By Alex Webbe
Jan Pamela/Little Owl has had it pretty much their way this season in medium goal play, but after trailing by four goals early in the game, Mt. Brilliant scored ten goals over three chukkers to run off with the 13-11 win in the 12-goal Pro-Am Sawgrass Challenge at the International Polo Club Tuesday morning.
Mt. Brilliant got on the scoreboard early, getting a pair of goals from team captain Bo Goodman as he converted a 40-yard penalty shot and then followed it up with a goal from the field for the early 2-0 lead. Jan Pamela/Little Owl responded with goals from Joe Wayne Barry, Steve Dalton and Wayne Garrison. Jan Pamela/Little Owl also received one goal by handicap, taking a 4-2 first chukker lead.
Dalton added two more goals in the second period with J. P. Uihlein adding a goal. Carlitos Galindo kept Mt. Brilliant from being shutout with a goal, but it was Jan Pamela/Little Owl that left the field at the end of the chukker with a 7-3 lead.
Julian Daniels opened the third period with a goal from the field as Mt. Brilliant seemed to have discovered its offense. Galindo converted two 40-yard penalty shots for goals, cutting the Jan Pamela/Little Owl lead to two goals, 8-6. Uihlein scored the only goal of the chukker for Jan Pamela/Little Owl.
“We had a little pep talk at halftime,” said Mt. Brilliant coach, Julian Hipwood, “and got back to basic polo. That’s when everything started falling into place.”
Mt. Brilliant took control of the fourth chukker, scoring four unanswered goals (two from Julian Daniels and single goals from Galindo and Goodman) and taking a 10-6 lead.
Goodman added two more goals in the fifth and teammate Daniels scored his fourth while holding Jan Pamela/Little Owl to a single goal from Barry. Mt. Brilliant had extended its lead to four goals, 13-9, going in to the sixth and final chukker.
Dalton and Garrison scored the last two goals of the game as the Mt. Brilliant team seemed to ease up, but the victory would go to Mt. Brilliant by a 13-11 score.
“Bo (Goodman) and Josh (Shelton) played very well today,” said Mt. Brilliant 6-goaler Julian Daniels. “It was a great team effort,” he added, “and Carlitos Galindo was great. It was a total team win.”
Bo Goodman led the Mt. Brilliant team with five goals. Teammates Julian Daniels and Carlitos Galindo scored four goals apiece.
Steve Dalton set the pace for Jan Pamela/Little Owl with four goals. Wayne Garrison, J. P. Uihlein and Joe Wayne Barry each scored two goals.