La Aguada Las Monjitas and La Irenita played the opening game of Sunday action of the 123rd. Argentine Polo Open Championship.
The Novillo Astrada foursome had a strong start- a 3-0 lead halfway the first chukker. However, La Irenita made a comeback and scored twice to closed the gap to one goal (2-3).
Ignacio Novillo Astrada took command of his team’s attack, to give La Aguada Las Monjitas a 5-2 advantage in the second chukker. But La Irenita battled back in a great third chukker. La Aguada Las Monjitas remained scoreless while Matias MacDonough produced two goals for La Irenita, to cut the margin to one goal once again.
However, La Aguada Las Monjitas wwre back in the game in the fourth chukker, when two goals by Alejandro and Miguel Novillo Astrada gave them a 7-4 lead. Following a goal by La Irenita’s Tito Ruiz Guiñazu, the scoreboard read a 7-5 advantage for La Aguada Las Monjitas by half time, in a fast and very well played match by both teams.
La Irenita claimed the fifth chukker 3-1, and leveled the scores at 8-all . However, La Aguada Las Monjitas re-took the lead in the next chukker, 11-8, with three goals by Alejandro (2) and Miguel.
Halfway the seventh chukker, a strong La Irenita foursome made another comeback and closed the margin to one goal (10-11), for the third time in the match. La Aguada Las Monjitas replied quickly with two goals by Alejandro and a neckshot by Ignacio. At the start of the eighth chukker, La Aguada Las Monjitas hold a three goal difference (13-10).
A superb goal by Miguel Novillo Astrada sealed the final 14-10 result. As a result, La Aguada Las Monjitas beat a determined La Irenita foursome.
MVP: Ignacio Novillo Astrada
La Aguada Las Monjitas: Alejandro Novillo Astrada 8 (8 goals, five penalties), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (h) 9, Miguel Novillo Astrada 9 (2), Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9 (4). Total: 35.
La Irenita: Juan Ruiz Guiñazú (h) 7 (3, 1 penalty), Juan M. Zavaleta (h) 7 (2), Clemente Zavaleta (n) 7, Matías Mac Donough 8 (5, 3 penalties). Total: 29.
Score La Aguada Las Monjitas: 3-2, 5-2, 5-4, 7-5, 8-8, 11-8, 13-10, 14-10.
Umpires: Martín Aguerre and Juan José Díaz Alberdi. Third man: Marcelo López Vargas.