The Palm Beach Polo Report
By Alex Webbe
Photo by Gregory Ratner - http:www.ratnerimages.com , http://ratnersportsphotography.com/#/gallery/2010-william-ylvisaker-cup-feb-14/
Pancho Bensadon led the Lucchese attack with a six goals on the way to capturing the 2010 Ylvisaker Cup in an exciting 12-9 win over a talented, aggressive, hard-riding Hawks team at the International Polo Club in Wellington Sunday afternoon.
“We have been aiming for this all season,” said teammate Andres Weisz, who added two goals in the team effort. “It’s a great team to play with,” he added, “and I knew that we could do it.”
Lucchese took an early 2-0 lead when it got single goals from Bensadon and Luis Escobar in the opening chukker while shutting down every scoring effort mounted by the Hawks in the opening chukker.
“We know how explosive they can be,” said Lucchese owner and team captain, John Muse. “and we didn’t want to let them get started with a big first chukker.”
Lucchese might have dodged the bullet in the opening chukker of play, but the Hawks returned to the field in the second with a vengeance.
Three consecutive goals from Fred Mannix, Jr. were scored in the first half of the second for a 3-2 Hawks’ lead. A single goal from 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre made it 4-2 as the period ended.
Lucchese tightened its defense in the third frame, shutting out the high-flying Hawks for the second time in three chukkers. Goals from Escobar and Bensadon had it all even at halftime, 4-4.
Weisz opened the fourth chukker with a Lucchese goal, and another Bensadon score had them up 6-4 before the Hawks responded.
A goal from Cachi Garcia-Velez was followed by another Fred Mannix score, and the score was tied at 6-6. A great individual effort from Pancho Bensadon put Lucchese back on top as the chukker ended, 7-6.
There was no major momentum change, however, as the Hawks care right back in the fifth with a tying goal from Aguerre, but gals from Bensadon and Escobar and Bensadon had Lucchese back on top, 9-7. Fred Mannix, Jr. converted a penalty shot for a goal, but Weisz answered with a Lucchese goal to end the chukker with a 10-8 advantage.
The Hawks returned to the field in the sixth chukker with the same energy they began with. A Lucchese foul allowed for a penalty shot by Fred Mannix, Jr., which he converted, and the lead was cut to a single goal, 10-9, with three minutes to play.
Lucchese continued to take the fight to the Hawks, constantly putting them on the defense. Another great effort by Bensadon resulted in a goal, and Lucchese extended its lead to 11-9.
“I started feeling pretty good about our chances as the sixth chukker wore on,” said Muse, “but with the scoring potential of that team (Hawks) you can’t afford to let your guard down.”
The final goal of the match was scored by Weisz, his third of the day, for the 12-9 championship win.
Bensadon led all scoring with six goals. Teammates Weisz and Escobar scored three goals apiece. Fred Mannix, Jr. scored five goals from the Hawks. Aguerre added three and Garcia-Velez accounted for a single goal in the loss.
Bensadon was named MVP for his efforts while his 13-year-old gelding, Czar, received Best Playing Pony Honors.
MT. BRILLIANT 9, LECHUZA CARACAS 8
After leading for much of the first half of the game, Mt. Brilliant rallied from a 7-5 fourth chukker deficit to score a 9-8 come-from-behind victory over Lechuza Caracas in the finals of the George Haas Cup.
A subsidiary of the Ylvisaker Cup, the finals saw Mt. Brilliant take an early 3-1 lead before the Lechuza team finally got on track.
Play got a little choppy in the second chukker as Tomas Goti scored his second and third goals of the game for Lechuza in the second for a 3-3 tie.
Mt. Brilliant came back with goals from Santiago Chavanne and Chris Nevins in the third while shutting out the Lechuza attack, and retired to the sidelines at the end of the first half with a 5-3 lead.
A regrouped Lechuza team took the field in the fourth period and raced up and down the field, scoring four consecutive goals while keeping Mt. Brilliant off the scoreboard. A pair of penalty conversions from Goti was complimented by goals from team captain Victor Vargas and Nicolas Espain. Lechuza seemed to be taking control of the game with a two goal, 7-5 edge.
Santi Torres put Lechuza up 8-5, to open the fifth chukker and then Mt. Brilliant roared back. Two goals from Chavanne and another goal from Nevins knotted it up at 8-8 with just seven and-a-half minutes to be played.
The pace accelerated in the final chukker of play, with Mt. Brilliant racing in one direction and Lechuza going in the other. Several near goal shots were taken by each team before an umpire’s whistle decided the outcome of the game.
Chavanne converted the penalty shot for a goal and the 9-8 win.
FARAWAY POLO 12, PATAGONES 10
Faraway Polo scored a 12-10 win over Patagones Sunday morning on the Patagones Polo Field to capture the 2010 Wellington Invitational.
Julian Daniels and Julio Arellano scored five goals apiece in the Faraway win, rebounding from a 6-4 halftime advantage run up by the home team. While Carlos Gracida led the Patagones team with three penalty goals and a pair of goals from the field.