Bendabout entered the contest with an 0-2 record and averaging just five goals a game while the undefeated Valiente team (2-0) was averaging over 10 goals a game in its first two games.

With several hundred spectators in attendance for the “early” game of the day, the teams struggled to produce anything that resembled a high-power offense.  After two chukkers of play, Valiente led by an embarrassing 3-0 score, on the strength of two goals from Nacho Astrada.

Threatening clouds finally gave way to the rain, and the teams played on as the rain came down.

Valiente team captain Bob Jornayvaz scored the first goal of the third period to put his team on top, 3-1, before Bendabout ever got on the scoreboard.

A goal from the field from Bendabout’s Jeff Hall in the third chukker spoiled the Valiente shutout, but goals from Magoo Laprida and Nacho Astrada ended the first half with Valiente holding on to a commanding 5-1 lead.

Although Bendabout hadn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard in earlier matches (averaging five goals a game) a lot more had been expected considering the caliber of players on the roster.

Laprida’s second goal of the game had Valiente up, 6-1, as the pace slowed down again.  Bendabout’s Sugar Erskine broke through the Valiente defense late in the chukker, to notch their second goal of the game.

Hall powered another ball through the goal posts to open the fifth chukker before Miguel Astrada scored for Valiente.  The chukker ended with Valiente maintaining a 7-3 advantage.

A renewed Bendabout (0-3) team took the field in the final chukker and quickly got goals from Hall and Erskine, cutting the lead to two goals, 7-5 before Laprida’s third goal of the game put Valiente (3-0) up by three goals, 8-5 to end the game.

LAS MONJITAS vs. LECHUZA CARACAS RAINED OUT

Continuing afternoon rains dampened the spirits of thousands of spectators who arrived at the International Polo Club to find out who would be facing Audi in the final semifinal berth of the 2010 US Open. 

With identical 1-1 records, Las Monjitas and Lechuza Caracas were scheduled to compete Sunday afternoon for the last available semifinal position in the Open, but to no avail.  Heavy rains forced the postponement of the match until Monday, April 12 at noon at the club. 

The semifinals that were originally scheduled to be played on Wednesday, April 14 have been moved back to Thursday, April 15.

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Bautista had recruited an “All-Astrada” team with Eduardo, Javier and Alejandro Novillo Astrada.  Jornayvaz selected Miguel and Nacho Astrada to join with Magoo Laprida on his Colorado-based team.

Not quite a “Civil War”, but close enough for polo aficionados.

It just so happened that on Thursday afternoon, however, the two Astrada brothers wearing the white jerseys of the Valiente team (Miguel and Nacho) scored more goals than Eduardo, Javier and Alejandro scored for Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas foursome, winning their second consecutive game without a loss.  Las Monjitas evened its record at 1-1.

Valiente took an early 2-1 lead after a pair of penalty conversions by Nacho Astrada while Las Monjitas got on the board in the first chukker on a goal from the field from Alejandro Astrada.

Nacho Astrada added two more goals in the second chukker while Valiente got another goal from Miguel Astrada.  Alejandro Astrada converted a penalty shot for another goal, but Las Monjitas trailed by a three goal margin that they would never overcome.

Valiente was up 8-5 at the end of the first half and led 10-6 after the fourth as Las Monjitas (1-1) struggled to get its offense on track. 

Magoo Laprida added his second goal of the game in the fifth followed by goals from Nacho Astrada and Miguel Astrada as Valiente stretched its lead to seven goals, 13-6.

Coasting through the last seven minutes of play, Valiente (2-0) gave up two goals, and left the field with a well-earned 13-8 win.

Nacho Astrada led all scoring with eight goals on the day.  Miguel Astrada scored three times and Laprida added two goals in the win.

Alejandro Astrada scored five times for Las Monjitas.  Javier Astrada added two goals and 10-goaler Eduardo Astrada scored once.

LECHUZA CARACAS 11, BENDABOUT/WANDERERS 6

In afternoon US Open play Lechuza Caracas rebounded from an opening round loss to score a resounding 11-6 win over a confused Bendabout/Wanderers lineup.

Bendabout held in the game early, trailing 3-2 after the first chukker and 5-4 after the second, but Lechuza put up three unanswered goals in the third period and stretched its lead to four goals, 8-4, to end the first half.

Goals from team captain Victor Vargas and 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero in the fourth were complimented by shut-out defense and Lechuza took a six goal lead, 10-4.

Bendabout continued to try and organize some sort of attack in the fifth, getting a penalty goal from Mike Azzaro and a goal from the field from Jeff Hall, but that was where it ended for them.

Santiago Toccalino scored the only goal of the sixth and final chukker as Lechuza took the game, 11-6.

Sapo Caset led the scoring for a balanced Lechuza attack with five goals.  Nero added three goals and Vargas scored twice.  Toccalino accounted for a single goal in the win.

