Luis Escobar and Max Secunda in action.
(Photo courtesy of Liz Lamont)
By Whitney Webbe
Agua Clara (Mauricio Herrera, Nico Escobar, Weston Gracida and Luis Escobar) snuck by Santa Clara (Federico Escobar, Max Secunda, Ruben Gracida and Francisco Escobar) 6-5 Saturday morning in the 2013 Choice of Champions USPA Masters Cup at the Santa Clara Polo Club in Wellington.
Agua Clara received one goal by handicap with Luis Escobar scoring the first goal from the field for an early 2-0 lead. Santa Clara’s Max Secunda got Santa Clara on the score board with only 32 seconds on the clock, 2-1.
Goals were hard to come by during the second chukker. Federico Escobar scored the only goal of the period on a 60-yard penalty conversion to tie it up, 2-2.
Nico Escobar scored the opening the goal of the chukker to put Agua Clara on top with a one goal lead, 3-2. Federico Escobar knotted it up again at 3-3, with his second goal of the game, to end the first half.
Santa Clara took the lead with a penalty goal from Federico Escobar, 4-3. Nico Escobar answered back four minutes later to deadlock it at 4-4.
Both defenses were on their toes as the fifth chukker got underway, but Nico Escobar couldn’t be stopped. Scoring once from the field and once on a penalty shot, the young Escobar added two more goals to give his Agua Clara team a 6-4 advantage with one chukker remaining to be played.
Santa Clara continued to press the attack but managed only a single goal from Secunda in the final seven minutes of play, in a 6-5 Agua Clara win.
Nico Escobar led all scoring with four goals (one on a penalty shot) and received MVP honors for his efforts. Luis Escobar scored once and Agua Clara received one goal by handicap. Federico Escobar scored three goals for Santa Clara and teammate Max Secunda added two in a losing effort.
Luis Escobar’s four-year-old grey mare Charisma was named Best Playing Pony.