With the crowd on hand to support the Temecula Theatre Foundation, it seemed fitting that the Kingscliff Polo team waited until the last 40 seconds to dramatically score the winning goal over Temecula Valley at the newly opened Temecula Valley Polo Club on Sunday evening, May 26. Fitting indeed, as the winner came off the mallet of Geraldine Strunsky – the force behind Temecula Polo.
Right from the start, Kingscliff took control as Alvaro Tadeo read his lines perfectly and was able to place perfect passes to Kate Ewart, Scott Walker, and Strunsky as they found their marks. Ewart made no errors as she ran one from 100 yards to give Kingscliff an early lead. Tadeo had more as he offered a perfect setup for Strunsky and she counted her first to give Kingscliff a two goal lead after the first.
Temecula Valley’s Danny Juarez, using his cast of characters, Pasqual Tadeo, Jake Brumby, and Karen McCoy, took control in the second and scored a pair to tie it up before the midway mark. Tadeo jumped back in however, and was able to setup Strunsky again as she scored her second to take a one goal lead to the half at 3 – 2.
In the third, Ewart, with her second of the day, put Kingscliff into a lead of two once again as she ran another Alvaro Tadeo offering to goal.
Down by a pair at 4 – 2, Temecula Valley turned up the pressure in the fourth as Pasqual Tadeo and Brumby were able to count one each and it was an even game with little on the clock. In fact, it appeared that an overtime session might well be necessary. Strunsky dispelled that notion however as she accepted another offering from Alvaro Tadeo and, with time running out, counted her third goal of the game to earn a 5 – 4 win for Kingscliff.
With the victory, the Kingscliff cast received awards presented by the Olive Oil Company.