Azzaro and Hall scored a pair of goals apiece for Bendabout/Wanderers.  Sugar Erskine and team captain Gillian Johnston accounted for single goals.

Us Open play continues on Saturday when Piaget(0-3) and Pony Express (0-3) square off at 1 pm followed by a pivotal match between Crab Orchard (2-1) and Orchard Hill (2-1), with the winner advancing to the semifinals.

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Bob Jornayvaz’s Valiente team victory was the highlight of a busy day of polo competition in the 2010 Arcalux US Open Championship, scoring an opening round 8-6 win over the veteran Lechuza Caracas (0-1) team. In its first 26-goal season.

Valiente made it to the finals of the C. V. Whitney Cup before stumbling through a disappointing Piaget Gold Cup appearance. But it looked like the magic was back Sunday afternoon. Led by five goals from 9-goaler Nacho Astrada, Valiente (1-0) fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to take a humble 3-2 halftime lead in a game in which they never trailed again.

Nacho Astrada led the Valiente charge with a game high five goals as the lead stretched to two goals, 5-3, after four. Lechuza fought back gamely buy found itself short of offense as the fifth chukker ended with Valiente up, 7-4.

Nacho Astrada’s fifth goal of the match had Valiente on top 8-4 before goals from Lechuza team captain Victor Vargas and Sapo Caset salvaged some pride in the 8-6 Valiente victory. Magoo Laprida was named MVP while Bob Jornayvaz’s Ponchito received Best Playing Pony honors.

AUDI 11, PIAGET 10

Piaget rode out to and early 6-5 halftime score before falling to the unbeaten Audi team 11-10 in a game that was much closer than one might have anticipated.

Three goals by Piaget 10-goaler Lolo Castagnola had his team ahead 6-5 after three chukkers and up 9-7 after scoring a hat trick (three goals) in the fourth. A goal from Piaget team captain Melissa Ganzi had Audi trailing by three goals as the fifth chukker started, but that was when Audi got cranked up.

A pair of goals from Gonzalito Pieres in the fifth and two goals from brother Facundo Pieres in the sixth was combined with stalwart defense as Audi (3-0); the 2009 defending US Open Champion rode to its third consecutive win against no defeats. Piaget (0-2) suffered its second consecutive setback against no wins.

LOS MONJITAS 12, BENDABOUT/WANDERERS 4

In a game in which both teams showed a bit of rust after a lengthy layoff, Las Monjitas (1-0) scored a decisive 12-4 win over an impotent Bendabout (0-1) offense that trailed throughout the game. Two first chukker goals from Negro Astrada and another from brother Eduardo Astrada were countered by a single goal from Bendabout’s Mike Azzaro, but the die was cast.

Las Monjitas went up 5-2 after the second frame, and led 7-2 at the end of the first half. Goals from Javier Astrada and brother Negro Astrada in the fourth were complimented by shutout defense as Las Monjitas built up an impressive 9-2 lead.

Bendabout struggled to get back into the game, but despite a couple of late goals, Las Monjitas scored an overwhelming 12-4 win.

CRAB ORCHARD 11, PONY EXPRESS 3

 In the morning contest, Crab Orchard (1-1) took early control of the game and coasted behind six goals from Adolfo Cambiaso in shutting down Pony Express (0-3) in an 11-3 rout.

In a slow-starting game, Crab Orchard took a 5-0 lead after the opening two chukkers of play before Pony Express answered back. Carlos Gracida’s goal in the third chukker finally got Pony Express on the scoreboard, but the first half ended with Crab Orchard commanding a 6-2 halftime advantage.

The second half was no better for the beleaguered Pony Express lineup as Crab Orchard outscored them five goals to one for the 11-3 win. Adolfo Cambiaso led all scoring with six goals. Teammate Julio Arellano scored three times and Hilario Ulloa notched two goals in the win.

US Open play continues on Wednesday, April 7 with a pair of games. At 10 am unbeatens Audi (3-0) and Orchard Hill (2-0) will face-off, followed by a 3 pm contest between Piaget (0-2) and Crab Orchard (1-1).

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“I was both pleased and excited to see over five thousand spectators on hand for the championship game,“ said Yves Piaget who was on hand for the game and the presentation ceremony.   “It was like the old days at Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.  I am so pleased that Piaget has taken such an active part in this great game.”

The day began with ominous clouds filling the skies that later gave way to breaks and streams of sunlight and mild temperatures with gentle, easterly winds.

Yves Piaget, patriarch of the distinguished Swill family that had elevated the manner of watchmaking to a fine art, had returned to Wellington, Florida to witness the finals of the 2010 USPA Piaget Gold Cup, and a view of some of the game’s top players at the International Polo Club.

