Audi’s Fred Mannix saves a sure goal as the team goes on to beat Lechuza Caracas, 10-7, in US Opem play at the International Polo Club in Wellington, FL.
(Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Parity in the ranks of the US Open teams continues as FlexJet (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Miguel Novillo Astrada and Magoo Laprida) evened their record at 1-1 while handing the defending US Open championship Alegria team (Julian Mannix, Hilario Ulloa, Mariano Aguerre and Sterling Giannico) their second loss (0-2) in a game that was decided in overtime, 11-10.
Alegria scored the first two goals of the game on goals from Hilario Ulloa and Sterling Giannico in the first two minutes of play, 2-0. Miguel Novillo Astrada got FlexJet on the scoreboard with a 30-yard penalty shot for a goal a minute later, but it was Alegria team captain Julian Mannix with the final goal of the chukker for a 3-1 Alegria lead.
The Alegria team continued to press the attack in the second period, with Giannico making it 4-1 with a goal in the first 14 seconds of action. A FlexJet foul resulted in Alegria being awarded a goal on a Penalty 1 at the 3:42 mark, 5-1, with Mariano Aguerre’s first goal of the game ending the chukker with FlexJet trailing by five goals, 6-1.
FlexJet began to turn it around in the third chukker. Two goals by Miguel Astrada (one on a 30-yard penalty conversion) and a goal from the field from Nic Roldan were complimented by shutout defense, cutting the Alegria lead to two goals, 6-4, to end the first half
FlexJet kept the pressure on as the second half got underway. Astrada converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal just twenty seconds into the fourth chukker and tied it at 6-6 with a goal from the field just a minute later. Mannix got the lead back for Alegria with the final goal of the chukker, 7-6.
Roldan and Mannix traded goals in fifth chukker action. Alegria maintained the lead, 8-7. Laprida added a goal with 1:28 on the clock for the final goal of the period with the score all even at 8-8.
Astrada gave the 9-8 lead to FlexJet on a 60-yard penalty conversion when Alegria came alive. Consecutive goals from the field from Ulloa gave the lead back to Alegria midway through the sixth chukker, 10-9. With time running out, Astrada capped a last ditch effort with the tying goal with :03 seconds left in regulation play, ending the period and calling for a sudden-death overtime chukker.
After a brief intermission, both teams returned to the field with fresh mounts, and the game resumed. Alegria had the first opportunities as they drove the ball deep into the FlexJet end of the field. Two, three and four shots at goal by Alegria players were rebuffed in the opening minutes of play. FlexJet cleared the ball from the goal area and got their opportunities as well, with nothing to show for it. A final breakaway by Roldan resulted in the winning goal four minutes into the overtime period, giving the win to FlexJet, 11-10.
Astrada scored three of his game-high seven goals on penalty conversions. Roldan added three goals and Laprida scored once for the win. Ulloa and Mannix scored three goals apiece. Giannico was credited with two goals; Aguerre added one goal; and the team got one goal on a Penalty 1.
Audi 10, Lechuza Caracas 7
After a tooth and nail battle through the first four chukkers, Audi (Marc Ganzi, Rodrigo Andrade, Gonzalito Pieres and Fred Mannix) scored three unanswered goals in the fifth chukker and held on for a 10-7 win over a strong Lechuza Caracas team Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Agustin Garcia Grossi, Nico Pieres and Juan Martin Nero).
In the second US Open match of the day, Both Audi and Lechuza played in a wide open style that was highlighted by long passes and runs up and down the field. The teams were over halfway through the opening chukker when Agustin Garcia Grossi scored the first goal of the day for a 1-0 Lechuza lead. Audi team captain Marc Ganzi tied the game at 1-1 with 2:33 left in the period with the final goal of the chukker.
Gonzalito Pieres converted a 30-yard penalty shot early in the second period to put Audi on top of a 2-1 score. Nico Pieres answered back with a goal from the field for Lechuza a minute later, 2-2. Gonzalito Pieres scored his second goal of the chukker with two minutes on the clock, 3-2, and Grossi leveled the score at 3-3 to end the scoring for the chukker.
Third chukker goals from Gonzalito Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade had Audi leading by two goals, 5-3, when Lechuza raced back into the game. A pair of goals from Juan Martin Nero tied the game at 5-5, with a final goal from Nico Pieres giving Lechuza the 6-5 halftime lead with just 50 seconds left in the first half.
Two minutes into the fourth chukker Andrade tied the game at 6-6, and gave Audi the lead back on a long neck shot just moments later, 7-6. Lechuza team captain Victor Vargas scored the final goal of the chukker at the 45 second mark to deadlock the game at 7-7.
Audi took control of the game in the fifth period, combining disciplined defense with well-orchestrated offense. Gonzalito Pieres converted a 60-yard penalty shot in the opening minute of the chukker, 8-7, and followed it up with a goal from the field at the 5:01 mark after stealing it from a Lechuza player and racing down the field for the score and a two goal, 9-7 advantage. With 1:42 left in the chukker Ganzi scored his second goal of the game to end the period with Audi in control of a 10-7 game.
Lechuza continued trying to break through the Audi defense in the sixth chukker, but to no avail. Backhanders, ride-offs, blocked passes and missed shots on goal played out through the balance of the game as Audi celebrated their second consecutive US Open win.
Gonzalito Pieres scored five times (two on penalty conversions). Andrade added three goals and Ganzi scored twice for the win. Nico Pieres, Grossi and Nero scored two goals each. Vargas added a goal as the Lechuza record fell to 1-1.
US Open play continues on Sunday with Orchard Hill (Steve Van Andel, Gallego Ferrario, Polito Pieres and Facundo Pieres) facing Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Facundo Sola, Sebastian Merlos and Eduardo Novillo Astrada) at 10am, with Valiente (Tommy Beresford, Guillermo Terrera, Alejo Taranco and Sapo Caset) playing Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Sugar Erskine, Pelon Stirling and Julio Arellano) in the featured 3pm contest.