By Alex Webbe
A well-balanced Pony Express and an explosive first half led it to an 11-9 win over a talented Audi team in the 2008 USPA Piaget Gold Cup competition at the International Polo Club in Wellington Sunday.
Boasting half of last year’s Gold Cup Championship team in Pelon Sterling and Matias Magrini, Pony Express team captain Bob Daniels and the talented young Wellington 8-goaler Nick Roldan combined with the veterans for a 6-2 halftime lead.
Magrini and Daniels scored single goals in the first chukker for a 2-1 lead (Audi received one goal by handicap to start the game); Sterling added a goal in the second chukker following an Audi goal by Gonzalito Pieres, as he stole the ball from an Audi player deep in Audi territory.
The third period was no better for Audi as its offense failed to ignite again. Roldan scored three unanswered goals in the third period for the 6-2 lead.
The second half started just as the first had ended. Pinpoint passing by Roldan accounted for goals from Sterling and Magrini before Audi’s Pieres and Paco de Narvaez answered with penalty conversions to trail 8-4.
Daniels opened the fifth chukker with a beautiful drive and goal, but Audi rallied with a goal from de Narvaez and two penalty conversions from Pieres to cut the lead to 9-7.
Sterling scored again in the final chukker, to make it Pony Express 10-7, but a penalty conversion from Pieres cut the lead back to two goals. Roldan scored his fourth goal with less than two minutes to play to make it 11-8. A final penalty conversion by de Narvaez ended the game.
Pony Express evened its record at 1-1 with the win. Audi (0-1) fell to 0-1.
Roldan led Pony Express with four goals. Sterling scored three times and Daniels and Magrini added two goals apiece for the win.
Gonzalito Pieres led all scoring with five goals, all on penalty shots. Paco de Narvaez
scored three times and Audi received one goal by handicap.
Best Playing Honors were awarded to Audi’s Paco de Narvaez’s Belvedere while Pelon Sterling was named game MVP.
Gold Cup action continues on Monday with a 10 am match between Isla Carroll and White Birch. At 1 pm, Skeeterville will meet Orchard Hill.