By Alex Webbe
The semifinals of the 2012 C. V. Whitney Cup, the first leg of America’s Triple Crown of polo, were set today as eight teams battled for the four available berths at the International Polo club in Wellington. In the morning contest Valiente I defeated La Ensenada 15-10. The noon match saw Valiente II ride past Coca-Cola 13-10. At 2 pm, Zacara scored an 11-9 win over Piaget, while ERG handed Orchard Hill a 15-11 loss to end the day.
Argentina’s Ernesto Gutierrez and his La Ensenada polo team made their American debut in a morning game against Bob Jornayvaz’s Valiente I team in the first of the day’s four C. V. Whitney Cup quarterfinals.
La Ensenada received one goal by handicap from the 26-goal Valiente I team and quickly added to it. Lucas James gave La Ensenada a 2-0 lead with a goal from the field, but Valiente I quickly responded with a pair of goals from Polito Pieres, 2-2. Matias Magrini put La Ensenada up 3-2 with his first goal of the game, but Valiente I team captain Bob Jornayvaz had it all even at 3-3 with a goal from the field.
La Ensenada picked up goals from Magrini and Juan Garcia Grossi in the second chukker, but Miguel Astrada scored a goal from the field for Valiente I and Nacho Astrada converted a 60-yard penalty shot. At the end of two periods of play the score was all even at 5-5.
Magrini’s third goal of the game opened the scoring in the third chukker and had La Ensenada on top, 6-5. Valiente I barreled back into the game with a pair of goals from Miguel Astrada (one from the field and the other on a penalty conversion). It was a give and take first half for the two teams, but Valiente I managed to eke out a narrow 7-6 lead after the first half of play.
Magrini led a regrouped La Ensenada tam onto the field in the fourth chukker as they scored the first three goals of the second half. Magrini converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal and added another goal on a 65 yard shot from the field from an extreme angle, tying the game at 7-7 and then giving La Ensenada an 8-7 advantage. James scored his second goal of the game as La Ensenada extended their lead to two goals, 9-7. Pieres finally got the Valiente I offense going with a goal from the field followed by a 40-yard penalty goal from Miguel Astrada, and at the end of four periods of play, it was deadlocked at 9-9.
Two more goals from Miguel Astrada had Valiente I up, 11-10, with the La Ensenada attack being limited to a single goal from the field from Magrini.
The final chukker was all Valiente I with Miguel Astrada adding three more goals (one from the field and two on penalty shots) and Pieres scoring another goal from the field. La Ensenada ran out of gas in their opening game and watched Valiente I ride off with the 15-10 win.
Miguel Astrada set the pace for Valiente I with nine goals. Pieres scored four times and Jornayvaz and Nacho Astrada added single goals.
Magrini was credited with six goals for La Ensenada. James scored twice and Grossi added a goal. The team received one goal by handicap.
VALIENTE II 13, COCA-COLA 10
Coca-Cola’s high-flying season ground to a halt Saturday afternoon as Valiente II knocked them out of the C. V. Whitney Cup field with a 13-10 loss.
Coca-Cola had captured the first two tournaments of the season and destroyed a talent-laden Audi team 14-7 in the 26-goal tournament opener, but came up short as they faced the combination of 10-goalers Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling and company.
In a stop and start first chukker, Julio Arellano scored two penalty goals for Coca-Cola while Valiente II answered with a 40-yard penalty goal from Cambiaso and a goal from the field from Stirling. After the first seven minutes of play the score was all even at 2-2.
Valiente II poured the pressure on in the second, picking up single goals from Cambiaso and Stirling while the team’s defense limited Coca-Cola to a single penalty goal from Arellano. Valiente II took the 4-3 lead into the third period.
Valiente II team captain, Robert Jornayvaz broke through the Coca-Cola defense and drove the ball through the goalposts for a 5-3 edge when Coke came alive. A penalty goal from Arellano was complimented by a goal from the field from Gillian Johnston and the first half ended in a 5-5 tie.
In the fourth chukker Valiente II showed why they selected 6-goaler Matias Zavaleta as their fourth player as he scored three straight goals from the field in about three minutes, 8-5. Hilario Ulloa responded with a goal for Coca-Cola but a 60-yard penalty goal from Cambiaso closed out the scoring in the chukker with Valiente II holding a 9-6 lead.
Arellano got Coca-Cola back into it in the fifth, scoring twice from the field, but another goal from Cambiaso kept Valiente II in charge with a 10-8 edge.
Valiente II put any mystery as to how the game would end to rest in the final chukker with Cambiaso scoring twice (once from the field and once on a penalty shot) and Stirling adding another goal for a 13-8 advantage. Arellano salvaged some pride with a pair of goals to end the game, but it was Valiente II with the 13-10 win.
