By Alex Webbe
San Saba’s Sapo Caset scored led all scoring with eight goals, but it was the teamwork of Kelly Beal’s BTA lineup that carried the day with a 13-10 win in the finals of the 2009 Joe Barry Memorial Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington on Sunday afternoon.
The hard riding San Saba players dominated the first two chukkers of the game as they mounted assault after assault on the BTA goal. Caset converted a penalty shot for the first goal of the game, but Beal answered for BTA to even it at 1-1. Carlucho Arellano displayed great horsemanship and ball control on his way to scoring two consecutive goals for San Saba as the first period ended with BTA trailing 3-1.
Penalties got San Saba in trouble in the second chukker as Jeff Blake scored two penalty goals to tie it up at 3-3. San Saba continued to press the attack, and a resulting foul by BTA allowed Caset to score by way of a penalty shot for a 4-3 lead. BTA fought back, however, and a well-placed shot from Pablo Spinacci ended the chukker knotted at 4-4.
Jeff Blake scored the first goal of the third chukker on a penalty goal to put BTA ahead 5-4. An ensuing collision on the field had San Saba’s Toto Collardin dismounted and on the ground. A brief visit from the paramedics was followed by a penalty shot awarded to San Saba. Caset cashed in and it was all even again, 5-5.
“I think we started to get a handle on it in the third chukker,” said BTA 7-goaler Hector Galindo. “We started to get into rhythm and make some plays happen.”
Pablo Spinacci scored to give BTA a 6-5 lead followed by goals from Galindo and Beal. Caset closed out the scoring in the period on a penalty conversion, but San Saba left the field trailing by two goals, 8-6.
“I felt that we dominated the game in the first two chukkers,” said Caset after the game, “but we just couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities.”
The injury to Collardin was followed by a disallowed goal by Arellano after a fine effort, and the wind left the San Saba sails.
Blake scored again in the fourth chukker and Galindo added two more as the BTA lead escalated to four goals. Caset converted a penalty shot for San Saba to trail 11-7.
Caset added two more goals for San Saba in the fifth while holding BTA to a single goal from Galindo. BTA held on to a 12-9 lead.
“They tried to get back into it at the end, but we were in pretty good shape by then,” said Galindo.
Spinacci’s sixth chukker goal put BTA in front 13-9 with time running out. A final penalty conversion from Caset ended the game and gave the 13-10 win and the trophy to BTA.
Caset scored eight goals for San Saba. Teammate Carlucho Arellano added two in the loss.
MVP Hector Galindo and Jeff Blake scored four goals apiece for BTA. Pablo Spinacci added three goals and team captain Kelly Beal accounted for two goals.
Sapo Caset’s Bruja was named Best Playing Pony.
MT. BRILLIANT 13, EFG BANK 12
In the most exciting match of the day, Mt. Brilliant rallied to defeat a talented EFG Bank team to capture the Bobby Barry Memorial Cup at the International Polo Club.
Powered by a determined Santiago Chavanne, Mt. Brilliant came back from a 9-6 deficit to outscore EFG Bank by four goals in the final two chukkers of the game and escape with a hard-fought 13-12 win.
“We really should have taken this one,” said EFG Bank’s Luis Escobar. “We had our opportunities, we just didn’t make the plays when we needed to.”
In a fast-paced contest that saw nineteen goals scored from the field, Escobar scored three consecutive goals in the third period while the EFG Bank defense shut out a high-scoring Mt. Brilliant foursome. Another chukker of shutout defense and another goal from Escobar and Julio Arellano had them ahead 9-6, but Chavanne and Mt. Brilliant weren’t through yet.
Chavanne displayed brilliant stick work while scoring three goals in the fifth period. A single goal from Arellano kept EFG Bank in the lead by a single goal, but Chavanne wasn’t through.
Chavanne tied it at 10-10 in the sixth and then added two more goals for a 12-10 lead. Julio Arellano converted a penalty shot to cut the lead to one. Pelon Escapite broke loose for a goal in what looked like the game clincher. Arellano maneuvered the ball through the Mt. Brilliant for the final goal in the 13-12 Mt. Brilliant win.
MVP Santiago Chavanne led all scoring with ten goals. Pelon Escapite added two goals and Julian Daniels added a single goal in the win.
Julio Arellano scored eight goals for EFG Bank. Luis Escobar scored four times.
Tournament play will continue on Thursday, January 22 in the first found of the Ylvisaker Cup.
Arellano’s Sweet and Low was named Best Playing Pony.
Lucchese will meet Isla Carroll at 1pm while Audi will make its season debut against Patagones at 3pm.