Palm Desert trumps Friendly Chevrolet 14-6 in the 12-Goal Finals
By DIANE HENSLEY
INDIO –- Barnum and Bailey would have been envious—if they were promoting polo.
Sunday afternoon’s main event at Eldorado Polo Club–the 12-goal league tournament final—had all the entertainment value that their three rings could draw: controversy, showmanship and surprise guest performers. Package that and the hot dogs into a marathon match with an elapsed time of 2:24 and you’ve got a show.
Palm Desert’s six-goal sensation Hugo Barabucci scored 10 goals in the 14-6 shellacking of Friendly Chevrolet for the bronze, steadily building a commanding lead that ballooned to 7-2 at the half and 11-3 before the sixth.
Assisted by No. 2 Mariano Gutierrez and Dan Horn at the back, Palm Desert shut out Friendly Chevrolet in the first, fifth and third chukkers. In the third, Barabucci’s performance stunned spectators, handily scoring two from the field and nailing a penalty two; while teammate Henry Walker idled on the sideline.
Walker drew an umpire’s red card for unsportsmanlike conduct late in the second triggering a game delay as officials conferred. He sustained slight injuries to his ear and was penalized one chukker, club officials said. The disciplinary action occurred following a dispute over an alleged mallet strike. A disciplinary committee meeting concerning the incident is pending, polo manager Susan Stovall said. Walker has since apologized to his teammates.
Friendly Chevrolet was forced to make a substitution just before half-time when a pulled leg muscle sidelined No. 4 Ernie Ezcurra. Jean-Jacques Humbert stood in. His identity, not revealed to announcer Tony Gregg, sparked a wave of intrigue as Gregg began referring to the blonde-headed mystery man as Paris Hilton and Santiago Nowaseda Weda (sic).
Plagued by turnovers, errant shots on goal and a seemingly impermeable defense, Friendly Chevrolet’s No. 2 Topo Mendez and Zavaleta were allowed just two goals in the first half and missed three penalty conversion attempts. Palm Desert’s Barabucci pushed the lead to eight by the end of the fifth on a midfield penalty five, weaving past Humbert and outrunning Zavaleta to pound a 75-yard offside through the posts. He connected with Gutierrez on a turnover with 4:47 remaining. Gutierrez positioned, turned and picked up the 40-yard pass, gaining ground on a pursuing Zavaleta.
Friendly Chevrolet rallied in the sixth on goals by forward Curt Hughes and a pair from No. 3 Agustin Zavaleta.
League competition resumes Friday, Stovall said. Five teams have joined the battle for February’s 16-goal bronze.
PALM DESERT 14, FRIENDLY CHEVROLET 6 GOALS
Palm Desert: Hugo Barabucci 10, Mariano Gutierrez 3, Henry Walker 1, Dan Horn.
Friendly Chevrolet: Agustin Zavaleta 3, Topo Mendez 2, Curt Hughes 1, Ernie Ezcurra, Jean-Jacques Humbert (rep.).
12-Goal Finals
Palm Desert def. Friendly Chevrolet
Palm Desert from left to right: Dan Horn, Henry Walker, Hugo Barabucci, Mariano Gutierrez with friends and family.
Results of the 4-Goal and 8-Goal League Finals at El Dorado Polo Club.
4-Goal/4 Chukker Finals
Generation Motors def. Rancho Amistad
(Photo not available)
4-Goal/6 Chukker Finals
Double Eagle def. PoloBARN.com
Double Eagle from left to right: Vladimir Rivkin, Erik Wright, Zhenya Kirueshkin and Juan Martin Gutierrez with family and friends.
8-Goal Finals
Casa Sombres/Summerland def. Fish Creek Hawks
Casa Sombres/Summerland from left to right: Bolko Kissling, Bilo Zarif, Dirk Gould and Jason Crowder with family and friends.