Las Monjitas Dominates ERG 12-5 to Lead Foursome into Semifinals of
Stanford U.S. Open Sunday at International Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL (April 16, 2006) – While there might not have been a clear-cut favorite before the playoffs began, top-seeded Las Monjitas put everyone on notice they shouldn’t be overlooked, scoring the first three goals and dominating ERG 12-5 in the quarterfinals of the Stanford U.S. Open Polo Championship Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach. This is the first trip to the U.S. Open semifinals for Las Monjitas.

In other Stanford U.S. Open quarterfinal action, 9-goaler Paco de Narvaez scored seven goals as Orchard Hill eliminated defending champion White Birch 10-9; Pony Express scored five unanswered goals in the final chukker to defeat Isla Carroll 12-10 and 10-goaler Carlos Gracida scored six goals to lead Mokarow Farms over Bendabout 10-9.

In Wednesday’s semifinals, Las Monjitas plays fifth-seeded Mokarow Farms at noon and No. 2 Pony Express takes on seventh-seeded Orchard Hill at 3 p.m.

Las Monjitas built a 7-3 halftime lead as 8-goaler Ignacio “Nacho” Novillo Astrada scored four of his game-high seven goals. ERG never threatened the rest of the game.

“At halftime, we told each other not to relax, to keep concentrating,” said Astrada. “It’s never easy, but we were surprised.”

Eduardo Novillo Astrada added three goals and Adam Snow had two goals for Las Monjitas (4-1). Patron Camilo Bautista did not score.

“I’m excited,” said Bautista. “We worked all the time for this…to be in the final four. It’s fantastic.”

Ten-goaler Agustin Merlos scored all five goals for ERG (2-3).

Orchard Hill took a 10-7 lead into the final chukker and held off a hard-charging White Birch. Lucas Criado made a 30-yard penalty shot 30 seconds into the sixth chukker to cut the margin to 10-8. After missing several scoring opportunities, Miguelito Torres took a long pass from Mariano Aguerre and scored with 2:33 left to make it 10-9.

Orchard Hill’s Hector Galindo, while being harassed by Peter Brant, missed a short shot with 1:47 left, which left the door open for White Birch to tie the game.

Orchard Hill patron Steve Van Andel made a short clearing shot near the 60-yard line and Galindo knocked the ball out of bounds with 45 seconds left. Torres was hooked by de Narvaez with 10 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

 Galindo and Jeff Hall scored one goal for Orchard Hill, which reached the U.S. Open final in 2002 and 2001. Van Andel did not score.

Seventeen-year-old Miguelito Torres and Lucas Criado led White Birch with four goals each while Mariano Aguerre scored one goal. Patron Peter Brant did not score.

Pony Express trailed 10-7 entering the sixth chukker but 8-goaler Pancho Bensadon scored four goals in the final chukker as Pony Express, which reached the final is 1999 and the semifinals in 2001, rallied past two-time champion Isla Carroll for the second time in seven days. Pony Express defeated Isla Carroll 9-8 in overtime in round-robin play last Sunday.

“I was surprised how the last chukker went,” said Pony Express patron Bob Daniels, who has been playing high-goal polo for more than 20 years. “I went into the last chukker thinking I had seven more minutes left (in the season).”

Nine-goaler Piki Alberdi scored what proved to be the winning goal with 1:33 left, finishing off a 180-yard run. Bensadon scored with three seconds remaining to round out the scoring.

Bensadon finished with a team-high seven goals and Bautista Heguy added four goals. Alberdi finished with one goal and Daniels did not score.

Nine-goaler Eduardo Heguy led Isla Carroll (2-3), which won the U.S. Open title in 2004 and 1997, with six goals and Sugar Erskine added four goals. Pepe Heguy and patron John Goodman did not score.

Mokarow Farms jumped out to a 5-1 lead early in the third chukker before Bendabout responded with four consecutive goals, three by 7-goaler Luis Escobar, to tie the game at 5-5.

Bendabout forged ahead 9-7 when 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada converted a 60-yard penalty shot with 5:15 left in the fifth chukker.

Memo Gracida cut the margin to 9-8 with a 30-yard penalty shot that caromed in off the left post with 3:40 remaining. Carlos Gracida tied the game at 9-9 on a 40-yard penalty shot just eight seconds into the sixth chukker.

Bendabout controlled the ball in its offensive zone for almost two minutes but missed several scoring opportunities, including a 60-yard penalty shot by Astrada. Mokarow Farms capitalized when Carlos Gracida converted a 30-yard penalty shot with 2:29 left for what proved to be the game-winner.

Bendabout could not convert two chances in the final minute to tie the game.

Memo Gracida and Temy Willington scored two goals each for Mokarow Farms (3-2) while patron Kevin Mokarow, who played the first, and 15-year-old Carlitos Gracida, who substituted for him in the last three chukkers, did not score.

Escobar led Bendabout (3-2) with four goals while patron Gillian Johnston and 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada added two goals apiece and Alejandro Novillo Astrada scored one goal.

The championship game of the Stanford U.S. Open presented by Bombardier is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club, expects to draw more than 8,000 spectators. 

Historically, the U.S. Open has always been the grand prize of polo in North America. It is one of only four tournaments played at the 26-goal echelon, the highest-rated tournament in the United States. The others are the Hall of Fame Cup and the C.V. Whitney Cup, both also played at International Polo Club Palm Beach in 2006, and the USPA Gold Cup, being played in Aiken, South Carolina later this year.

The first U.S. Open title game was played in 1904 at Van Cortland Park in New York City where the Wanderers defeated the Freebooters 4 ?-3, the lowest scoring final in the history of the tournament.

The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the semifinals at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $15 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
 
Stanford U.S. Open Semifinals Schedule
                                   
Wednesday                       Noon                    Mokarow Farms vs. Las Monjitas
                                          3 p.m.                   Pony Express vs. Orchard Hill

International Polo Club
Palm Beach