Nacho Astrada added three goals while Javier Novillo Astrada scored once in the victory.
Adam Snow and Will Johnston scored two goals apiece for Skeeterville. Owen Rinehart and Julio Arellano scored single goals in the loss.
Isla Carroll will meet Las Monjitas on Sunday at 3 pm in the International Polo Club stadium. A 10 am match between Orchard Hill and Crab Orchard will decide the winner of the Iglehart Cup, the subsidiary tournament for the C. V. Whitney.