By Alex Webbe
Santa Clara (Joaquin Panelo, J. J. Celis, Nacho Badiola and Francisco Escobar) spotted Longfield Polo (Hannah Buchan, Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini and Jason Crowder) two goals by handicap and trailed 5-4 at halftime before staging a second half rally to register a 9-7 win for the 2012 USPA Sun Cup title Sunday afternoon at the Palm City Polo Club while the host Grand Champions Polo Club’s fields were drying out.
Longfield Polo’s Hannah Buchan scored the first goal of the day for a 3-1 lead while Santa Clara failed or organize a successful first chukker attack.
A pair of goals from Joaquin Panelo and a goal from J. J. Celis had it all even after the second as Longfield was held scoreless. After two chukkers of play the score stood at 3-3.
Nacho Badiola put Santa Clara ahead 4-3 in the third with a penalty conversion, but Longfield Polo charged back into the action. Jason Crowder scored on a penalty goal for the tie, 4-4, before giving Longfield Polo a 5-4 halftime advantage with a goal from the field.
Santa Clara pressed the attack in the fourth, unable to score from the field but picking up single penalty goals from Celis and Badiola. Disciplined defense kept Longfield from scoring as Santa Clara moved out in front, 6-5.
A second consecutive shutout performance by the Santa Clara defense was aided by a pair of goals from Badiola and a single goal from Celis for a comfortable 9-5 edge.
Crowder fought to get Longfield back into the game in the sixth and final chukker with a pair of penalty conversion, but the team fell shot as Santa Clara celebrated the 9-7 title win.
Badiola led the Santa Clara assault with four goals. Celis scored three times and Panelo added a pair of goals.
Crowder scored four times for Longfield Polo. Buchan scored once and the team received two goals by handicap.
PONY EXPRESS/TUFF RIDER TAKES CONSOLATION ROUND
Pony Express/Tuff Rider (Bob Daniels, Timmy Sharma, Tomas Goti and Omar Sosa) scored a win and a tie to capture the consolation round of play in the 2012 USPA Sun Cup Sunday afternoon.
Cinque Terre/Hawks opened the round-robin consolation round with a convincing win over Ruby Q/Equine Law as each member of the team got on the scoreboard in the first three chukkers of the match. Joey Casey and Lucas Lalor scored single goals while Julian Mannix and Alessandro Bazzoni added two goals apiece as they ran all over Ruby Q/Equestrian Law. Single goals from Diego Cossio and Brian Street recovered some pride, but it was a romp for Cinque Terre/Hawks, 6-2.
Cinque Terre/Hawks held the field and faced off against Pony Express/Tuff Rider in a more evenly–matched contest that ended in a 4-4 tie. Cinque Terre/Hawks took an early 3-0 lead on two goals from Julian Mannix and a single goal from Alessandro Bazzoni. Tomas Goti scored on a penalty goal, but Pony Express/Tuff Rider trailed, 3-1.
Single goals from Timmy Sharma and Goti in the second period went unanswered as Pony Express/Tuff Rider tied it up at 3-3.
Bazzoni scored the first goal of the third period for a 4-3 lead, but a game-ending goal from Bob Daniels knotted it up at 4-4.
Pony Express/Tuff Rider finally put the win away with a 7-3 win at the expense of Ruby Q/Equestrian Law. Pony Express/Tuff Rider galloped out to a 4-0 first chukker with Goti scoring twice while Omar Sosa and Daniels added single goals.
A single goal from Sosa in the second period was complimented by a second consecutive chukker of shutout defense and a 5-0 advantage. Diego Cossio kept Ruby Q/Equestrian Law from getting shut out with a goal in the final chukker. Avery Chapman added a pair of goals in the closing chukker, but single goals from Daniels and Goti (penalty shot) gave the consolation victory to Pony Express/Tuff Rider, 7-3.