Complimented by Piaget North America President Larry Boland and the helicopter arrival of television’s Jeffrey Donovan, star of the hit series,  Burn Notice and the largest crowd in Piaget Gold Cup history, and the preliminary match of the day-the finals of the 2010 Butler Handicap- the International Polo Club presented the second 26-goal tournament finals of the season.

Because of the amount of talent on the field, the game got off to a surprisingly slow start.   Las Monjitas got on the scoreboard first with penalty goals from brothers Javier and Alejandro Astrada.  Crab Orchard got a goal from Hilario Ulloa to end the chukker trailing 2-1.

Julio Arellano tied the score at 2-2 with a penalty conversion followed by a go-ahead goal from Adolfo Cambiaso.  Arellano’s second goal 0f the chukker, a ninety-yard shot through the goal posts,  had Crab Orchard ahead 4-2 until Javier Astrada managed a chukker ending goal for Las Monjitas.  Crab Orchard held on to a 4-3 lead.

Defenses tightened in the third chukker, with Cambiaso supplying all of the firepower with a pair of goals from the field, and the teams ended the first half with Crab Orchard holding a 6-3 advantage.

Crab Orchard returned to the pitch in the fourth chukker a renewed team.  A goal from Ulloa was followed by a pair of goals from Arellano.  Cambiaso scored his fourth goal of the game to end the period with Crab Orchard holding on to a commanding 10-3 lead.

Although it was Las Monjitas team captain Camilo Bautista’s first game back since an early season injury, and their injured 10-goaler, Eduardo Astrada was replaced by Facundo Pieres, Crab Orchard was the far superior team from offense to defense.

Ulloa put Crab Orchard up 11-3 in the opening seconds of the fifth chukker before the sleeping offense of Las Monjitas got back on track.  Javier Astrada scored Las Monjitas’ first goal since the second chukker, and on a subsequent play, carried the ball the length of the field before having a goal shot blocked by Cambiaso.  With less than three minutes left in the period, Alejandro Astrada converted a penalty goal for Las Monjitas, but the chukker ended with Crab Orchard holding a very comfortable lead of 11-5 with one chukker left to be played.

As if to remind the large Sunday crowd who they came to see, Cambiaso scored his fifth goal of the game to put Crab Orchard ahead by seven goals, 12-5.

Las Monjitas continued to try to organize an attack, but had to settle for a penalty goal from Alejandro Astrada before getting one last field goal from Javier Astrada.

The final horn sounded as the Crab Orchard celebrated its second consecutive major tournament championship of the year with a 12-7 win.

Hilario Ulloa was named MVP while Julio Arellano’s Blue Dragon was named Best Playing Pony.

BENDABOUT/WANDERERS 12. AUDI 9

Earlier in the day, the Bendabout/Wanderers team took advantage of two goals by handicap to capture the 2010 Butler Handicap in a 12-9 win over the high-powered Audi foursome.

Audi took the field with two of the world’s ten goal players with brothers Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres, and their reputation as the 2009 US Open Champions, but couldn’t overcome the determination of a patchwork 24-goal Bendabout team who took the trophy in a 12-9 game.

The contest was close in the opening chukkers with the teams battling to a 5-5 halftime score until Bendabout turned up the heat in the second half.  With goals from Sugar Erskine, Jeff Hall and Mike Azzaro, Bendabout took an 8-7 lead after the fourth, while limiting Audi to a field goal from Gonzalito Pieres and a penalty conversion from brother Facundo.

Bendabout put three more goals on the scoreboard in the fifth chukker as a sputtering Audi offense managed a single penalty goal, falling behind 10-8.

Hall converted a penalty shot in the sixth followed by Erskine’s fourth goal of the game to make it 12-8.  A late goal from Gonzalito Pieres gave Audi the last word in a 12-9 Bendabout victory.

Jorie Butler was on hand to present the fifty-six year trophy that celebrates the support that the Butler family has contributed to the game of polo over the last eight decades.

Sugar Erskine was named MVP while his horse, McPollo received Best Playing Pony Honors.

High-goal polo action will continue next weekend at the International Polo Club with the start of the 2010 United States Open Championship.

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In the opening game of the day, Fred Mannix, Jr. scored the tying goal in regulation time and came back in overtime to notch the winner on the opening play of the overtime period to lead the Hawks (2-0) to a come-from-behind win over Bendabout in Gold Cup play in the morning contest. 

The steadily improving Bendabout/Wanderers lineup received two goals by handicap and quickly built a humble 7-6 halftime lead in a contest that both teams struggled to control. 

Bendabout continued to lead with a 9-7 edge after four chukkers and an 11-10 advantage after five, but that was when everything changed.  Fred Mannix, Jr. came alive in the second half of play, and in particular in the final chukker of regulation play.  He scored three of his game-high seven goals in the sixth period to force an overtime chukker. 

