By Alex Webbe
A balanced Jan Pamela attack that had every member of the team scoring multiple goals snuck past a determined Flat Out polo team to score a 10-9 win in the 2012 Freebooters Classic at the International Polo Club Saturday morning.
Flat Out received one goal by handicap from the 14-goal Jan Pamela team and wasted little time in adding to it. A goal from the field from Todd Offen had Flat Out on top of an early 2-0 lead before Jan Pamela cold respond. Goals from Carlitos Galindo and Hector Galindo, however, tied it up at 2-2 by the end of the opening chukker.
Jan Pamela team captain Wayne Garrison added two more goals in the second frame Steve Dalton added another goal on a penalty shot for a 5-3 lead. Flat Out managed a single goal on a penalty conversion from Robert Orthwein.
Offen added another Flat Out goal in the third, but Carlitos Galindo answered it with his second goal of the day. Jan Pamela enjoyed a 6-4 lead after the first half of play.
A refocused Flat Out team returned to the field in the fourth chukker and put up three goals with Paul Knapp, Leo Mandelbaum and Offen each scoring a goal. Carlitos Gracida tallied the only Jan Pamela goal of the period for a 7-7 tie.
Mandelbaum added two more goals in the fifth for a 9-7 Flat Out lead when Jan Pamela responded. Single goals from Carlitos Galindo and Hector Galindo leveled the score once again as the horn sounded the end of the chukker with the teams deadlocked at 9-9.
Both defenses tightened in the final chukker with Jan Pamela keeping Flat Out off of the scoreboard for the first time all day. Dalton’s third goal of the game would be the difference in the 10-9 victory.
Carlitos Galindo and Dalton scored three goals apiece for Jan Pamela. Hector Galindo and Garrison accounted for two goals apiece.
Mandelbaum and Offen led the Flat Out attack with three goals each. Knapp and Orthwein scored single goals and the team received one goal by handicap.