Joao Ganon being pursued by Hilario Ulloa. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
The International Polo Club got its 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup back on track with two Monday games that had Los Machitos/Heathcote (Steve Lefkowitz, Sterling Giannico, Hilario Ulloa and Matias Magrini) holding off a late rally by CT Energia (Alessandro Bazzoni, Kris Kampsen, Joao Ganon and Nick Manifold) to win, 12-11, while Villa Del Lago/Casablanca (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Polito Pieres and Inaki Laprida) scored a come-from-behind win over Faraway (Hutton Goodman, Martin Pepa, Santiago Chavanne and Mariano Gonzalez).
In the opening match of the day CT Energia scored the first three goals of the game and led 4-0 before Los Machitos/Heathcote got on the scoreboard.
CT Energia received one goal by handicap and added another on a shot from the field from Nic Manifold. Los Machitos/Heathcote was unable to score and trailed 2-0 after the first chukker.
A 30-yard penalty conversion from Kris Kampsen and a goal from the field from CT Energia team captain Alessandro Bazzoni for the 4-0 edge. With just a minute left in the chukker Sterling Giannico managed to break through the CT Energia defenses and score a goal for Los Machitos/Heathcote. CT Energia continued to lead, 4-1.
There was no letup in young Giannico as he jumped on the ball in the opening seconds of the third period and scored his second goal of the match, 4-2. A minute later Matias Magrini converted a penalty shot for, cutting the CT Energia lead to a single goal, 4-3. Joao Ganon answered with a penalty conversion of his own, and the CT Energia was back at two goals, 5-3. Giannico capped off an impressive third chukker for himself by driving a well-executed shot through the goalposts from nearly 70-yards out. Hilario Ulloa (substituting for Mariano Aguerre in the Los Machitos/Heathcote lineup) scored the final goal of the first half with the score all even at 5-5.
The two teams traded goals in the fourth chukker with Kampsen scoring on a goal from the field and a penalty shot while both of Ulloa’s goals came on the run. The score remained even at 7-7.
Maybe it was the absence of Aguerre or just an unfamiliar teammate that kept things from operating like clockwork, but it came unglued in the fifth as Los Machitos/Heathcote scored four times (two from Magrini, including one in which he blocked a penalty shot at the goal line and raced the length of the field to score) and single goals from Giannico and Ulloa) while limiting the CT Energia foursome to a single penalty goal (converted by Ganon). It was a new game now, 11-8, and Los Machitos/Heathcote were in control.
Ganon scored in the opening minute of the final chukker to cut the lead to two goals, 11-9 and Bazzoni’s second goal of the game had it at a single goal, 11-10 at the 3:24 mark. Giannico’s fifth goal of the game put Los Machitos/Heathcote in the lead by two goals, 12-10, with just under two minutes on the game clock. A scramble in front of the Los Machitos/Heathcote goal resulted in a rarely given Penalty 1 with 28 seconds left in the game. Los Machitos/Heathcote took control of the throw-in in front of their won goal and drove the ball into the sideboards to end the game in a 12-11 win.
Giannico led all scoring with five goals. UIloa scored four times and Pepa was credited with three goals. Ganon and Kampsen scored three goals each for CT Energia. Bazzoni added two goals, Manifold was good for a goal today and Manifold scored once.
VILLA DEL LAGO/CASABLANCA 15, FARAWAY 14
The final game of the day started out in a feeding frenzy with Faraway taking the early 3-2 lead with Mariano Gonzalez scoring three times from the penalty line. Faraway responded with a pair of goals from Argentine 10-goaler, Polito Pieres of Villa Del Lago/Casablanca (Polito Pieres and Inaki Laprida).
Villa Del Lago/Casablanca took immediate control of the second chukker, scoring on goals from Pieres (a 40-yard penalty shot) and Inaki Laprida for a 4-3 advantage while holding Faraway scoreless in the final match of the day.
Faraway took the field in the third and was ready to play. Santiago Chavanne opened the tying goal with a shot from the field. Teammate Martin Pepa gave Faraway a 5-4 lead. Laprida and Gonzalez exchanged goals in the waning minutes of the first half, each scoring twice for a 7-6 Faraway lead.
Goals from Pepa and Gonzalez (penalty conversion) ushered in the fourth period Pepa scored from the field and Gonzalez scorched another penalty shot through the posts. Inaki Laprida came alive in time to score the final goal of the chukker with Faraway in front, 9-7.
Seven goals were scored in the fifth with Faraway holding on to a one goal, 12-11 edge.
Pepa added two goals for Faraway and Gonzalez scored on another penalty shot. Polito Pieres scored four times (one goal on a penalty conversion), but trailed by a single goal, 12-11.
Six more goals were scored in the sixth with Pieres tying it at 12-12 to open the period. Chavanne scored from the field and Laprida converted a penalty shot for a goal, 13-13. Pieres converted a penalty shot for a goal and Pieres, 13-13. Pieres scored his eighth goal of the day for the 14-13 lead. Agustin Obregon game Villa Del Lago/Casablanca the breathing room they needed in the 15-13 game. Chavanne scored the final goal of the game in the 15-14 victory.
Pieres won scoring honors on the day with nine goals (two on penalty shots). Laprida added five goals and Obregon added a goal in the win. All seven of Gonzalez’s goals came on penalty shots for Faraway. Pepa scored four times while Chavanne had a bad day and accounted for a mere three goals.