WELLINGTON, Florida – Seven-goaler Nacho Novillo Astrada scored on a 10-yard near-side shot 1:18 into overtime to lift Las Monjitas over Old Pueblo 12-11 in the first round of the Stanford Financial Group – 100th U.S. Open Polo Championship Thursday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In another first-round game, 8-goaler Mariano Gonzalez converted a 30-yard penalty shot 1:06 into overtime to lift Millarville over Texas Polo 10-9.

The victory gives Las Monjitas (3-0) a half-game lead over Pony Express (2-0) for first place in Division I. Pony Express plays Texas Polo (0-2) Sunday at 10 a.m.

Old Pueblo jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first chukker and only led again at 10-9 on 8-goaler Facundo Pieres’ goal with 3:40 left in the fifth chukker. There were eight ties in the game, the last one when Pieres dribbled in a circle twice to evade defenders and launched a 40-yard forehand with 27 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Ten-goaler Javier Novillo Astrada gave Las Monjitas an 11-10 lead on a 1-yard penalty shot with 3:18 remaining. Old Pueblo’s Jeff Hall, an 8-goaler, missed two scoring opportunities to tie the game, one on a 20-yard forehand with 2:12 left and another on a 60-yard penalty shot with 1:29 remaining before Pieres tying goal.

Javier Novillo Astrada led Las Monjitas with eight goals while Nacho Novillo Astrada finished with three goals and 8-goaler Silvestre Donovan added one goal. Patron Camilo Bautista did not score.

Donovan has been playing in place of 9-goaler Eduardo Novillo Astrada, who is still recovering from cracked ribs and a bruised lung suffered in a fall on March 8. Eduardo has been practicing and said he will try to play in Las Monjitas’ next game, Thursday, April 8 against Pony Express.

Eight-goaler Facundo Pieres led Old Pueblo (0-2) with five goals while Jeff Hall and Matias Magrini finished with three goals each. Patron John Hall did not score.

Millarville and Texas Polo battled throughout, with six ties in the game, including two in the final chukker. Nine-goaler Milo Araujo of Texas Polo tied the score at 8-8 with 5:33 remaining in the sixth chukker. Seven-goaler Frederick Mannix put Millarville ahead on a breakaway with 1:16 before Texas Polo tied it at 9-9 on 9-goaler Pepe Heguy’s forehand with 15 remaining in regulation.

Mannix and Gonzalez led Millarville (1-2) with three goals each while Daniel Roenisch and Augustin Zavaleta scored two goals apiece.

Heguy led Texas Polo (0-2) with six goals while Araujo scored two goals and Gaston Laulhe added one goal. Patron Michael Price did not score.

High-goal polo action in the Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open Polo Championship continues Saturday with a tripleheader beginning at 10 a.m. when Catamount (1-1) plays Isla Carroll (1-1), followed by Bendabout (2-0) against White Birch (2-0) and concluding with Orchard Hill (0-2) against Everglades (0-2) at 3 p.m.

A four-chukker exhibition game between teams from the United States and the United Kingdom to benefit the British Forces Foundation will keep the action going, starting at 5 p.m. The United States team features 10-goaler Mike Azzaro and high-goal patrons Tim Gannon, John Goodman and Tommy Lee Jones. The United Kingdom team features 5-goalers Julian Hipwood and Adrian Wade, along with patrons Mark Kann and Kirstie Craig.

Thirteen teams, featuring nine 10-goalers, have entered the Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open Polo Championship, the most prestigious polo tournament in North America, highlighting the historic inaugural polo season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The 26-goal tournament culminates with the championship match on Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. Fifteen teams, in 2002, is the record for teams in a U.S. Open.

The Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open will be played on the International Polo Club Palm Beach’s five world-class Bermuda-grass playing fields and teams will also take advantage of the many private fields in Wellington.

The Houston-based Stanford Financial Group, a privately-held global network of affiliated companies, has signed on as the title sponsor of the 100th U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2004. Stanford’s family of companies provides international private banking, trust and brokerage services and real estate development. Currently, the Stanford organization manages in excess of $17 billion in deposits and assets, serving clients on six continents. The success of the group is the result of entrepreneurial spirit and drive spearheaded by third generation Chairman and CEO R. Allen Stanford.

Like the high-goal teams on the field, the International Polo Club Palm Beach has amassed a lineup of prestigious sponsors for the U.S. Open. The Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open tournament will feature a different presenting sponsor every Sunday, including Bombardier Aerospace, Cunard Ltd. and HUMMER, Mitchell-Peck Jewelers, Piaget and Roder.

As always, there will be a delicious Sunday brunch, catered by The Breakers, open to the public preceding the featured stadium match, along with the now traditional and very popular champagne divot stomp and an post-match awards presentation.

Individual tickets for the U.S. Open tournament Sunday games range from $15 for general admission to $120 for tailgating spots and are available in advance. For ticket information for the U.S. Open, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit online at www.internationalpoloclub.com. Tickets are also available at the gate.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road, in Wellington.

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