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Jedi Defeats White Birch 10-7 in Semifinals of Stanford U.S. Open Wednesday

WELLINGTON, FL (April 18, 2007) – The wait has paid off for Jedi.

Nine-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero combined for seven goals to lead Jedi to a 10-7 victory over perennial powerhouse White Birch in the semifinals of the Stanford U.S. Open Wednesday at International Polo Club.

It is Jedi’s first berth in a Stanford U.S. Open final, a tournament it hasn’t played in since 2002.

The semifinals continue Thursday at 11 a.m. when pre-tournament favorite Crab Orchard, led by 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso and 9-goaler Matias Magrini, play 2006 finalist Orchard Hill, led by 9-goaler Lucas Criado and 8-goaler Jeff Hall.

Jedi’s plan was to limit their turnovers.

“We knew we had to play well,” said MacDonough. “You cannot make any mistakes against them. If you do, they score a goal.”

The teams played an even first half with four ties before Jedi took a 6-5 lead with 40 seconds left in the third chukker on Nero’s tap-in after receiving a pinpoint pass near the 60-yard line from MacDonough who was driving down the right boards.

MacDonough took over in the fourth chukker, scoring three unanswered goals in a 1:48 span to increase the margin to 9-5. White Birch rallied late in the fifth chukker on goals by 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre and 9-goaler Lucas Monteverde in a 62-second span to cut the lead to 9-7 with 1:07 remaining in the fifth chukker.

White Birch had a chance to move within one goal but Monteverde’s shot from 20 yards out was blocked by a pony and cleared with 4:40 left in the game.

Magoo Laprida, on an assist from MacDonough, clinched the trip to the final, with a short forehand with 2:14 remaining.

MacDonough finished with a game-high five goals for Jedi (4-0) while Nero and patron Torsten Koch scored two goals and Laprida added one goal.

“We don’t talk much to each other,” said the 25-year-old MacDonough. “We know if we play well, we’ll probably win. If we don’t play well, we’ll lose. Luckily, today we had a good day.”

Monteverde led White Birch (2-2) with four goals while Aguerre scored two goals and Ulysses Escapite added one goal. Chris Nevins, substituting for injured patron Peter Brant, did not score.

White Birch seemed out of synch most of the game, unable to hit-and-run while Jedi played tough defense.

Monteverde, who was averaging almost seven goals a game, was not as big a factor as expected.

“Whoever was close to him marked him,” said 7-goaler Magoo Laprida of Jedi. “We did not want to give them the ball easily. We tried to keep the ball and make safe passes. It was a tough game. We did not do so well in the fifth chukker but we came back in the sixth.”

The Stanford U.S. Open is the culmination of the ultra-competitive winter polo season with the final on Sunday at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club expected to draw more than 7,000 spectators.

Historically, the U.S. Open has always been the grand prize of polo in North America. It is one of only three tournaments played at the 26-goal echelon, the highest-rated tournament in the United States. The others are the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Piaget Gold Cup, both also played at International Polo Club.

The first U.S. Open title game was played in 1904 at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City where the Wanderers defeated the Freebooters 4 ½-3, 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 Stanford U.S. Open presented by Bombardier semifinal on Thursday and the final on Sunday is $15 for adults and reserved lawn tickets are $40. Children under 3 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.

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