Cambiaso Leads Crab Orchard Over Catamount 14-8 as They Clinch Division Title and Playoff Berth in USPA Piaget Gold Cup Action at International Polo Club
WELLINGTON, FL (March 13, 2007) – Superstar 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso scored eight goals to lead Crab Orchard over Catamount 14-8 in a first-round game of the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup Tuesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The victory clinched the Division I title and a spot in the quarterfinals for Crab Orchard.
In earlier action, 9-goaler Lucas Monteverde scored five goals to lead White Birch over La Herradura 11-9. Despite the loss, La Herradura (1-1) advanced to the quarterfinals based on goal differential with a minus-1. White Birch (1-1) finished with a minus-5 goal differential.
Crab Orchard continued its domination, jumping out to a 10-1 halftime lead and coasting to victory. Through halftime, Crab Orchard has outscored its opponents 24-2 in nine chukkers and 28-9 in two games.
The teams alternated goals in the fourth chukker and Catamount scored three consecutive goals in the final period to make the score respectable, sort of.
David Stirling Jr. added three goals while Matias Magrini and patron George Rawlings scored one goal each for Crab Orchard (2-0).
Nicolas Roldan led Catamount (0-2) with three goals while patron Scott Devon and Adam Snow scored two goals each and Martin Zegers had one goal.
Catamount missed four penalty shots in the first half, including a 30-yarder, a 40-yarder and two 60-yarders.
With Catamount’s loss, Las Monjitas advances to the quarterfinals despite losing 14-1 to Crab Orchard.
White Birch had to win by at least four goals to advance to the quarterfinals of the event they have won 12 times in a game that featured two of the premier polo organizations from the 1980s and 1990s. Peter Brant’s White Birch has won more high-goal tournaments than any other in the United States while Gracida was a 10-goaler for more than 20 years and is the only active high-goal player in the Polo Hall of Fame.
La Herradura controlled play during most of the game. White Birch led 1-0 and did not take the lead again until Monteverde’s 30-yard penalty shot with 5:56 left in the game. Ten-goaler Mariano Aguerre extended the lead to 10-8 just 51 seconds later. Both teams missed opportunities and then Aguerre made it 11-8 with 2:12 left.
White Birch had a chance to take a four-goal lead but Memo Gracida was fouled while trying to clear the ball in front of his goal with 29 seconds left. The ball was moved to midfield and during the ensuing attack, La Herradura was fouled. Kris Kampsen made the 40-yard penalty shot with five seconds remaining to clinch the playoff berth for La Herradura.
Kampsen led La Herradura with five goals while Fred Mannix Jr. scored two goals and Memo and Julio Gracida had one goal each.
Aguerre finished with four goals while Ulysses Escapite and Stevie Orthwein Jr., substituting for patron Peter Brant, added one goal apiece.
The USPA Piaget Gold Cup continues Wednesday with a doubleheader beginning at noon when Black Watch (1-1) plays Jedi (1-1) followed by Laurence-Wallace/Paladin Rally (1-1) against Lechuza Caracas (1-1) at 3 p.m. The winners advance to the quarterfinals.
Fourteen teams entered the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup, the second of the Big Three tournaments at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The USPA Piaget Gold Cup, which began in 1974, is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the United States and is in first season at International Polo Club.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 and the final is set for Sunday, March 25 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.
The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 3 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game or in advance at the stadium box office.
Major sponsors at International Polo Club Palm Beach for the 2007 season include Stanford Private Wealth Management, Piaget, Bombardier Aerospace, Bessemer Trust, Westwind Realty, LLC, Panera Bread, Cartier, CityPlace, Florida Coast Equipment, The Mall at Wellington Green, Omar Trevino Bloodstock, Inc., Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach Illustrated, Palm Beach Post, Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, Roederer Estates, The Wellington Institute, Van Cleef & Arpels, Yamana Gold Inc. and Jim Corbin Illustrated Properties.
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 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
Standings
Division I
Team W-L GF GA
Crab Orchard 2-0 28 9
Las Monjitas 1-1 12 25
Catamount 0-2 18 25
Division II
Team W-L GF GA
Orchard Hill 1-1 28 22
La Herradura 1-1 21 22
White Birch 1-1 21 26
Division III
Team W-L GF GA
Bendabout 2-0 26 20
Lechuza Caracas 1-1 26 21
Black Watch 1-1 24 25
San Saba 0-2 20 30
Division IV
Team W-L GF GA
Pony Express 2-0 28 26
Jedi 1-1 22 19
Laurence-Wallace 1-1 28 26
Skeeterville 0-2 17 24
Tuesday’s results
White Birch 11, La Herradura 9
Crab Orchard 14, Catamount 8
Wednesday’s schedule
Black Watch vs. Jedi, noon
Laurence-Wallace/Paladin Rally vs. Lechuza Caracas, 3 p.m.