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US Open first day

Two games in opening action

Wins for title holders, Lechuza, and Audi

By Alex Webbe

Audi and Lechuza kicked off the opening round of play in the 2012 Nespresso US Open
Championship with wins over Coca-Cola and La Ensenada, respectively Thursday
afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

Argentine 10-goaler, Gonzalito Pieres, scored twelve times in leading Audi to a
resounding 15-11 win over a struggling Coca-Cola team in first round play of the
season's most prestigious tournament.

Gonzalito Pieres scored the first goal of the game just over halfway through the first
chukker, but Coca-Cola went ahead, 2-1, on single goals from team captain Gillian
Johnston and American 9-goaler Julio Arellano (penalty goal).

Trailing by a goal in the second chukker, Audi quickly turned things around with
Gonzalito Pieres scoring four unanswered goals (two on penalty shots). Luis Escobar
kept Coca-Cola from being shut out, scoring the final goal of the chukker with 24
seconds on the clock. The momentum and lead had changed hands, and Audi
commanded a 5-3 lead.

Two more goals from Gonzalito Pieres in the third and a goal from his brother, Nico
Pieres, gave Audi an 8-5 halftime lead. Arellano scored both goals for Coca-Cola in the
chukker on penalty shots, the last one coming in the last 45 seconds of the period.

The fourth chukker was no more charitable for Coca-Cola than had been the previous
two periods. Johnston scored her second goal of the game to bring Coca-Cola to within
two goals of the lead when Gonzalito Pieres took over once again. A pair of penalty
goals and a goal from the field from Gonzalito Pieres were complimented by a goal from
brother Nico Pieres. At the end of the fourth chukker Audi was driving off with a 12-6
advantage.

Coca-Cola finally seemed to get into rhythm in the fifth as they ran up three straight
scores before allowing Jeff Hall to slip the ball through the goalposts with less than 30
seconds to play in the chukker. Hilario Ulloa scored his first goal of the day followed by
successful scoring efforts by Johnston and Arellano. The Audi lead had been cut to four
goals, 13-9 with one chukker remaining to be played.

Two more goals from Gonzalito Pieres (one from the field and one by penalty) in the

final chukker were answered by single goals from Johnston and Arellano (penalty
conversion) as Audi recorded the 15-11 victory.

At the end of the day, Gonzalito Pieres lit it up with 12 goals (six on penalty shots). Nico
Pieres was credited with two goals and Hall scored once in the win.

Arellano led the Coca-Cola attack with five goals (four on penalty shots). Johnston
scored three times; Escobar twice and Ulloa added a goal.

LECHUZA CARACAS 15, LA ENSENADA 7

Lechuza Caracas and La Ensenada started out at a quick clip in the opening chukker,
but play hadn't quite settled into a workable pace when halfway through the period 10-
goaler Sapo Caset put Lechuza on top, 1-0 on a penalty conversion. Two minutes later
Juan Garcia Grossi tied it up with a goal from the field. The first period ended in a 1-1
deadlock.

Matias Magrini scored a goal from the field in the first 30 seconds of the second chukker
for a 2-1 La Ensenada lead. Lechuza team captain victor Vargas tied it up at 2-2 with
his first goal of the game moments later. Lucas James converted a penalty shot for
a go-ahead goal for La Ensenada, but that would be the last lead they would enjoy.
Vargas scored his second goal of the chukker and teammate Facundo Obregon gave
the lead back to Lechuza Caracas with his first goal of the game, 4-3. A final penalty
conversion from Caset ended the chukker with a 5-3 Lechuza Caracas lead.

James and Caset exchanged goals in the third with Lucas converting a penalty shot
and scoring a goal from the field. Two penalty conversions from Caset kept Lechuza
Caracas in the lead, 7-5 at the end of the first half.

If there were any doubts about the strength of the Lechuza Caracas offense they were
dispelled in the fourth. Four consecutive goals from the Lechuza Caracas lineup were
combined with shutout defense. Goals from 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero, Obregon,
Vargas and a penalty goal from Caset had given Lechuza Caracas a lofty six goal, 11-5
advantage over a struggling La Ensenada foursome.

La Ensenada cut the lead to five goals in the fifth. Penalty goals from Magrini and
James were countered by a single penalty goal from Caset. Lechuza Caracas had
matters well in hand with a five goal, 12-7, lead and one chukker left to play.

There was plenty of fight left on the field for the final period of play, but the action
belonged to Lechuza Caracas. Single goals from Nero, Obregon and Caset closed out
the scoring for the night in a one-sided, 15-7 victory romp.

Caset accounted for seven goals for Lechuza Caracas (six times on penalty shots).

Vargas and Obregon scored three times apiece and Nero added two goals for the win.

James scored four times for La Ensenada. Magrini added two goals and Grossi scored
once in the loss.