ELG/Psycho Bunny took top honors in the Grand Champions Polo Club’s spring season opening Palm City Open with an 8-6 win over Elangani in the finals.
ELG/Psycho Bunny and Elangani exchanged goals in the opening chukker with Diego Coscio getting Elangani on the scoreboard first. ELG/Psycho Bunny receivd one goal by handicap and got a goal from 6-goaler Kris Kampsen to end the period on top at 2-1.
The play was fast-paced in the second chukker, but no more scoring took place than in the first. Nacho Badiola tied it up for Elangani at 2-2 with a goal from the field. Kampsen’s second goal of the game ended eh chukker with ELG/Psycho Bunny leading, 3-2.
Both defenses produced their best in the third period, and no goals were scored, At the end of the first half, ELG/Psycho Bunny continued to lead3-2.
ELG/Psycho Bunny found their offense in the fourth chukker, with Kampsen and Andrew Seibert adding his first of the day. Elangani managed a chukker-ending goal from Carlucho Arellano, but trailed by two goals, 5-3, at the end of four chukkers of play.
Arellano converted a penalty shot for a goal to open the fifth, cutting the ELG/Psycho Bunny lead to a single goal, 5-4, but the celebration was short-lived. With 2:34 left in the chukker, Kampsen scored his fourth goal of the day, ending the period with a two-goal, 6-4 advantage.
Seibert opened the final chukker of play with a goal from the field to give ELG/Psycho Bunny its biggest lead of the day, 7-4, but Elangani charged right back into the fray. Consecutive penalty conversions from Arellano cut the ELG/Psycho Bunny lead back to a single goal, 7-6. Jeff Hall closed out the scoring and secured a win for ELG/Psycho Bunny with a penalty conversion for the 8-6 victory.
Kampsen led the ELG/Psycho Bunny attack with four goals. Seibert added two goals and Hall scored once. The team received one goal by handicap. Arellano’s four goals set the pace for Elangani. Elangani also got single goals from Badiola and Coscio.
Andrew Seibert was named MVP while Melissa Ganzi’s horse, Pucci, played by Jeff Hall, picked up Best Playing Pony honors.
JAJALPA WINS ROUND-ROBIN
In earlier action, Jajalpa scored wins over Power Horse/Longfield and Merchant Hu/Pony Express as it won the consolation round of play in the season opening Palm City Open.
Jajalpa rang up a 4-2 win over Power Horse/Longfield in the opening three chukker mini-match on the strength of a pair of goals from Marc Ganzi and single gaols from Carlitos Gracida and Guillermo Steta, the president of the Mexican Polo Federation.
Power Horse/Longfield received one goal by handicap but managed only one more goal by Austrian Walter Scherb for a two goal finish.
Power Horse/Longfield held the field for the next three chukkers and managed a 4-3 win over Merchant Hub/Pony Express.
Power Horse/Longfield received one goal by handicap, but first chukker action between the two teams resulted in no goals scored. After the first chukker Power Horse/Longfield held a narrow 1-0 advantage.
Bob Daniels and Luis Escobar got Merchant Hub/Pony Express on the scoreboard in the second period of play while limiting Power Horse/Longfield to a single goal from Brandon Phillips. After two chukkers of play it was all even at 2-2.
Power Horse/Longfield came up strong in the final period of play. Goals from the field from Hannah Buchan and Walter Scherb gave them a 4-2 advantage. A final goal from Bob Daniels was all Merchant Hub/Pony Express could muster in the 4-3 loss.