By US Senior Correspondent Alex Webbe
After trailing Enigma (Jerome Wirth, Jeff Hall, Matias MacDonough and Carlucho Arellano) by four goals at the end of the fourth chukka, Villa Del Lago (Jim Zenni, Agustin Obregon, Polito Pieres and Julian de Lusarreta) rallied for five unanswered goals in the fifth to carry the team to the 11-10 win Wednesday afternoon in the first semi-final of the 20-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.
Polito Pieres (+9) scored the first goal of the game just two minutes into the opening chukka, but the rest of the period belonged to Jerome Wirth’s Enigma line-up. Matias MacDonough (+7) took the ensuing throw-in and raced 150-yards down the field for the tying goal, 1-1. Carlucho Arellano (+5) added a goal just a minute later, 2-1, with Jeff Hall (+7) closing out the chukka with a final goal at the 1:32 mark for the 3-1 lead.
MacDonough converted a 30-yard penalty shot in the opening minute of the second period, 4-1, when Villa Del Lago came alive. Jim Zenni (0) scored the first goal of the chukka for Villa De Lago with a shot from the field. Polito Pieres followed up with a pair of penalty shots that tied the game at 4-4. Arellano ended the chukka by converting a 40-yard penalty shot for the go-ahead goal, 5-4. Enigma continued to dominate the game in the third. Shutout defence was bolstered by goals from MacDonough and Arellano (penalty goal). The first half ended with Enigma in possession of a 7-4 lead.
Hall scored the first goal of the second half with MacDonough passing the ball to Arellano who in turn send the ball to Hall for the score, 8-4. Pieres racked up another penalty goal to make it 8-5. Consecutive goals from MacDonough, Arellano extended the lead to five goals, 10-5. Agustin Obregon (+5) scored the final goal of the chukka to trail Enigma, 10-6.
Just as Enigma had dominated earlier chukkas, Villa Del Lago owned the fifth. Enigma watched as Villa Del Lago scored five consecutive goals for an 11-10 lead with one chukka remaining to be played. Obregon and Julian de Lusarreta (+6) scored the first goal of the chukka, with Pieres converting a penalty shot midway through the period to trail, 10-9. A nearside backhander from Pieres levelled the score at 10-10 with Obregon giving Villa Del Lago an 11-10 lead. Both teams played lights out defence in the final chukka, with neither able to put any points on the scoreboard. The game ended with Villa Del Lago celebrating the 11-10 win.
Pieres led all scoring with six goals (four on penalty conversions). Obregon scored three times. Zenni and de Lusarreta added a goal for the win. MacDonough and Arellano scored four goals apiece for Enigma. Hall chipped in two goals in the loss. The win boosted Villa Del Lago into the tournament final (the second 20-goal final of the season for them).
The second semi-final game of the tournament between Orchard Hill (Steve Van Andel, Lucas Criado, Facundo Pieres and Remy Muller) and Lucchese (John Muse, Andres Weisz, Magoo Laprida and Nico Pieres) was interrupted 2:47 left to play in the fourth chukka, following a collision that sent horse and rider (Andres Weisz – suspected broken collarbone) to the ground.
Prior to the accident, Facundo Pieres (+10) led Orchard Hill to an 8-6 lead with six goals from the field. Nico Pieres (+8) scored five times for Lucchese (two on penalty shots. The game has been scheduled to be completed in an 11am meeting on Thursday morning. No official replacement for Weisz has been announced at this time.
The teams:
Audi (+20)
Marc Ganzi (+1)
Nic Roldan (+8)
Freddie Mannix (+6)
Lucas Lalor (+5)
Coca-Cola (+20)
Gillian Johnston (+2)
Sugar Erskine (+6)
Julio Arellano (+8)
Mason Wroe (+4)
CT Energia (+20)
Alessandro Bazzoni (+2)
Kris Kampsen (+6)
Joao Paulo Ganon (+7)
Nick Manifold (+5)
Enigma (+20)
Jerome Wirth (+1)
Jeff Hall (+7)
Matias MacDonough (+7)
Carlucho Arellano (+5)
Flight Options (+20)
Melissa Ganzi (0)
Juan Bollini (+5)
Miguel Novillo Astrada (+9)
Guille Aguero (+6)
Lechuza Caracas (+20)
Victor Vargas (+1)
Marcos Alberdi (+3)
Martin Espain (+6)
Juan Martin Nero (+10)
Lucchese (+20)
John Muse (0)
Andres Weisz (+4)
Magoo Laprida (+8)
Nico Pieres (+8)
Merchant Hub (+20)
Scott Swerdlin (0)
Luis Escobar (+6)
Mariano Obregon (+7)
Facundo Obregon (+8)
Orchard Hill (+20)
Steve Van Andel (0)
Lucas Criado (+8)
Facundo Pieres (+10)
Remy Du Celliee Muller (+2)
Tonkawa (+20)
Jeff Hildebrand (0)
Gonzalo Deltour (+7)
Inaki Laprida (+7)
Jeff Blake (+6)
Villa del Lago (+20)
Jim Zenni (0)
Agustin Obregon (+5)
Polito Pieres (+9)
Julian de Lusarreta (+6)
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