By Alex Webbe
Audi scored a convincing 17-13 win over Lucchese and Coca-Cola deliver a 16-11 knockout punch to Lechuza Caracas Wednesday afternoon to set the stage for Sunday’s finals of the 2013 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Nic Roldan was electric Wednesday afternoon in scoring eleven goals as he lead Audi to a convincing 17-13 win over Lucchese in the first semifinal of the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup at the International Polo Club. Andres Weisz scored the first goal of the game in the opening minute of play and Agustin Merlos (filling in for the injured Sebastian Merlos-ribs) converted a penalty shot for a goal, but Roldan responded with a goal from the field and a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal. The two teams left the field at the end of the first chukker knotted up at 2-2. Merlos scored the opening goal of the second period in the first nineteen seconds of play followed by a pair of 60-yard penalty goals. Audi answered back with a goal from the field from Marc Ganzi and a penalty goal from Roldan. After two chukkers Lucchese moved out in front, 5-4.Roldan added three more goals in the third, two on penalty shots and a goal from the field. Lucchese answered with single goals from Andres Weisz, Kris Kampsen and Merlos (penalty conversion). Lucchese took a narrow 8-7 lead after the first half. A penalty goal from Merlos in the fourth was offset by a pair of penalty goals from Roldan. Audi and Lucchese entered the fifth chukker all even at 9-9.
Roldan and Nico Pieres added two goals apiece in the fifth period while holding Lucchese to a single penalty goal from Merlos. With one chukker left to be played in regulation time, Audi was driving off with a 13-10 advantage. Roldan converted a penalty shot for his eleventh goal of the game followed by a goal from teammate Mariano Gracida, 15-10. Merlos countered with a 40-yard penalty conversion but Audi wasn’t through. Nico Pieres scored on a 90-yard neck-shot and added another goal from the field. Kampsen closed out the scoring with a goal, but it would be Audi who would ride their 17-13 win into Sunday’s Ylvisaker Cup finals. Roldan scored seven of his 11 goals on penalty shots. Pieres added four goals, while teammates Ganzi and Gracida scored single goals.
COCA-COLA 16, LECHUZA CARACAS 11
With polo fans still mesmerized over Roldan’s eleven goal production in Audi’s win over Lucchese, American 9-goaler Julio Arellano scored thirteen times as he lifted Coca-Cola to a 16-11 win over a stunned Lechuza Caracas foursome. Lechuza Caracas opened the game like gangbusters as Polito Pieres scored twice from the field and added a penalty goal. Lechuza Caracas was also awarded a goal on a Penalty 1 and led 4-1 at the end of the first chukker. Julio Arellano supplied the only Coca-Cola goal of the first period. Coca-Cola rallied behind a pair of goals from the field by Arellano, but was summarily answered by two goals from Pieres. The second chukker ended with Lechuza Caracas maintaining a three goal lead, 6-3. Goals were hard to come by in the third. Three minutes into the period Pieres added his sixth goal of the game from the field. Sugar Erskine scored Coca-Cola’s only goal of the period, and the first half ended with Lechuza Caracas on the winning end of a 7-4 score.
A re-energized Coca-Cola took the field in the second half, scoring four consecutive goals to take an 8-7 lead. Arellano added two penalty goals and scored another from the field. Gillian Johnston added a goal as well. Pieres scored on a penalty shot for a goal and the score was tied at 8-8 at the end of the chukker. Three more goals from Arellano in the fifth, including a 240 yard run of the field for a goal, were answered by a pair of goals from Pieres (one from the field). Coca-Cola had inched ahead of Lechuza Caracas, 11-10. Coca-Cola showed no mercy to Lechuza Caracas in the sixth chukker as they scored five straight goals (four by Arellano and one by Johnston). Adam Snow closed out the game with a gal from the field in the final seconds of the game. Arellano’s 13 goals (five on penalty shots) led all scoring on the day. Johnston scored twice and Erskine added a goal in the win. Pieres scored six of his nine goals from the field for Lechuza Caracas. Snow scored once and Lechuza Caracas received one goal on a Penalty 1.
The win will put Coca-Cola on the stadium field against Audi on Sunday for the Ylvisaker Cup finals.
The Teams:
Audi (+20)
Marc Ganzi (+1)
Nico Pieres (+8)
Nic Roldan (+8)
Carlitos Gracida (+3)
Coca-Cola (+20)
Gillian Johnston (+1)
Sugar Erskine (+7)
Julio Arellano (+9)
Tommy Collingwood (+3)
Crab Orchard (+20)
Felipe Viana (+3)
Matias Magrini (+8)
Mariano Aguerre (+9)
George Rawlings (0)
ERG (+20)
Scott Wood (0)
Hector Galindo (+6)
Jeff Blake (+6)
Paco de Navaez (+8)
Faraway Polo (+20)
Hutton Goodmann (0)
Juan Monteverde (+5)
Santiago Chavanne (+9)
Pelon Escapite (+6)
Goose Creek (+19)
Maureen Brennan (+1)
Tano Vial (+6)
Cote Zegers (+5)
Luis Escobar (+7)
Lechuza Caracas (+20)
Victor Vargas (+1)
Adam Snow (+6)
Polito Pieres (+8)
Carlos Avendano (+5)
Lucchesse (+20)
John Muse (0)
Kris Kampsen (+6)
Sebastian Merlos (+9)
Andres Weisz (+5)
Orchard Hill (+20)
Steve van Andel (0)
Jeff Hall (+7)
Lucas Criado (+9)
Mason Wroe (+4)
Piaget (+19)
Melissa Ganzi (0)
Joaquin Panleo (+4)
Miguel Astrada (+10)
Juan Bollini (+5)
Port Mayaca (+19)
Robert Orthwein (+3)
Carlucho Arellano (+5)
Marianito Obregon (+7)
Stevie Orthwein (+4)
Valiente (+20)
Bob Jornayvaz (0)
Julio Gracida (+4)
Santiago Torres (+6)
Pelon Stirling (+10)
Villa del Lago (+20)
Jared Zenni (+2)
Guille Aguero (+6)
Magoo Laprida (+8)
Augustin Obregon (+4)
Zacara (+20)
Matias Gonzalez (0)
Lyndon Lea (+1)
Hilario Ulloa (+9)
Facundo Pieres (+10)
