By Alex Webbe
Carlos Avendano had a ten goal day Saturday afternoon, literally. The 6-goal Argentine, normally the Back for his brother’s Patagones polo team, rode onto the field with the Number 2 jersey and dominated the game in the team’s 17-9 win over Sara Boca in Iglehart Cup play at the International Polo Club.
Sara Boca received one goal by handicap, and went up 2-0 after Gonzalo Del Tour scored the first goal of the game from the field. Memo Gracida responded for Patagones with his first goal of the game, with the next three goals coming from Gonzalo Avendano. Sara Boca left the field after the first chukker trailing 4-2.
Del tour added two more goals to the Sara Boca total in the second chukker, but three goals from Carlos Avendano had Patagones leading 7-4 at the end of two.
Play intensified in the third, with whistles being blown and penalty shots being awarded. Sara Boca’s Martin Ravina converted two penalty shots for goals, but was surpassed when Carlos Avendano connected on all three of his penalty shot attempts. At the end of the first half, Patagones held a convincing 10-6 advantage.
Single penalty shot conversions from Del Tour and Ravina were all Sara Boca could muster in the fourth period while Carlos Avendano responded with three goals for Patagones (one by penalty, two from the field). Patagones stretched its lead to five goals, 13-8.
Both teams missed scoring opportunities in the fifth, with Sara Boca hitting a 60-yard penalty shot wide while Patagones missed on two similar opportunities. Carlos Avendano finally converted on a short penalty shot for a goal, and the lead had been stretched to six goals, 14-8.
Del Tour scored his fifth goal of the game for Sara Boca in the final chukker of play, but it fell far short of the mark. Single goals from Gonzalo Avendano, Carlos Avendano and Colombres concluded the scoring for the day, with Patagones riding off with the 17-9 win.
MT. BRILLIANT 11, FARAWAY 9
In earlier Iglehart Cup action, Bo Goodman’s Mt. Brilliant polo team rebounded from a 6-5 halftime deficit to beat his older brother Hutton Goodman’s Faraway team in the 20-goal competition.
Mt. Brilliant struck first, cashing in on a 100-yard shot through the goal posts from Nic Roldan, and it was on.
Julio Arellano came right back with a goal for Faraway before Bo Goodman scored his first goal of the game to take the lead back for Mt. Brilliant. Tomas Del Rio added a goal for Faraway and Arellano scorched the ball through the Mt. Brilliant goal posts from 110-yards out to end the first chukker. Mt. Brilliant trailed, 3-2.
Arellano converted a penalty shot for a goal and added another from the field in the second period, but Roldan scored one goal from the field and converted two penalty shots for goals. The second chukker ended with the score all even at 5-5.
Both teams struggled to finish plays in the third period, with a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal from Arellano accounting for all of the scoring. Faraway rode off of the field at halftime with a 6-5 lead.
Both teams continued to search for an effective attack as the fourth chukker waged on. A penalty goal from Arellano was answered with a penalty conversion for Roldan, and Faraway continued to hold the lead at 7-6.
The momentum shifted in the fifth chukker. Roldan broke away from the Faraway defense and raced down the field toward the goal posts with Azzaro trailing close behind. Roldan had the ball jump over his mallet, but an alert Azzaro picked it up and drove it through the goal. Moments later, Bo Goodman took a pass from Azzaro and worked it into the goal, taking an 8-7 lead. Azzaro came back to score on a short penalty shot and Bo Goodman closed out the scoring with a well-deserved goal that put Mt. Brilliant ahead, 10-7.
Del Rio and Arellano added single goals in the final chukker, but Roldan’s sixth goal of the day and a solid defensive effort by his teammates gave the game to Mt. Brilliant, 11-9.
High-goal polo action will continue on Sunday with a 10 am contest between Crab Orchard and Zacara to decide the winner of the Les Armour Cup. At noon, Piaget will battle Las Monjitas to determine the winner of the Wellington Cup with the final match of the game being the 3pm C. V. Whitney Championship match between Lechuza and Valiente. For further information, call the Polo Hotline at 561-282-5290.