By Alex Webbe
Four goal competition in the Crown Cup Classic continued at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California over the weekend with Flowers Farms (David Flowers, Gina Padilla, Ernie Ezcurra and Erik Wright) opening up with a 12-10 win over Horsewear-Ireland (Sinead Devine, Hayward Pardue, Manny Rodriguez and Nicolas Maciel).
Casa Sombres won the 4-Goal Finals. Ernersto Bautista, Ashton Wolf, Bolko and Conrad Kissling.
Flowers Farms surrendered a first chukker goal from the field to Rodriquez and a 40-yard penalty conversion to Maciel, but the chukker belonged to Flowers Farms. Single goals from Flowers and Wright were complimented by three goals from Ezcurra for a 5-2 advantage.
Second period play had Flowers Farms shutting down the Horsewear-Ireland offense while adding goals from Flowers and Ezcurra. The Flowers Farm lead had grown to five goals, 7-2 after just two periods of play.
Wright and Padilla added single goals in the third chukker for Flowers Farms while Horsewear-Ireland responded with a 60-yard penalty conversion from Pardue. The chukker ended with Flowers Farms expanding their lead to sox goals, 9-3.
Padilla ran the lead up to seven goals, 10-3 before Horsewear-Ireland got back on track. Single goals from Rodriguez and Maciel had them within five goals of the lead, trailing 10-5.
With Flowers Farms coasting in the final chukker of play, Horsewear-Ireland had its most productive chukker of the afternoon with Rodriguez scoring three times while Devine and Maciel (penalty goal) added single goals. Wright scored two goals from the field for Flowers Farm, which allowed them the 12-10 victory.
Rodriguez led the field with five goals. Maciel scored three times and Devine and Pardue added single goals in the loss.
Ezcurra and Wright registered four goals apiece for Flowers Farms while Padilla and Flowers accounted for two goals apiece in a winning effort.
EMPIRE was the runner-up in the 4-Goal Finals. Charlie Peterson, Lolo Payan, Rob Scapa and Leigh Brecheen.
EMPIRE 11, HORSEWEAR-IRELAND 5
Empire 4 (Lee Pettigrew, Rob Scapa, Charlie Peterson and Lolo Payan) got off to a slow start in Saturday’s opening game but wasted little time in building on a 4-1 halftime lead to trample Horsewear-Ireland (Manny Rodriguez, Sinead Devine, Hayward Pardue and Nicolas Maciel) 11-5 as four-goal competition continued.
Scapa got Empire on the scoreboard first but Maciel matched the goal and the first chukker ended in a 1-1 tie.
A smothering defense in the second period was accompanied by a pair of goals from Payan and a second goal from Scapa with Empire riding out to an early 4-1 lead.
Two goals from Peterson went unanswered in the third as Horsewear-Ireland struggled to find some offensive punch. Horsewear-Ireland found themselves trailing by five goals, 6-1, with just two chukkers left to play.
Rodriguez finally sparked the Horsewear-Ireland attack, accounting for three goals. Empire retaliated with three goals of their own (all from Payan) to maintain the five goal lead, 9-4.
Final chukker goals from Empire’s Peterson and Payan were more than enough for the 11-5 win. Rodriguez scored Horsewear-Ireland’s last goal.
Payan led the Empire attack with six goals. Peterson scored three times and Scapa added two goals for the victory.
Rodriguez scored four goals for Horsewear-Ireland. Maciel added a single goal in the loss.
Saturday’s final 4-goal game had a balanced Casa Sombres (Bolko Kissling, Conrad Kissling, Ernesto Bautista and Ashton Wolf) attack defeating a plucky Parklane (Bill Garlock, Remy Muller, Champ Roth and Doug Blumenthal) lineup 9-7.
Casa Sombres received one goal by handicap and added to the early lead on goals from Bautista and Conrad Kissling while limiting the Parklane offense to a single goal from Muller. The first chukker ended with Casa Sombres defending a 3-1 lead.
Bolko Kissling scored twice in the second chukker and Conrad Kissling added another goal for Casa Sombres. Parklane answered back with single goals from Roth and Blumenthal. Casa Sombres continued to lead, 6-3.
Lights out defense by Parklane and single goals from Muller and Blumenthal turned it back into a game. At the end of the third chukker Parklane trailed by a single goal, 6-5.
Parklane had their opportunity but failed to take advantage of it. Instead of building momentum, Parklane failed to score. Bautista scored the only goal of the chukker as Casa Sombres left the field at the end of the chukker with a 7-5 advantage.
To final chukker goals from Wolf ran the score to 9-5 with Parklane struggling to stay competitive. Goals from Muller and Blumenthal ended the match with Casa Sombres celebrating the 9-7 victory.
Muller and Blumenthal scored three goals apiece for Parklane. Roth added a goal.
Conrad Kissling, Bolko Kissling, Bautista and Wolf scored two goals each for Casa Sombres. The team received one goal by handicap.
CASA SOMBRES 8, EMPIRE 4
On the strength of an 8-4 victory, Casa Sombres rode off with the Crown Cup Sunday afternoon at the Empire Polo Club at the expense of an anemic Empire attack.
Casa Sombres received one goal by handicap but was unable to get any attack going in the opening seven minutes of play. Charlie Peterson made good on a 60-yard penalty shot and it was all even at 1-1.
Peterson scored again from the 60-yard mark on a penalty shot. For the second consecutive chukker Casa Sombres was unable to break through the Empire attack, trailing 2-1.
Empire went ahead3-1 in the third with a goal from the field from Peterson. Conrad Kissling finally found the range for a goal followed by a scoring effort from Wolf and the score was all even at 3-3.
Conrad Kissling converted a 40-yard penalty shot in the fourth for a 4-3 edge as Empire was unable to coordinate any effective offense in the period.
A four goal final chukker from Casa Sombres closed the door on any thought of an Empire rally as they got two goals from Ernesto Bautista and single goals from Wolf and
Bolko Kissling. Empire managed a single penalty conversion from Leigh Brecheen in the 8-4 Casa Sombres win.
Peterson scored three goals for Empire with Brecheen adding the other.
Casa Sombres received one goal by handicap and got two goals apiece from Conrad Kissling, Wolf and Bautista. Bolko Kissling added a goal in the victory.
FLOWERS FARMS 10, PARKLANE 7
Later in the afternoon, Flowers Farm took the consolation round of play in a 10-7 win over Parklane.
Goals from Ernie Ezcurra and Erik Wright had Flowers Farm in the lead after the opening chukker with a single goal from Remy Muller being the only offense Parklane could mount. Flowers Farm rode into the second period with a 2-1 advantage.
Two more goals from Wright (one on a penalty shot) and a 40-yard penalty conversion from Ezcurra had Flowers Farm ahead 5-3 after two chukkers. Parklane got single goals from Remy Muller and Doug Blumenthal.
Ezcurra added two more goals from the field in the third with Blumenthal responding with a 60-yard penalty conversion of his own. After three periods, Flowers Farm continued to dominate the game, 7-4.
Goals from David Flowers and Wright in the fourth went unanswered as Parklane was unable to finish a play. With one chukker left to play Flowers Farm extended it lead to five goals, 9-4.
Parklane staged a last-chukker rally picking up a pair of goals from Muller and a gaol from Blumenthal. A single goal from Ezcurra was all that was needed, however, as Flowers Farms scored the 10-7 victory.
Ezcurra led all scoring with five goals. Wright scored four times and Flowers added a goal in the win.
Muller scored four times for Parklane. Blumenthal was credited with three goals.