On the first play of the sudden-death period, Fred Mannix, Jr, took a pass from 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre and raced over 150 yards to score the winning goal.  The victory gives the Hawks a 2-0 record and puts them in a great position to try and grab a spot in next week’s Gold Cup semifinals. 

ORCHARD HILL 11, PIAGET 10

Orchard Hill 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough scored seven goals Thursday afternoon, but none was more important than his game-high seventh as his tie breaking penalty conversion lifted his team to an 11-10 win over Piaget with forty-eight seconds left on the clock.

 In a see-saw battle that kept Orchard Hill (2-0) undefeated and Piaget (0-2) winless, the teams battled to a 6-6 halftime score before the Orchard Hill attack seemed to take control.  Goals from MacDonough and Lucas Criado gave Orchard an 8-7 lead after the fourth, holding Piaget to a single penalty conversion from Juan Bollini. 

Orchard Hill extended the lead to 10-8 after five before Piaget rushed back in the sixth and final chukker.  Two goals from Bollini (one from the field and one by penalty shot) evened it at 10-10 with both teams scrambling for the deciding goal.  Hector Galindo carried the ball toward the Piaget goal with less than a minute left to play when he was fouled.  MacDonough converted the penalty shot with fort-eight seconds left to play for the 11-10 win.

LAS MONJITAS 13, PONY EXPRESS 11

 In the day’s finale, Negro Astrada scored three of his team high six goals in the final chukker Thursday afternoon to lead his Las Monjitas (2-0) team to an exciting 13-11 win over Pony Express (0-2) in 2010 USPA Piaget Gold Cup competition

Pony Express held a 10-9 lead going into the final chukker of play, but had the game taken away from them in the final seven minutes of play as Negro Astrada took control of the game.  Two goals from the field and a game-winning penalty conversion game him five goals on the day, with brother Eduardo Astrada adding six goals and brother Javier chipping in two in the win.

The neck-and-neck game was tied on five different occasions, as Las Monjitas rode out to a 6-5 halftime lead.  The victory gives Las Monjitas a 2-0 record and an opportunity to make it into next week’s semifinals depending on the outcome of the weekend matches.  Pony Express is out of competition for the Gold Cup with an 0-2 record. 

Piaget Gold Cup play will continue on Saturday, March, 13 with matches at 1 pm (Lechuza vs. Crab Orchard) and 3 pm (Audi vs. Valiente).

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Piaget, returning a team to the high-goal competition for the first time in over 25 years came up short as a well-coordinated Hawk attack seemed to score at will throughout the six chukker contest.

Piaget received one goal by handicap in the prestigious tournament sponsored by the Swill watchmaker, but struggled to get any offense going, as the Hawks charged out to a comfortable 8-4 halftime lead with team captain Freddy Mannix scoring five of the goals himself.

“They’re a very well polished team,” offered Piaget 9-goaler Nick Roldan, “and we just couldn’t get anything to click for us today.”

Ten-goaler Mariano Aguerre orchestrated the Hawks’ attack, scoring four times himself in the lopsided bout as every member of the Hawk’s lineup got on the scoreboard.

The Hawks shut out Piaget in the fourth chukker while getting single goals from Aguerre and Freddy Mannix.  Piaget was held to a single goal on a penalty conversion from Castagnola, as the Hawk’s attack continued.  Julian Mannix and Aguerre each added a pair of goals as the Hawks left the field after five chukkers on the winning end of a 14-5 score.

The Hawks continued its assault on the Piaget goal in the final chukker.  Goals from Julian Mannix and Pancho Bensadon gave the Hawks a 16-5 advantage with Piaget’s Lolo Castagnola scoring the last two goals of the match for the final 16-7 score.

Eighteen-year-old Julian Mannix scored three goals on the day and was named MVP, Mariano Aguerre’s eight-year-old Chestnut Argentine gelding received Best Playing Pony honors.

LAS MONJITAS 12, BENDABOUT/WANDERERS 10

In earlier Piaget Gold Cup action, Las Monjitas (1-0) scored a 12-10 win over the Bendabout/Wanders (0-1) entry in the 2010 USPA Piaget Gold Cup with Argentine 9-goaler Javier Novillo Astrada scoring five goals in the winning effort.

With Las Monjitas team captain Camilo Bautista still sidelined with a back injury, the Astrada brothers (Eduardo, Javier and Alejandro) took the field with fourteen-year-old Geronimo Obregon.

The twenty-four-goal Bendabout team received two goals by handicap to start the game, but it served as little deterrence to Las Monjitas as 10-goaler Eduardo Astrada quickly evened the score with a pair of goals from the field.

Penalty goals from Bendabout’s Jeff Hall and 9-goaler Mike Azzaro were answered by a single goal from Javier Astrada, and Bendabout held on to a narrow 4-3 lead after two periods of play.

