Valiente I vs. Valiente II/Tonkawa

03/04/2012, 4:00 pm | Piaget Field

Valiente I - 10, Valiente II/Tonkawa - 8

As serendipitous as it might be, the arrival of Bob Jornayvaz and his Valiente I team and his son’s Valiente II team in the finals of the season’s first 26-goal tournament of the and the first leg of American polo’s Triple Crown at the International Polo Club in Wellington was anything but a pleasant happenchance. The elder Jornayvaz along with Polito Pieres, Miguel Novillo Astrada and Nacho Novillo Astrada rebounded from a two goal deficit to score a 10-8 win over son Robert’s Valiente II side of Alejo Taranco, Pelon Stirling and Adolfo Cambiaso.

With less than a minute gone in the first chukker, Stirling scored for Valiente II for a 1-0 lead, but an ensuing penalty stopped any momentum they might have been building. A collision between Stirling and Miguel Astrada resulted in an injured Astrada dismounting and lying on the ground until attended by an ambulance. Once he was remounted and play began, he converted the penalty shot that was awarded to them to tie it up at 1-1. A second penalty conversion from Miguel Astrada ended the chukker with Valiente I holding a narrow 2-1 lead.

Goals from Stirling and Adolfo Cambiaso opened the second period and had Valiente II on top, 3-2, before Valiente I stormed back. Goals from Miguel Astrada and his brother nacho Astrada ended the chukker with Valiente I back on top with a 4-3 advantage.

Uruguayan 6-goaler Alejo Taranco tied it up on a penalty goal in the opening minute of the third, with Cambiaso scoring his second goal of the game just a minute later to give Valiente II a one goal, 5-4 edge. The teams battled back and forth, galloping up and down the field until a Valiente II foul put Miguel Astrada at the penalty line once again where he scored to lock it up at 5-5 at the end of the first half of play.

A renewed Valiente II team took the field in the second half with Cambiaso taking the opening throw-in and racing 150 yards down the field for the go-ahead goal, 6-5. Taranco scored the second unanswered goal of the fourth chukker and Valiente extended its lead to two goals, 7-5.

Stirling stretched the Valiente II lead to three goals, 8-5, with the opening goal of the fifth period, but Valiente I responded in force. A penalty conversion from Nacho Astrada was complimented by a pair of goals from Miguel Astrada (one on a penalty shot and one from the field), and the chukker ended in an 8-8 deadlock.

Both teams continued to battle for control of the ball in the final chukker with shots at goal going wide and defensive saves being made under extreme pressure. Nacho Astrada scored the go-ahead goal for Valiente I followed by a 40-yard penalty conversion from Miguel Astrada for the 10-8 final score.
Valiente I’s Miguel Astrada led the field in scoring with six goals (four on penalties). Nacho Astrada added three goals (one by penalty) to the win and Polito Pieres scored once penalty goal.
Cambiaso and Stirling scored three goals apiece for Valiente II (one penalty goal by Cambiaso). Taranco was credited with two goals (one by penalty).

Pieres was recognized for a number of great defensive plays as well as his aggressiveness by being named MVP. Cambiaso’s Mila received Best Playing Pony honors.