Crab Orchard Beats Las Monjitas 14-1 in First-Round Game
of 26-Goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup at International Polo Club Palm Beach
WELLINGTON, FL (March 7, 2007) – Defending Stanford U.S. Open champion Las Monjitas set a club record for futility, losing 14-1 to Crab Orchard in a first-round game of the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup Wednesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
The previous low score by a losing team was three goals, accomplished by Orchard Hill twice within a week during the 2004 season at International Polo Club. Orchard Hill lost to Las Monjitas 12-3 on Feb. 12 and lost to Everglades 6-3 on Feb. 18. The previous low was four goals, accomplished six times in a game at International Polo Club, the last time when Las Monjitas defeated Mokarow Farms 8-4 on April 19, 2006 in the Stanford U.S. Open semifinals.
In other USPA Piaget Gold Cup first-round games, 10-goaler Sebastian Merlos scored seven goals to lead Lechuza Caracas over San Saba 16-10 and Bendabout used a balanced attack to defeat Black Watch 15-10.
Crab Orchard, led by Adolfo Cambiaso and Matias Magrini, pummeled Las Monjitas from the start of the game. They jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead, with Cambiaso scoring five goals and Magrini four goals.
Crab Orchard made it 14-0 on Magrini’s breakaway with 4:25 left in the fifth chukker and the crowd began buzzing about a possible shutout.
When Ignacio Novillo Astrada missed a 60-yard penalty shot wide right just 21 seconds into the sixth chukker, it seemed as if Las Monjitas was jinxed. But Astrada redeemed himself when he scored on a back shot with 5:37 left, drawing hearty cheers from the spectators.
Las Monjitas missed three 60-yard penalty shots, all in the second half, and played a clean, hard-fought game.
David Stirling Jr. added three goals for Crab Orchard while patron George Rawlings did not score.
Lechuza Caracas jumped out to a 10-4 halftime lead and coasted to victory. Pite Merlos scored five goals, all in the first half, for the winners, while patron Victor Vargas and Jeff Blake added two goals apiece.
Toto Collardin led San Saba with five goals while Javier Novillo Astrada and Paco de Narvaez added two goals each. Patron Tommy Lee Jones, in his first game of the season, did not score.
Bendabout scored six of the game’s final seven goals to snap a 9-9 tie en route to victory. Seven-goaler Alejandro Novillo Astrada sparked the late rally, scoring all three of his goals in the final two chukkers.
Black Watch, which trailed 9-6 at halftime, cut the margin to 12-10 with 5:28 remaining in the game on Facundo Pieres’ short forehand. But Bendabout responded with three unanswered goals, one each by patron Gillian Johnston, Ignacio Toccalino and Astrada, to put away the game.
Ten-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada led Bendabout (1-0) with five goals, Johnston finished with four goals while Toccalino and Alejandro Novillo Astrada scored three goals apiece.
The USPA Piaget Gold Cup continues Thursday with two games: Jedi makes its season debut against Skeeterville at 3 p.m. and Laurence-Wallace/Paladin Rally takes on Pony Express at 4 p.m.
Fourteen teams, led by 12-time champion White Birch, entered the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup, the second of the Big Three tournaments at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The USPA Piaget Gold Cup, which began in 1974, is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the United States and is in first season at International Polo Club.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 and the final is set for Sunday, March 25 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.
The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game or in advance at the stadium box office.
International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
Tuesday’s result
La Herradura 12, Orchard Hill 11
Wednesday’s results
Bendabout 15, Black Watch 10
Crab Orchard 14, Las Monjitas 1
Lechuza Caracas 16, San Saba 10
Thursday’s schedule
Jedi vs. Skeeterville, 3 p.m.
Laurence-Wallace/ Paladin Rally vs. Pony Express, 4 p.m.
Friday’s schedule
White Birch vs. Orchard Hill, 3 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule
Catamount vs. Las Monjitas, noon
Black Watch vs. San Saba, 3 p.m.
2007 USPA Piaget Gold Cup rosters:
Bendabout (26) – Gillian Johnston (2), Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7), Miguel Novillo Astrada (10), Ignacio Toccalino (7)
Black Watch (25) – Neil Hirsch (0), Facundo Pieres (10), Gonzalito Pieres (9), Nacho Figueras (6)
Catamount (26) – Scott Devon (3), Adam Snow (9), Nicolas Roldan (8), Martin Zegers (6)
Crab Orchard (26) – George Rawlings (0), Matias Magrini (9), Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David Stirling Jr. (7)
Jedi (26) – Torsten Koch (1), Pablo MacDonough (9), Juan Martin Nero (9), Magoo Laprida (7)
Las Monjitas (26) – Camilo Bautista (0), Sapo Caset (8), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9), Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9)
Laurence-Wallace (26) – Elizabeth Iorio (0), Agustin Merlos (10), Mike Azzaro (9), Luis Escobar (7)
Lechuza Caracas (26) – Victor Vargas (1), Sebastian Merlos (10), Pite Merlos (9), Jeff Blake (6)
La Herradura (26) – Fred Mannix Jr. (7), Memo Gracida (8), Julio Gracida (5), Kris Kampsen (6)
Orchard Hill (25) – Steve Van Andel (0), Hector Galindo (8), Lucas Criado (9), Jeff Hall (8)
Pony Express (26) – Bob Daniels (0), Pancho Bensadon (8), Carlos Gracida (9), TBA
San Saba (25) – Tommy Lee Jones (0), Toto Collardin (7), Javier Novillo Astrada (9), Paco de Narvaez (9)
Skeeterville (26) – Skeeter Johnston (2), Julio Arellano (8), Owen Rinehart (3), Marcos di Paola (8)
White Birch – Peter Brant (4), Lucas Monteverde (9), Mariano Aguerre (10), Ulysses Escapite (3)