Las Monjitas took the lead in the third chukker getting a pair of goals from Javier Astrada and a goal from teammate Eduardo Astrada.  Sugar Erskine scored the final goal of the chukker, but Las Monjitas rode off the field with a 6-5 halftime lead.

Goals from Obregon and Javier Astrada in the fourth period put Las Monjitas up, 8-5.   Hall converted a penalty shot for Bendabout, and the chukker ended with Bendabout trailing 8-6.

Bendabout got fifth chukker goals from Erskine, Hall and Azzaro, but a pair of goals from Alejandro “negro” Astrada kept Las Monjitas in the lead by a narrow 10-9 score.

American 9-goaler Mike Azzaro opened up the final chukker with a well-placed goal shot that tied it up at 10-10, but Las Monjitas wasn’t quite through.  A goal from the field by Javier Astrada was followed by a penalty conversion from Alejandro Astrada, and the game was over with Las Monjitas the owners of a 12-10 victory.

USPA Piaget Gold Cup action will continue with two games scheduled for Wednesday at the International Polo Club at 10:30 am, between Lechuza (1-0) and Audi (0-1); followed by a 3 pm contest featuring Valiente (0-1) and Crab Orchard (1-0).

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Players and spectators alike were treated to the fastest polo of the season as the Hawks and Lucchese scored exciting come-from-behind wins in contests that had all eyes glued to the field Wednesday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington. 

In the opening game of the day, and a virtual rematch of the finals of the 2010 Joe Barry Memorial Cup finals (Zacara won, 13-11), Zacara and the Hawks faced-off. 

In a fast-paced, give-and-take matchup, the teams were all even at the half, 7-7, as Fred Mannix, Jr. led the Hawks attack with four goals.  Teammate Mariano Aguerre scored twice and brother, Julian Mannix, added a goal. 

 Balanced scoring for Zacara had Gonzalo del Tour, Jeff Hall and Toto Collardin each scoring a pair of goals while team captain Lyndon Lea chipped in a goal in the early tie. 

The Hawks cranked up its attack a notch in the fourth chukker with Fred Mannix scoring three goals.  Zacara was held to a single goal from Lea, and the Hawks soared to a 10-8 lead.

 A determined Zacara team stepped it up on their end in the fifth, shutting down the Hawks offense and scoring four times on goals from del Tour, Hall (2) and Collardin.  Zacara left the field after five chukkers o play leading 12-10.

 “They (Hawks) had confidence this time,” said polo veteran Nick Manifold when asked the difference between today’s game and the 13-11 Zacara win in the finals of the Barry Cup.  “They (Hawks led going in to the final chukker in the Barry Cup and then gave up three quick goals in the loss,” he said.  “Today there was no letdown.”

 The pace of the game rose to another level in the final chukker of play.  Julian Mannix scored the first goal of the game after receiving a beautiful pass from 10-goaler Aguerre, and brother Fred converted two more penalty shots for goals, and a 13-12 win.  A voracious defense kept Zacara off the scoreboard in the final seven minutes of play, despite a last second race to the goal by Collardin that went just wide of the post.

 “We just had to win it,” offered an elated Fred Mannix, Jr. after the game.  “For Cachi (Garcia-Velez), and Julian (Mannix) and Mariano (Aguerre),” he said, “we just had to win.”

 “I think the difference this time was the attitude of the players,” said Aguerre, “they never let up and they never thought that we couldn’t win,” he said.  “They played very well.”

 Fred Mannix led all scoring with nine goals.  Teammates Julian Mannix and Mariano Aguerre scored two goals apiece in the win.

Jeff Hall scored four times for Zacara.  Gonzalo del Tour and Toto Collardin added three goals apiece while team captain Lyndon Lea scored twice. 

The win catapults the Hawks into their second tournament final of the season. 

LUCCHESE 13, WANDERERS/ISLA CARROLL 12 

The second semifinal of the afternoon Kris Kampsen provided a great deal of the firepower, but it would be the more balanced attack of the Lucchese team that would take the honors in the match, sending them to Sunday’s Ylvisaker Cup finals against the Hawks. 

In a see-saw contest that had Lucchese leading 7-6 at halftime, the spectators that lined the sidelines were treated to a second consecutive show of horsepower and raw athletic skill as Lucchese fought their way back from a 12-8 deficit to score the 13-12 victory. 

“We took the field as a team,” said the team captain and owner of the Lucchese Boot Company, John Muse, “and we played throughout as a team.  I’m very proud of each of our players.” 

Luis Escobar echoed the sentiments of Muse when describing the effort of the players of the team. 

“Any success we have we share as a team, he said.  “This has been a team effort from the very beginning,” he said, “and it has been one of my best experiences in the game.

