- Peter Brant
Tommy Glynn Memorial Cup MVP, White Birch 6-goaler Julian Luzarreta. -Photo-Alex Pacheco
Peter Brant’s White Birch polo team (Joaquin Panelo, Julian de Luzarreta, Matias Magrini and Peter Brant) scored a double win this afternoon at the Greenwich Polo Club beating Cinque Terre (Alessandro Bazzoni, Gringo Colombres, Joao Ganon and Brandon Phillips) by an 10-8 score and capturing the championship title for the 2013 Tommy Glynn memorial Cup as well as recording a win in East Coast Open play.
The finals of the Tommy Glynn Memorial Cup were postponed from Sunday’s scheduled time, and it was agreed upon that White Birch’s opening East Coast Open match on Wednesday would also count as the final of the Tommy Glynn Memorial Cup.
Cinque Terre received one goal by handicap from White Birch but helplessly watched as they rang up six unanswered goals in the first two chukkers of play.
Goals from White Birch’s Matias Magrini and Julian de Luzarreta had White Birch leading 2-1 after the first chukker. Three more goals from de Luzarreta in the second and a 40-yard penalty conversion by Matias Magrini in the second had White Birch firmly in control of the match, 6-1.
Cinque Terre turned things around in the third. Shutout defense was complimented by single goals from Joao Ganon (60-yard penalty conversion), Gringo Colombres and Brandon Phillips. White Birch continued to lead, but the margin was cut to two goals at the end of the first half, 6-4.
Ganon scored the only goal in the fourth chukker on a 30-yard penalty shot as neither team was able to score from the field. Cinque Terre had cut the White Birch lead to a single goal, 6-5.
Cinque Terre team captain Alessandro Bazzoni tied the game up with a goal from the field in the opening minutes of the fifth chukker, but that would be where the Cinque Terre offense stalled. White Birch responded with a goal from the field from de Luzarreta and a 60-yard penalty conversion from Magrini. The chukker ended with White Birch ahead by two goals, 8-6.
Joaquin Panelo scored the first goal of the final chukker for White Birch followed by a 30-yard penalty goal from teammate Magrini. Phillips answered back for Cinque Terre with a pair of goals, but the final horn sounded with White Birch claiming the 2013 Tommy Glynn Memorial Cup as well as its opening win in East Coast Open play.
De Luzarreta led the field with five goals on the day, receiving MVP honors for his efforts. Magrini added four goals (three on penalty shots) and Panelo scored once in the victory. Machitos Garganta received Best Playing Pony honors.