Arellano led all scoring with eight goals. Johnston and Ulloa added single goals in the loss.
Cambiaso scored six times for Valiente II. Stirling and Zavaleta added three goals apiece and Jornayvaz picked up a goal in the win.
ZACARA 11, PIAGET 9
After battling to a 6-6 halftime tie, Zacara captured an 11-9 hard-fought win over a plucky Piaget foursome in the quarterfinals of the C. V. Whitney Cup Saturday afternoon.
Piaget received three goals by handicap from the 26-goal Zacara team and went up 4-0 as Brazilian 8-goaler Rodrigo Andrade scored the game’s first goal from the field. Zacara 10-goaler Facundo Pieres got right to work, responding with two goals from the field and a penalty goal. Piaget continued to lead after the first chukker of play, but Zacara trailed by a single goal, 4-3.
Negro Astrada opened the second chukker with a Piaget goal, but a 40-yard penalty conversion from Pieres and a goal from the field from Magoo Laprida had the score all even at 5-5 as the period ended.
Joaquin Pittaluga put Zacara in the lead, 6-5, with his first goal of the afternoon, but Piaget’s Nic Roldan countered it with a goal of his own for a 6-6 halftime tie.
Unanswered fourth chukker goals from Laprida and Pittaluga gave Zacara an 8-6 lead as Piaget struggled to organize an effective attack in the second half.
Laprida scored the opening goal of the fifth chukker, 9-6, but Piaget charged back. A well-earned goal from the field from Piaget team captain Melissa Ganzi on a run was followed by a 40-yard penalty conversion from Roldan. Pieres countered with a penalty goal of his own, however, and at the end of the fifth chukker, Zacara continued to lead by two goals, 10-8.
Pieres scored Zacara’s only goal of the final chukker on a penalty shot for an 11-8 lead. Piaget fought back, with a goal from the field from Roldan, but in spite of several opportunities, were unable to get any closer. The final horn sounded with Zacara taking the game, 11-9.
Pieres led the Zacara attack with six goals. Laprida added three goals and Pittaluga scored twice.
Roldan scored three goals for Piaget. Ganzi, Andrade and Astrada each added a goal in the loss. Piaget received three goals by handicap.
ERG 15, ORCHARD HILL 11
A 15-11 ERG win over Orchard Hill closed out the day’s quarterfinals in the C. V. Whitney Cup and set the stage for next Wednesday’s semifinals.
ERG and Orchard fought tooth and nail through the first half of play, deadlocking at 8-8 after the first three chukkers of the game.
Agustin scored on three penalty shots and Sebastian Merlos added two goals from the field as ERG exploded for five first period goals. Orchard Hill responded with a penalty goal from Mariano Gonzalez and a goal from the field from 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough. After the first chukker of the game, ERG led, 5-2.
Paco de Narvaez gave ERG a 6-2 lead with the opening goal of the second period. Lucas Criado got Orchard Hill on the scoreboard with a goal from the field while Gonzalez added another penalty goal. Orchard Hill cut into the lead, but ERG was still in front, 6-4.
Orchard Hill brought a new attitude to the field with them in the third. A pair of goals from Gonzalez and single goals from MacDonough and Criado had the offense clicking. ERG managed single penalty goals from Agustin Merlos and Sebastian Merlos, but the score was all even at 8-8 at the end of the first half.
Sebastian Merlos and de Narvaez scored the only goals of the fourth chukker as a committed defensive effort kept Orchard Hill away from the goalposts. With two chukkers left to play, ERG held on to a 10-8 lead.
Penalties were costly for Orchard Hill in the fifth, with Agustin Merlos converting three penalty shots for goals. Gonzalez managed a single penalty goal for Orchard Hill, but ERG controlled the game and were ahead, 13-9.
Whistles and penalties plagued the final chukker of play with Agustin Merlos adding two more penalty goals to his total. Gonzalez added a single penalty goal to the pot for Orchard Hill and MacDonough scored a goal from the field, but it would be ERG who would leave the field with a 15-11 win.
Agustin Merlos scored a game high nine goals for ERG. Sebastian Merlos added four goals and de Narvaez scored twice in the win.
Gonzalez was credited with six goals for Orchard Hill. MacDonough scored three times and Criado added a pair of goals in a losing effort.
The semifinals of the 2012 C. V. Whitney Cup are scheduled for Wednesday, February 29 and will feature Zacara and Valiente II in a 1 pm contest followed by a 3 pm encounter between Valiente I and ERG.