Alegria wins Les Armour Cup

By Alex Webbe

Although they traded leads through much of the game, Alegria rallied late in the game
to score a 9-7 win over Las Monjitas in the finals of the 26-goal Les Armour Cup at the
International Polo club in Wellington Saturday afternoon.

The game opened quickly, with Javier Astrada scoring the opening goal of the game in
the first 20 seconds of play, followed by a goal from his brother, Eduardo Astrada for a
2-0 Las Monjitas lead. Julian Mannix got Alegria on the scoreboard with a push shot
that traveled between the Las Monjitas goalposts with 2:26 in the first chukker. Fred
Mannix tied it up at 2-2 on a penalty shot to end the period.

Alegria took control of the second chukker, picking up a goal from the field from Julian
Mannix followed by a penalty conversion from his brother Fred Mannix. A smothering
defense kept Las Monjitas from scoring as Alegria left the field after the first two
chukkers with a 4-2 advantage.

The pace of play continued to escalate in the third period, but defenses were resolute.
Inaki Laprida scored the lone goal of the chukker and Alegria rode off of the field at the
end of the period with a narrow 4-3 lead.

A regrouped Las Monjitas team returned to the field in the second half determined to
take control of the ball. Three unanswered goals had them ahead 6-4 with Alegria
searching for answers. For the second consecutive chukker Alegria was held
scoreless.

Alegria turned the tables on Las Monjitas in the fifth, scoring two goals and providing
their own shutout defense. Mariano Aguerre scored the first goal of the chukker
followed by a goal from Julian Mannix with just 54 seconds left in the chukker. Las
Monjitas saw their two-goal lead vanish with one chukker left to play.

Javier Astrada’s second goal of the game was scored in the opening seconds of the
sixth chukker and gave Las Monjitas a 7-6 lead, but Alegria was just getting started.
A penalty goal from Tomas Garcia del Rio was followed by a penalty goal from Fred
Mannix and a closing goal from the field from Julian Mannix for the 9-7 win.

Julian Mannix led the Alegria team with four goals. Fred Mannix scored three times and
teammates Aguerre and del Rio added single goals in the win.

Inaki Laprida and Javier Astrada scored three goals apiece for Las Monjitas. Eduardo
Astrada added a goal.

Aguerre’s Versweet was named Best Playing Pony while Eduardo Astrada received
MVP honors.

LA ENSENADA 14, PIAGET 13 OT

Earlier in the day, in a Royal Salute C. V. Whitney Cup consolation match, La Ensenada
scored a 14-13 win over a talented Piaget lineup that held the lead on fourteen different
occasions in the course of the match.

Piaget received two goals by handicap from La Ensenada and watched Juan Garcia
Grossi score the opening goal of the game. Piaget responded with a goal from Negro
Astrada, 3-2. Matias Magrini converted a penalty shot for the final goal of the period
leaving Piaget in front, 3-2.

Goals from Piaget’s Nic Roldan and Astrada in the second period were countered by
single goals from Magrini and Lucas James. Piaget continued to lead, 5-4.

Roldan converted a penalty shot for a goal to put Piaget ahead, 6-4, but La Ensenada
answered back with single goals from James and Magrini to knot it up at 6-6 at the end
of the first half.

The back and forth contest continued into the fourth chukker with the teams exchanging
goals. Ernesto Gutierrez and Grossi tallied for La Ensenada while Piaget got goals from
Roldan and Rodrigo Andrade. After four chukkers it was all even at 8-8.

Astrada scored to give Piaget a 9-8 lead in the fifth, but La Ensenada responded with
a penalty goal from Magrini. Roldan’s fourth goal of the day ended the chukker with
Piaget defending a narrow 10-9 lead.

The pace increased in the final chukker of regulation time with Gutierrez scoring the
tying goals, 10-10. Magrini powered through the Piaget defense to give La Ensenada
an 11-10 advantage. A pair of goals from Roldan (one by penalty one from the field)
had Piaget on top, 12-11, but La Ensenada had no thoughts of giving up. Magrini
knotted it up again at 12-12 with his sixth goal of the game. Astrada scored to put
Piaget back in the lead, 13-12. With 23 seconds on the clock, Grossi had it deadlocked
at 13-13, forcing a sudden-death overtime period.

With fresh horses and determined players returning to the field in overtime, it took jus
over a minute for James to score the winning goal for La Ensenada in the 14-13 victory.

Magrini scored six times for La Ensenada (two on penalty shots). James and Grossi
added three goals apiece and team captain Ernesto Gutierrez scored twice.

Roldan was credited with six scores for Piaget (three on penalty shots). Astrada added

four goals and Andrade added a goal in the loss.