The Wanderers stormed the field in the fourth period, with Kampsen scoring four goals by himself and Nacho Figueras adding a goal.  Lucchese was held to a single penalty goal from Escobar, and trailed 11-8. 

Kampsen made it 12-8 with the opening goal of the fifth chukker, but that would be the end of the Wanderers’ attack.  Over the balance of the fifth and sixth chukkers, Lucchese would outscore the Wanderers 5-1, getting a pair of goals apiece from Weisz and Bensadon and a single goal from Escobar.

Lucchese made a dramatic comeback to score the 13-12 win and move into Sunday’s finals of the Ylvisaker Cup against the Hawks.

Kampsen led all scoring with ten goals.  Teammates Sugar Erskine and Nacho Figueras scored single goals in the loss. 

Luis Escobar led the Lucchese scoring with five goals.  Andres Weisz and Pancho Bensadon scored four goals each. 

Lucchese and the Hawks are scheduled to meet on Sunday at 3 pm at the International Polo Club in Wellington in the finals of the 2010 Ylvisaker Cup.

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Julio Gracida scored the first goal of the game followed by a goal from Obregon, but Bendabout came right back.   Team captain Gillian Johnston scored a pair of goals from the field to make it 2-2.  Carlos Gracida ended the scoring in the chukker with a penalty goal, and from then on Patagones never trailed.

Patagones jumped out to a 7-4 halftime lead that Bendabout would spend the rest of the game trying to make up for.  A four goal fourth chukker with a pair of goals from Nick Roldan and single goals from Ulysses Escapite and Owen Rinehart brought Bendabout close, 8-7, but they would never catch up. 

Two more goals from Carlos Gracida and Obregon’s third goal of the game would stretch the Patagones lead to 11-9 in the fifth chukker with Bendabout getting single goals from Escapite and Rinehart.

Carlos Gracida accounted for all of the scoring in the sixth and final chukker with one goal from the field, his eighth, for the 12-9 win.

Julio Gracida’s Frances was named Best Playing Pony and his uncle Carlos Gracida was named Most Valuable Player.

LECHUZA CARACAS 11, HAWKS 10

 The Hawks fended off a hard-charging Lechuza Caracas team that put eleven goals on the scoreboard in an effort to win a berth in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Ylvisaker Cup as they hung on to capture a spot in the playoffs in spite of their 11-10 loss.

With both teams boasting identical 3-1 records in the 20-goal tournament, the tie-breaker was decided by net goals scored, a factor that eliminated Lechuza.

The Hawks will face Zacara on Wednesday at 1 pm in a rematch of the finals of last month’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup finals.  

The Hawks jumped out to an early 5-1 start with a pair of goals from 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre and three goals from Fred Mannix, Jr., but allowed Lechuza back in the game as they tied it up at 6-6 at halftime getting three goals from Santi Torres and another three from Tomas Goti. 

Fred Mannix Jr. scored three times in the fourth to override a pair of goals from Goti, and the Hawks took a narrow 9-8 lead.

Goti and Lechuza team captain Victor Vargas each scored a goal in the fourth chukker for Lechuza to move ahead, 10-9, but the drama wasn’t over. 

Lechuza fouled Julian Mannix in the goal mouth and where they were charged with a rarely awarded Penalty 1, giving them an automatic goal and a throw-in just ten yards in front of their own goal.  The score was now 11-10, but a missed shot at goal returned the ball to Lechuza. 

With less than a minute to play and needing four goals to secure passage into Wednesday’s semifinals, Lechuza tried one last charge at the Hawks goal, but time wasn’t on their side.  Time expired and although Lechuza won the game, it would be the Hawks that will move into the semifinals.

FARAWAY POLO 10, YELLOW CAB 6

Faraway Polo scored its first win of the tournament in a 10-6 win over Simon Garber’s Yellow Cab team Sunday morning IN Ylvisaker Cup play.   Julian Daniels and Pelon Escapite scored four goals apiece for Faraway in the win.  Tommy Biddle set the pace for Yellow Cab with five goals. 

Faraway took early control of the low-scoring game, 2-0, after the opening chukker before goals from Garber and Tommy Biddle got them back into the game.  Julio Arellano converted a penalty shot for Faraway to take a 3-2 lead into the third chukker. 

Stellar defense by the Yellow Cab quartet shut out Faraway in the third with a goal from the field by Biddle knotting it up at 3-3 at halftime. 

Sixteen-year-old Jeff Garber took his father’s place on the field in the second half as Simon nursed ribs bruised in the team’s 12-goal championship victory just days earlier.  

“We thought it would be a good opportunity for Jeff to get a few chukkers of 20-goal polo under his belt,” said Yellow Cab polo manager Dario Garcia.  

The youngster played well, but a determined and veteran Faraway team put three quick goals on the scoreboard in the fourth chukker while holding Yellow Cab scoreless.  Faraway took the field in the fifth chukker with a 6-3 lead. 

