CV Whitney Cup - 26 Goal
Les Armour Cup Subsidiary
February 20- March 1, 2015

Lechuza Caracas Wins Les Armour Cup
Sunday, March 1, 2015

Lechuza Caracas 12, Las Monjitas 11 OT

Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Nico Pieres, Juan Martin Nero and Juan Garcia Grossi) battled Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista, Sebastian Merlos, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Facundo Sola) to an 11-11 tie after six chukkers of play before scoring the winning goal in overtime for a 12-11 victory and the 2015 Les Armour Cup (the C. V. Whitney subsidiary).

Nico Pieres scored twice in the first chukker for the early 2-1 lead. Facundo Sola was responsible for the Las Monjitas score as the two teams felt one another out in the opening minutes of play.

Las Monjitas exploded for four goals in the second period with Facundo Sola converting penalty shots from 30 and 60-yards out and Sebastian Merlos and Eduardo Novillo Astrada adding single goals from the field. Juan Garcia Grossi and Juan Martin Nero (40-yard penalty conversion) each scored a goal for Lechuza, who fell behind, 5-4.

Nero tied the game at 5-5 in the opening minutes of the third chukker. Las Monjitas countered with a goal from the field from team captain Camilo Bautista and a penalty conversion for a goal from Sola. At the end of the first half, Las Monjitas held on to a 7-5 lead.

In a low-scoring fourth chukker, Merlos opened with a goal for Las Monjitas, 8-5, followed by a 30-yard penalty goal from Pieres, 8-6. Both defenses held firm with the 8-6 score standing.

Las Monjitas got fifth chukker goals from Merlos and Sola (60-yard penalty goal). Lechuza Caracas responded with a 40-yard penalty conversion for a goal. The lead held at two goals with one chukker left to be played in regulation time.

Sola scored the first goal of the sixth chukker for a comfortable 11-7 Las Monjitas, Pieres returned fire, connecting on a penalty shot and a goal from the field, 11-9. Nero made it a one goal game with a goal from the field, and with time running out and Las Monjitas knocking in, Las Monjitas got caught trying to be clever with the ball, fouling and sending Pieres to the penalty line where he converted a 30-yard shot to level the score at 11-11 and forcing a sudden-death overtime.

After a brief intermission, both teams returned to the field, with each trying to gain control of the ball. With 5:45 left in the chukker, Pieres broke loose and scored the winning goal for Lechuza Caracas, 12-11.

Pieres scored four of his game-high eight goals on penalty shots. Nero scored three times (once on a penalty conversion) and Grossi added a goal for the win. Four of Sola’s six goals came on penalty conversions. Merlos added three goals with Bautista and Astrada chipping in single goals in the loss.

Pieres received MVP honors while Patagonia, ridden and played by Sebastian Merlos was named Best Playing Pony.

Click here for photos by Alex Pacheco