By Alex Webbe
“I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS,” said Brandon Phillips, playfully, after Black Watch’s 8-7 win over Pony Express in the opening round of play in the Grand Champions Polo Club’s Spring Challenge Cup.
Black Watch received three goals by handicap from the 18-goal Pony Express team and took advantage of two goals from team captain Neil Hirsch and great defense to lead 5-0 after the opening chukker.
Hector Galindo converted a penalty shot to make it 6-0 before John Gobin got Pony Express on the scoreboard to end the chukker 6-1.
J. J. Celis scored two more goals for Pony Express as the Black Watch attack slowed.
A final goal from Daniels ended the first half with Pony Express trailing 6-4.
“We had it going pretty strong in the first couple of chukkers,” said Black Watch 8-goaler Hector Galindo. “Then when we needed to turn it back on again, we had a little trouble,” he added.
Hirsch scored his third goal of the game to open the fourth period, but Daniels countered for Pony Express. Martin Pepa scored his first goal of the game to make it 8-5, and Black Watch appeared to have take back control of the game.
The Pony Express defense played well in the final two chukkers as it ate away at the Black Watch lead. Brad Blake scored for Pony Express in the fifth period and Daniels added a goal in the sixth chukker, but in spite of holding Black Watch scoreless for the final fifteen minutes of the game, Pony Express found itself on the losing end of an 8-7 score.
“The fields were amazing,” said 4-goaler Martin Pepa, reflecting on the play of the Black Watch field. “It carried the ball just the way you wanted it to.”
Galindo and Gonzalo Del Tour also gave a great deal of credit to the field while Hirsch lamented the play of his horses.
“I had a little trouble with the horses today,” he said. “Maybe it was the horses, maybe it was me,” he smiled.
Hirsch scored three goals for Black Watch. Teammates Martin Pepa and Hector Galindo added single goals and it received three goals by handicap.
Marc Daniels led the Pony Express attack with three goals. J. J. Celis scored twice and John Gobin and Brad Blake each scored one goal.
ROCCO’S TACOS 10, NEWPORT 9, OT
In earlier tournament action, Juan Bollini led all scoring with five goals as Rocco’s Tacos defeated a game Newport team in overtime in the opening match of the Spring Challenge Cup, sponsored by Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar of West Palm Beach.
Bollini scored the opening two goals of the game in the first chukker and Rocco’s Tacos rode out to a 4-1 lead.
The Newport defense held Rocco’s Tacos scoreless in the second period and Tom Biddle scored to cut the lead to two goals. Newport trailed 4-2.
Tommy Collingwood converted his second penalty goal of the game to open the third chukker before goals from Marc Ganzi and Brandon Phillips cut the Rocco’s Tacos lead to 5-4.
Newport stormed onto the field for the fourth chukker scoring goals from Gene Goldstein, Brandon Phillips and Tommy Biddle to take a 7-5 lead. Bollini scored his third goal of the game, but Rocco’s Tacos left the field trailing 7-6.
Defense ruled the field in the fifth chukker. A single goal from Kris Kampsen tied it up at 7-7, and the period ended.
Kampsen converted a penalty shot in the sixth chukker to give Rocco’s Tacos a short-lived 8-7 lead before Gene Goldstein knotted it at 8-8. Bollini scored to make it 9-8 in favor of Rocco’s Tacos, but Newport fought back, with Biddle adding his third goal of the game to tie it at 9-9 and force a sudden-death overtime chukker.
Both teams wasted early scoring opportunities in the seventh chukker until Bollini took the ball out of an equestrian scrum in front of the Newport to score the winning goal.
Bollini scored five times; Kampsen added three goals and Tommy Collingwood scored twice in the win.
Tommy Biddle scored three goals fro Newport. Phillips and Goldstein scored two goals apiece and Marc Ganzi added a goal.