10-goalers Gonzalito Pieres and Facundo Pieres looking to win their semifinal match with Alegria on Wednesday after a 16-11 win over Washington Sunday afternoon in Hurlingham Open play.
A wrinkle in the Ellerstina lineup saw Brazilian 8-goaler Rodrigo Andrade replace an injured Polito Pieres (lower back) in the Ellerstina lineup (Facundo Pieres, Rodrigo Andrade, Gonzalo Pieres and Nico Pieres), lowering the team’s handicap from 39-goals to 37-goals in their Sunday afternoon match with a 33-goal Washington team (Diego Cavanagh, Tomas Garcia Del Rio, Facundo Sola and Alfredo Cappella).
A subdued opening chukker saw the two teams match one another goal for goal with each team managing only a single penalty goal apiece. Facundo Pieres scored for Ellerstina while Facundo Sola scored Washington’s only goal of the period for a 1-1 tie.
Second period action saw Ellerstina deliver shutout defense while adding a pair of goals of their own. Single goals from Facundo Pieres and brother Nico Pieres gave Ellerstina a 3-1 lead at the end of the chukker.
Two more third chukker goals from Ellerstina were countered by a single penalty conversion from Washington’s Diego Cavanagh. Facundo Pieres scored on a penalty shot for Ellerstina with Rodrigo Andrade scoring his first goal of the day from the field. The Ellerstina lead grew to three goals, 5-2, after three chukkers.
Washington continued to press the attack against Ellerstina with Alfredo Cappella scoring once from the field and once from the penalty line. Ellerstina goals from Andrade and Nico Pieres kept Ellerstina ahead by three goals, 7-4, to end the first half.
With Andrade settling into the Ellerstina lineup, the team charged back onto the field for the second half, outscoring Washington 5-1 in fifth chukker play. Facundo Pieres scored on a penalty shot while brothers Gonzalito Pieres and Nico Pieres added two goals apiece from the field. Diego Cavanagh scored Washington’s only goal of the period as they fell behind by seven goals, 12-5.
A Washington mini-rally in the sixth chukker resulted in a penalty goal from Sola and a goal from the field from Cavanagh. Ellerstina was limited to a penalty goal from Facundo Pieres but maintained a six-goal lead, 13-7.
Nine-goaler Mariano Aguerre replaced Andrade at the start of the seventh chukker, giving Ellerstina their third different lineup in two games as they tried to maintain momentum going into the final two periods of the game.
Strangely enough, Mariano Aguerre became the fifth Ellerstina player to score on the day. Seventh chukker goals from Aguerre and Facundo Pieres were countered by single goals from Ezequiel Ferrario and Sola. The Ellerstina lead held at six goals, 15-9 after seven periods of play.
Aguerre scored Ellerstina’s final goal of the match while Diego Cavanagh added a penalty goal and a goal from the field for Washington. The eighty chukker ended with Ellerstina riding off with the 16-11 victory.
Facundo Pieres scored four of his team-high six goals from the penalty line. Nico Pieres accounted for four goals with Gonzalito Pieres, Andrade and Aguerre adding two goals each for the win. Cavanagh led the Washington attack with five goals (two on penalty conversions). Sola scored three times; Cappella was credited with two goals and Ferrario scored once in a losing effort.
Alegria 23, La Irenita 8
After what many saw as a disappointing Tortugas Open performance, Alegría (Guillermo Caset, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde and Fred Mannix) put five first chukker goals on the scoreboard in a 2pm Hurlingham Open game with La Irenita (Juan Ruiz Guiñazu, Juan M. Zavaleta, Matías MacDonough and Clemente Zavaleta). Sapo Caset and Lucas Monteverde scoring two goals apiece and Hilario Ulloa notching a goal for the early 5-1 lead. Juan Martin Zavaleta scored La Irenita’s only goal on a penalty conversion.
Ulloa added two more goals in the second, scoring once from the field and adding a penalty goal. Juan Martin Zavaleta made good on two penalty shots, but Alegria continued to lead by four goals, 7-3.
The Alegria machine continued to press into the third period. Ulloa scored is fourth and fifth goals of the game (one on a penalty conversion). The Alegria defense held La Irenita to a penalty goal from Juan Ruiz Guiñazu, extending their lead to five goals, 9-4.
Four more Alegria goals in the fourth chukker extended their advantage over La Irenita to eight goals. Alegria team captain Fred Mannix scored twice with Monteverde and Ulloa (penalty shot) added single goals. Juan Martin Zavaleta responded with a penalty goal as La Irenita fell behind 13-5 at the end of the first half.
A re-focused La Irenita team took the field in the second half, and putting together an impressive defensive showing, held the 37-goal Alegria team scoreless for the first time all day. Unfortunately, the La Irenita offense was unable to mount a successful attack, and the score remained at 13-5, Alegria.
Alegria got back on track in sixth period play, picking up goals from Caset, Monteverde and Ulloa. Clemente Zavaleta managed a single goal for La Irenita but the game belonged to Alegria as they extended their lead to ten goals, 16-6.
The teamwork between Alegria’s newly-minted 10-goalers (Caset and Ulloa) was beginning to click as Alegria ran their lead up to thirteen goals, 20-7. Three goals from Caset and a goal from Ulloa slammed the door on La Irenita. Juan Martin Zavaleta converted a penalty shot for La Irenita’s only goal of the chukker.
Ulloa led all scoring with ten goals (four on penalty conversions). Caset scored six times; Monteverde added five and Mannix was credited with two goals for the win. Juan Martin Zavaleta’s five penalty goals led the La Irenita attack. Guiñazu, MacDonough and Clemente Zavaleta each scored once in the loss.
With the victory, Alegria remains undefeated (2-0) and will face Ellerstina on Wednesday in semifinal action.