By Alex Webbe
In an action-packed, fast paced polo match in the semifinals of the Iglehart Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Mt. Brilliant held on for a 12-10 win over Patagones. The victory lifts Mt. Brilliant into Sunday’s finals in the season’s last 20-goal tournament.
First chukker goals from Mike Azzaro and Nic Roldan had Mt. Brilliant up 2-1 in a contest in which they would never trail. Jeff Blake scored the first goal of the match for Patagones, an anemic offensive showing that magnified the absence of polo legend Memo Gracida (flu) from the lineup.
“There was no way I could play today,” offered a hoarse Gracida from the sidelines. “I wouldn’t be able to get through the game.”
Roldan scored two more goals in the second period and Azzaro added another goal for Mt. Brilliant. Carlos Avendano responded with a single penalty conversion and Patagones found themselves trailing Mt. Brilliant 5-2 as the second chukker ended.
Patagones pressed its attack, causing Mt. Brilliant mistakes. Two penalties were turned into Patagones goals with Jeff Blake converting the shots. Ulysses Escapite and Bo Goodman let the Mt. Brilliant charge back, each scoring a goal from the field for a 7-5 lead.
It was shortly thereafter when Azzaro’s horse took a mis-step, stumbled a bit and dislodged the rider. The former 10-goaler found himself on the ground trying to maintain his balance, with gravity and impetus gradually winning the battle. Azzaro rolled over a few times before coming to a dramatic and motionless stop on the turf. Up and on his feet a few minutes later, it was decided that he would not continue and 6-goaler Pelon Escapite was brought in as a replacement for the final 90 seconds of the period.
“He’s got a bruise on his hip,” offered Escapite, “and they’re taking him to the hospital for
X-Rays,” said Escapite, “but I think he’s alright.”
Eight-goaler Jeff Hall was brought in to take Azzaro’s spot for the remainder of the match, and the game waged on.
Goodman’s second goal of the game had Mt. Brilliant ahead 8-4, when Patagones staged a rally.
Carlos Avendano scored from the field followed by three penalty shots for goals from Blake. The momentum had seemingly shifted, and the fourth period ended in an 8-8 tie.
“It’s tough when a teammate is replaced in the heat of the game,” said Roldan, “but Jeff and I have played together before, and I knew it would work out.”
Roldan was on fire in the fifth chukker, converting a penalty shot for a goal and then adding another from the field. He nearly scored a third goal when he jumped on the ball and stole it from a Patagones player in the area of the goal, but miscued the ball and allowed Patagones to take possession of the ball.
Blake tallied his seventh goal of the game on a score from the field, as Mt. Brilliant held on to a narrow 10-9 advantage with one chukker left to play.
Roldan added two more goals in the final chukker as Mt. Brilliant seemed to have its way with Patagones in the final minutes of the game. Gonzalo Avendano accounted for the final goal of the game for Patagones as Mt. Brilliant registered a 12-10 win and a position in Sunday’s Iglehart Cup finals.
BENDABOUT 13, LAS MONJITAS 6
In one of the most one-sided contests of the season, Bendabout ran up a 10-2 score at the end of the fourth chukker before rolling over Las Monjitas 13-6 to capture a spot in the Iglehart Cup finals against Mt. Brilliant.
Lucas Criado and Chris Nevins scored three goals apiece in the first two chukkers of the contest while holding Las Monjitas to a single first chukker goal from Brad Blake.
Santiago Toccalino ended the Las Monjitas scoring drought in the third chukker with a penalty conversion for a goal, but tallies from Bendabout’s Inaki Laprida and Nevins ended the first half with Bendabout sitting on top of an 8-2 lead.
Criado and Nevins added single goals in the fourth chukker while blanking Las Monjitas and posting a 10-2 score.
Las Monjitas got a penalty goal from Toccalino in the fifth and a goal from the field from Negro Astrada, but Criado and Nevins each scored again, and Bendabout held on to its eight goal lead, 12-4, as the period ended.
Laprida scored the opening goal of the final chukker for Bendabout. Las Monjitas got two final goals from Toccalino with Bendabout taking the match, 13-6.
Twenty-goal action will continue on Thursday at 3pm at the International Polo Club when Valiente faces EFG Bank in the IPC Cup (subsidiary of the Iglehart Cup) final.