L to R-Segundo Merlos, Brian Boyd and Sebastian Merlos in final action of the 2016 Chukker TV Challenge Cup at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on Sunday afternoon., with Travieso taking the game, 13-9.
Travieso (Alex Gooding, Teo Calle, Sebastian Merlos and Brian Boyd) rode the coattails of a very hot Alex Gooding as they raced past a talented Tonkawa polo team (Segundo Merlos/Santos Bollini, Julio Novillo Astrada, Marc Ganzi and Jimmy Seward) Sunday afternoon at the Aspen Valley Polo Club to capture the 2016 Chukker TV Challenge Cup in convincing fashion, 13-9.
Teo Calle opened the scoring in the first chukker with a goal from the field with Alex Gooding following suite, 2-0. Jimmy Seward responded with Tonkawa’s first score of the game, 2-1. Brian Boyd and Marc Ganzi exchanged 30-yard penalty conversion that gave Travieso the early 3-2 lead.
Second chukker goals from Gooding and Sebastian Merlos were complimented by shutout defense. After two periods of play, extended their lead to three goals, 5-2.
The two teams matched one another goal-for-goal in the third. Travieso got single goals from Gooding and Merlos while Julio Novillo Astrada scored twice for Tonkawa. At the end of the first half it was Travieso on top of a 7-4, three goal lead.
The Travieso attack continued to manhandle Tonkawa in the fourth chukker. Two goals from Merlos and another goal from Gooding were answered by a single penalty conversion from Ganzi. With two chukkers left to play in regulation time, Travieso held a five goal advantage, 10-5.
Scoring was muted in the fifth period with Gooding scoring his fifth goal of the game on a 30-yard penalty shot. Astrada scored the only other goal of the chukker from the field. Travieso continued to lead by five goals, 11-6.
A sixth chukker penalty goal from Ganzi was followed by a goal from the field from Santos Bollini, 11-8. Gooding scored for the sixth time on the day for Travieso, 12-8. Ganzi added another 30-yard penalty goal to the pot, 12-9, but it was Gooding with his seventh goal of the game that closed out the chukker in a 13-9 victory.
Gooding scored six goals from the field and added a 30-yard penalty conversion for a game-high seven goals. Merlos added four goals with Calle and Boyd each scoring once for the win. Ganzi led the Tonkawa offense with four penalty goals. Astrada was credited with three goals while Bollini and Seward each scored once in the loss.
Gooding was named MVP for his efforts with Teo Calle’s fifth chukker pony, Mustard, a 10-year-old Buckskin Argentine mare, was honored as Best Playing Pony.
Casablanca 13, Flexjet 9
Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Tony Calle, Lucas Lalor and Juancito Bollini) and Flexjet (Lauren Sherry, Melissa Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida and Justo Saavedra) battled to a 4-4 halftime tie before eight goals in the fourth and fifth chukkers gave Casablanca the separation they needed to secure the 13-9 win.
Casablanca took the early lead on the strength of first chukker goals from Juancito Bollini (a 50-yard penalty conversion) and Tony Calle. Carlitos Gracida countered with a penalty goal of his own, but Flexjet trailed, 2-1.
Grant Ganzi extended the Casablanca lead to two, 3-1, with the opening goal of the second chukker, but Flexjet stormed back. A 40-yard penalty goal from Gracida and an impressive nearside neck-shot from Lauren Sherry leveled the score at 3-3 at the end of the period.
Lucas Lalor’s gave the lead back to Casablanca with his first goal of the game in the third, but Flexjet persisted. Sherry scored her second goal of the game in what proved to be the final goal of the first half. Casablanca and Flexjet rode off the field in a 4-4 deadlock.
Calle caught fire in the fifth, scoring his first goal of the chukker on a 30-yard penalty conversion, followed by two goals from the field as Casablanca moved out to a 7-4 lead. Lalor made it 8-4 with his second goal of the day. Gracida scored Flexjet’s only goal of the period as they found themselves trailing by three goals, 8-5.
The Casablanca momentum followed them into the fifth chukker. A pair of goals from Grant Ganzi (one on a 30-yard penalty shot) and single goals from Calle and Lalor had them leading by seven goals, 12-5. Goals from Melissa Ganzi and Sherry closed out the period but it was Casablanca with a commanding five goal lead, 12-7, with one chukker left to play.
Flexjet opened the scoring in the sixth period with a penalty goal from Justo Saavedra followed by a goal from the field from Sherry. Flexjet had cut the Casablanca back to three goals, 12-9, but it was not to be. Grant Ganzi scored the final goal of the game as Casablanca rode off with the win, 13-9.
Calle scored four of his game-high five goals from the field. Grant Ganzi scored four times (once on a penalty shot); Lalor added three goals and Bollini was credited with a goal for the win. Sherry’s four goals set the offensive pace for Flexjet on the day. Gracida added three goals (two from the penalty line) with Melissa Ganzi and Saavedra each scoring a goal in a losing effort.
Tournament play continues at the Aspen Valley Polo Club with the Craig Sakin Memorial Cup. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 13th with the final set for Sunday, July 17th.
The Aspen Valley Polo Club is located at 3275 County Road 100, Carbondale, CO. Everyone is welcome to watch polo in a relaxed atmosphere. Admission and parking are free. The club’s Polo Hotline is: 970-710-1663.