The Jan Pamela polo team built up an early 4-2 halftime lead and held on for an 8-7 win at the expense of Santa Clara in the finals of the IPC March 12-Goal at the International Polo club in Wellington.
In a slow start, Luis Escobar scored the only goal of the first chukker on a 60-yart penalty shot for a 1-0 lead.
Consecutive second chukker goals by Jan Pamela’s Steve Dalton and Tommy Collingwood had them in front briefly, but Escobar converted a second penalty sot for a goal. At the end of two chukkers of play it was all even at 2-2.
Jan Pamela took control in the third, shutting down the Santa Clara offense and posting two unanswered goals. Consecutive goals by Tommy Collingwood and Mason Wroe ended the first half with Jan Pamela in front, 4-2.
Neither team was effective offensively when they returned to the field for the fourth chukker. A goal from Andres Weisz was all of the offense that was produced. Santa Clara had effectively shutout the Jan Pamela attack but managed only a single goal themselves. Jan Pamela continued to lead but the margin was a single goal, 4-3.
Collingwood’s third goal of the game had them in front, 5-3 in the fifth chukker when Santa Clara charged back into the fray. Defensive fouls by Jan Pamela sent Santa Clara to the penalty line where Luis Escobar converted a pair of penalty shots into goals. With one chukker left in regulation play, it was all even at 5-5.
Wroe opened the sixth by converting a penalty shot for a goal followed by a goal from the field from him, 7-5. Luis Escobar walked in a Penalty 4 shot to cut the lead to one goal again, 7-6. Collingwood sliced the ball into the Santa Clara goal from 60 yards out on an extreme angle to move Jan Pamela back in front by two goals, 8-6. Matias Gonzalez scored the final goal of the game as the final horn sounded in the 8-7 Jan Pamela win.
Collingwood led Jan Pamela with four goals and was named MVP for his efforts. Wroe was credited with three goals and Dalton added a goal for the victory. Luis Escobar scored five times for Santa Clara. Gonzalez and Weisz scored single goals in the loss.
Steve Dalton’s mare, Carta, earned Best Playing Pony honors.