ERG 8-goaler Paco de Narvaez was named MVP in the 16-9 win.

The three-year reign as Bombardier Pacific Coast Open Champions came to an end for Lucchese (Tavi Usandizaga, Andres Weisz, Pelon Stirling and John Muse) Sunday afternoon at the Santa Barbara Polo Club as ERG (Scott Woods, Sugar Erskine, Paco de Narvaez and Jeff Blake) dominated the defending champions as they rode out to a 9-6 halftime before galloping off with a 16-9 win.

For the last three years it was John Muse’s Lucchese polo team that was standing in the winner’s circle at the end of the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open tournament, but not this year.  Scott Woods led his ERG team to four straight wins before delivering the knockout punch to Lucchese in Sunday’s finals.

Sugar Erskine scored his twenty-first goal of the tournament to open the scoring with a 30-yard penalty shot followed by a goal from the field from Jeff Blake and a 60-yard conversion of a Safety by Paco de Narvaez for a 3-0 start.  Lucchese’s Tavi Usandizaga closed out the scoring with a goal but trailed ERG, 3-1.

Lucchese rallied in the second chukker with consecutive goals from Usandizaga and Andres Weisz for a 3-3 tie.  De Narvaez responded with three straight goals for a 6-3, three goal lead.  A 40-yard penalty goal from Lucchese 10-goaler Pelon Stirling cut the lead to two goals, 6-4 to end the period.

Erskine opened the third with a goal from the field followed by another penalty conversion from Stirling, 7-5.  Stirling added a goal from the field buy a pair of goals from de Narvaez proved the difference as ERG surged ahead to a 9-6 halftime lead.

Both defenses tightened in the fourth chukker with de Narvaez and Stirling exchanging goals from the field.  ERG maintained the three goal lead, 10-7.

Stirling opened the fifth with a 30-yard penalty conversion, 10-8, but the ERG defense shut Lucchese down for the remainder of the chukker.  A goal from the field from de Narvaez and a penalty goal from Erskine ended the period with ERG ahead by four goals, 12-8.

Erskine lit it up in the final chukker, scoring the first two goals of the sixth from the field for a six goal, 14-8 score.  Stirling got Lucchese in the scoring column with a goal but it would be the last offensive success they would have.  Erskine converted a penalty goal followed by a goal from Blake for the 16-9 ERG win.

Paco de Narvaez led all scoring with eight goals.  Erskine scored six times with Blake adding two for the victory.  Stirling accounted for six goals for Lucchese.  Usandizaga scored twice and Weisz added a goal in the loss.

Stirling’s mare, Quinella received Best Playing Pony honors.

The win was ERG’s first after having lost in the finals of the tournament in 2009 and 2010.