Audi vs. Valiente II/Tonkawa

04/05/2012, 4:00 pm |

Audi - 12, Valiente II/Tonkawa - 11

Audi (1-1) scored its first win in the 2012 Nespresso US Open Championship Thursday morning at the International Polo Club in Wellington with a 12-11 win over Valiente II (1-1), as second round play got underway.

There was a slow start to a Valiente II team that took the field without 10-goal superstar Adolfo Cambiaso, and with Argentine 9-goaler Santiago Chavanne stepping into the lineup, it was a bit choppy in the opening chukker as the Valiente team adjusted to one another. Chavanne scored the first goal of the game with 2:31 left on the clock in the first chukker for a 1-0 lead. Audi responded with a goal from the field from Gonzalito Pieres in the last 22 seconds for a 1-1 tie.

The pace picked up in the second chukker as Audi got its engine running, but a Valiente II foul resulted in a crash to the ground at speed by Nico Pieres and mount. The horse was fine, but Nico Pieres was forced to leave the field and Nic Roldan was brought in to replace him. Gonzalito Pieres converted the 30-yard penalty shot that was awarded to the Audi team for a 2-1 score. Chavanne converted a penalty shot for a single goal for Valiente II. With less than thirty seconds on the clock, Gonzalito Pieres took a backhand pass from Roldan at midfield and drove down the field to score as time expired. Audi led, 3-2.
Audi and Valiente II exchanged goals in the third. Jeff Hall scored a goal from the field and Gonzalito Pieres added another penalty goal. Valiente II answered back with single goals from Pelon Stirling and Chavanne. At the end of the first half, Audi held a narrow 5-4 lead.

Two more goals from Gonzalito Pieres in the second half were countered by a single goal from Stirling. Audi extended their lead to two goals, 7-5.

Roldan and Gonzalito Pieres scored single goals in the fifth, but the Valiente II lineup started to produce. Stirling scored a goal from the field and a penalty, Robert Jornayvaz scored back to back goals from the field as Valiente II knotted it up at 9-9.

Jornayvaz scored the opening goal of the sixth chukker to give Valiente II its first lead since the opening chukker, 10-9. Gonzalito Pieres converted a penalty shot two minutes into the period to deadlock it at 10-10. Roldan had Audi back on top with a goal from the field with Jornayvaz evening up the score at 11-11 with his fourth goal of the day. Gonzalito Pieres would score the final goal of the day with 1:37 on the clock as Audi celebrated their first Open victory.

Gonzalito Pieres led all scoring with nine goals (four on penalty shots) Roldan added two goals and Hall scored once in the win.

Jornayvaz and Stirling led the Valiente II attack with four goals apiece. Chavanne was credited with three goals in a losing effort.