----Forwarded using Multi-Forward Chrome Extension---From: Alex Webbe Date: Sat Nov 30 2013 09:11:29 GMT+0530 (IST)Subject: Las Monjitas wins in Argentina, readies for IPCTo:

 

Las Monjitas ready for IPC’s 20-goal season

By Alex Webbe

For a preview of what’s in store for the International Polo Club’s 20-goal season one only need look south to see that Camilo Bautista and his Las Monjitas polo team (Camilo Bautista, Geronimo Obregon, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) just completed their final dress rehearsal with a 9-5 win over Sainte Mesme (Robert Strom, Pelayo Berazadi, Clemente Zavaleta and Joaquin Pittaluga) in the finals of the 10^th Julio Novillo Astrada Cup at the La Aguada Polo Club in Open Door, Argentina.

Las Monjitas made their way into the finals with wins over La Picaza (Carlos Reyes Terrabusi, Carlos Solari, Santiago Solari and Juan Jose Araya), 15-10; ICBC (Johannes J. Roets, David Jean Du Plessis, Guillermo Terrera and Juan Pedro Harriet); before losing their only qualifying game to Sainte Mesme, 12-11.

Las Monjitas did, however, rebound to score the 9-5 championship victory over St. Mesme for the trophy, marking their first title win in the ten-year-old tournament.

Las Monjitas received one goal by handicap and watched as St. Mesme scored the only goal from the field in the first chukker, 1-1.

St. Mesme scored first in the second period, taking the lead briefly before the Las Monjitas offense kicked in. A total of four Las Monjitas goals in the chukker shifted the momentum with St. Mesme trailing by two goals at the end of the period, 5-3.

Las Monjitas scored the only goal of the third as the Sainte Mesme attack was shut out. At the end of the first half, Las Monjitas held a comfortable 6-3 advantage over St. Mesme.

One more Las Monjitas score opened the second half as the St. Mesme offense remained stalled. Both defenses stepped it up, with St. Mesme getting shutout for the second consecutive chukker. After four chukkers of play St. Mesme trailed by four goals, 7-3.

St. Mesme struggled to get back into the game in the fifth but were held to a single goal. Las Monjitas was held scoreless but continued to lead, 7-4.

St. Mesme opened the sixth period with a penalty conversion for a goal, 7-5, but that was where it ended. Alejandro Novillo Astrada accounted for the final two goals of the match (one on a penalty shot) for the 9-5 win.

Bautista, who sat out last season for knee surgery, will be transporting the entire Las Monjitas team to Wellington this winter where they will compete in the 20-goal competition at the International Polo Club. Wellington resident, eighteen-year-old Geronimo, who currently carries a 2-goal handicap, will be right at home for the first part of the 2014 IPC tournament season.