Long Beach Polo won a nailbiter of a game to win the first 12 goal tournament at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club. Long Beach defeated La Karina/ Mansour 10-9 on a beautiful Mother’s Day Sunday.
The first half was dominated by the Walker’s boys in blue, as they jumped out to a 7-4 halftime lead. Danny Walker couldn’t miss in the second chukker, putting in three goals that chukker alone. Wiley Uretz (filling in for Matt Ladin, who is out with a broken collarbone) helped out with a great nearside flip shot to goal in the second chukker and another goal in the 3rd.
But after halftime La Karina/ Masour came roaring back. They controlled the tempo of the game and frustrated the aggresive Long Beach attack. La Karina/ Mansour clawed their way back to within a goal of Long Beach at the end of the 5th, and then tied it up with a goal from Ben Soleimani partway through the 6th chukker. It looked like the game was headed to OT, but Danny Walker jumped on a flubbed La Karina/ Mansour knock-in just after the warning bell and converted the goal to give Long Beach the victory.
Earlier in the day Glen Holden III was awarded the Billy Linfoot Award for Most Improved Player of 2009. The award was presented by his grandfather Ambassador Glen Holden.
Glen Holden III, recepient of the 2009 Billy Linfoot Award for Most Improved Player, with Glen Holden Jr and Sr