A pair of goals from Escapite were countered by two from Biddle, and after five periods of play, Faraway held a comfortable 8-5 advantage. 

Following Biddle’s fifth goal of the game, Faraway got penalty goals from Daniels and Escapite for the 10-6 win. 

Ylvisaker Cup action will continue on Wednesday, February 10 when Zacara meets the Hawks in semifinal action at 1 pm.  The showdown will be a rematch of last month’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup finals in which Zacara topped the Hawks 13-11.  Lucchese will face the Wanderers/Isla Carroll in the 3 pm semifinal match.

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Trailing by four goals, 7-3, after the second chukker of play, the Wanderers scored 11 goals over the course of the next four chukkers while holding Bendabout to a mere four goals.

Playing with eleventh-hour substitute Marc Ganzi taking the place of a sidelined John Goodman (back), the Wanderers stumbled through the opening chukkers trying to find a rhythm as Bendabout took advantage of every mistake the realigned team made.

Nick Roldan scored four of his seven goals in the first two chukkers with Ulysses Escapite adding two and team captain Gillian Johnston adding a single goal, but that was about where it ended.

“We started out playing well in the first two chukkers,” said Roldan, “but couldn’t get it done in the second half.” 

Kampsen converted two penalty shots and scored once from the field in the third while the Wanderers defense held Bendabout to a single Owen Rinehart goal.  Bendabout left the field at halftime with an 8-6 lead, but the tides had turned.

Kampsen converted another penalty shot for a goal and Nacho Figueras drove the ball through the Bendabout goal posts in the fourth while holding them to a single Nick Roldan goal.  Bendabout continued to lead, but the margin was one goal, 9-9.

We missed John (Goodman) in the lineup today,” said Kampsen, “but we were interchanging positions throughout the game.  We’re all capable of playing anywhere on the field, and I think that was a big advantage.”

The Wanderers defense shut out Bendabout in the fifth chukker while Sugar Erskine scored three times.  Kampsen added another penalty goal and the Wanderers left the field with a 12-9 lead.

Ganzi scored from the field and Kampsen converted another penalty shot while Bendabout was held to a pair of goals from Roldan in the final 14-11 Wanderers win.

The win improves the Wanderers record to 3-1 and insured them of a spot in Wednesday’s tournament semifinals.  Bendabout fell to 1-2.

Kampsen led all scoring with eight goals.  Erskine scored three times and Figueras accounted for a pair of goals.  Ganzi scored once in the win.

Roldan’s seven goals set the pace for Bendabout.  Ulysses Escapite scored twice and Gillian Johnston and Owen Rinehart scored single goals.

HAWKS 11, LUCCHESE 9

In a battle of unbeatens, Fred Mannix, Jr. scored two goals in the final chukker of play to rally the Hawks (3-0) to an 11-9 win over previously undefeated Lucchese (3-1) in Ylvisaker Cup play.

With one game left to play against Lechuza on Sunday, the Hawks look to make their way to Wednesday’s semifinals with a final win.

In a game that began cautiously and ended in a 2-2 tie after the opening chukker of play, the pace accelerated, with the Hawks taking control of the game.  With goals from Julian Mannix, Fred Mannix, Jr. and Mariano Aguerre, the Hawks soared to an impressive 8-4 halftime lead and seemed to be the masters of their own destiny.

Lucchese, however, had other ideas.

A resilient defense shut out the hard charging Hawks in the fourth chukker while Lucchese’s Pancho Bensadon scored three times.  The Hawks continued to lead, but the score was now 8-7.

“We had a good fourth chukker,” offered Bensadon, “We really got back to playing the way we know how to play.” 

Single goals were exchanged in the fifth chukker to keep the score close, and then Luis Escobar’s goal in the final period tied it at 9-9.  The pace had ramped up to warp speed as each play was more important than the last.  Long passes, attempted cut shots, deft defensive ride-offs and blocked shots all came into play until the whistle sounded.

Fred Mannix, Jr. converted a penalty shot for a 10-9 lead and then scored again just twenty seconds later for the final margin of victory, 11-9. 

“That was a rough one,” said Garcia-Velez after the game 

“That was a fun one,” offered Fred Mannix, with a big smile on his face. 

While the players relaxed in chairs the veteran Aguerre was busy coaching his young charges,  first working with Julian Mannix and then Cachi Garcia-Velez as he complimented on their play and then offered words of instruction in an effort to improve their efforts in the next game.

On the strength of their 3-1 record, Lucchese has earned a berth in Wednesday’s semifinals despite the loss, while there will be a final Sunday showdown between the Hawks and Lechuza to decide the final semifinalist. 

Ylvisaker Cup play continues on Saturday with a 3:30 pm match between Mt. Brilliant (0-3) and Zacara (3-0).

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“I felt like we were cruisin’,” said Zacara 7-goaler Jeff Hall.  “We just tried to play basic, classic polo,” he added.  “We did, and it paid off for us.”

The score was tied at the end of the first chukker (2-2) and at the end of the second (3-3), but Hall never felt that they (Zacara) didn’t control the game.

“We played really hard in the third chukker,” offered Hall.  “We scored five or six goals and then cruised from there on.”

Goals from Zacara team captain Lyndon Lea and Hall opened the third period before Nacho Figueras scored for the Wanderers.  Gonzalo del Tour responded with a goal for Zacara followed two more goals from Hall.

The first half ended with Zacara up by four goals and the Wanderers scrambling to stay in the game.  Single goals from Lea and Hall in the fourth chukker were countered by a single penalty conversion by the Wanderers’ Kris Kampsen, but Zacara continued to lead, 10-5.  Goals from the field in the fifth by Lea and Toto Collardin were answered with a pair of penalty goals from Kampsen, but the Wanderers continued to trail, 12-7.

While Zacara only put one goal on the scoreboard in the final chukker (Lea), and the Wanderers got three more goals out of Kampsen, it was Zacara that took the game, 13-10.

Kampsen led all scoring with eight goals.  Sugar Erskine and Nacho Figueras added single goals in the loss.

Lyndon Lea led the Zacara attack with five goals.  Jeff Hall scored four times and Gonzalo del Tour and Toto Collardin each picked up a pair of goals.

Leas was named MVP while Sugar Erskine’s mare, Violet, received Best Playing Pony honors.

LUCCHESE 15, LECHUZA CARACAS 10

A hard-charging Lucchese (3-0) team scored an impressive 15-10 win over Lechuza Caracas (2-1) Sunday afternoon in a battle of unbeatens in Ylvisaker Cup tournament action as teams began jockeying for playoff positions in the two-bracket structure.

Andres Weisz scored twice and Luis Escobar added a goal as Lucchese ran off to an early 3-2 first chukker lead.  Santi Torres accounted for both of the Lechuza goals.

Lucchese’s Pancho Bensadon got on track in the second chukker, scoring three times while Escobar converted a penalty shot for a goal.  Lechuza was held to a single goal from the field (Nicolas Espain).  Lucchese led by four goals, 7-3.

Lechuza got a pair of goals from Tomas Goti in the third.  Escobar scored once from the field for Zacara to lead them to an 8-5 halftime score.

Pancho Bensadon scored for Lucchese before Lechuza fired back with goals from Goti and Espain, cutting the Lucchese lead to two goals, 9-7, at the end of the fourth period. 

Bensadon exploded again in the fifth with three goals from the field.  Goti converted a single penalty shot as Lucchese extended its lead to four goals, 12-8 to end the chukker.

Lechuza got two last chukker goals from team captain Victor Vargas while Lucchese got single goals from Andres Weisz, Bensadon and Escobar for the 15-10 win.

“They are a very talented team,” said Lucchese’s Luis Escobar after the game.  “They are very well mounted and have a lot of experience together,” he added, “but we have great chemistry, and we played well today.”

HAWKS 10, FARAWAY POLO 9

In one of the most hotly contested games of the tournament, the Hawks (2-0) scored an exciting 10-9 overtime victory over an energized Faraway Polo (0-3) team in Ylvisaker Cup play to start the day.

Finalists in last week’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup, the Hawks jumped out to an early 3-1 lead and hung on to end the first half with a narrow 6-5 lead.

“I thought we were doing fine in the first couple of chukkers,” said Hawk’s 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre, “but when they changed their lineup we had trouble playing our game.”

Faraway tied it at the end of four chukkers with a pair of goals from Julio Arellano while holding the Hawks to a single goal from Cachi Garcia-Velez. 

Defenses tightened, and the teams traded penalty goals in the fifth with Fred Mannix, Jr. scoring on a Penalty 2 while Arellano made good on a 60 yard shot.  At the end of five the score was even at 8-8.

Both teams continued to press their attacks, but the defenses were up to the task.  Finally, the Hawks got a break as Fred Mannix, Jr. converted a penalty shot to go ahead, 9-8, but the lead was short-lived.  Arellano scored his fourth goal of the day to knot it up at 9-9 as time expired, forcing a sudden-death overtime period.

Just over a minute into overtime the whistle sounded.  Faraway was awarded the penalty shot from sixty yards out, a shot Arellano had made just two chukkers earlier.  This time the shot went wide, and the Hawks remained alive.

Cachi Garcia-Velez drove the ball down the field where it was picked up by Julian Mannix, who attempted to break through the Faraway defenders.  After being hooked and losing control of the ball, brother Fred Mannix, Jr. came through the collection of horses and riders to score the winning goal in the 10-9 Hawks victory.

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