Joe Barry Memorial Cup Begins
By Alex Webbe
Wellington-January 12, 2008. The 2008 Joe Barry Memorial Cup began on Saturday morning at the International Polo Club in Wellington with Pony Express (1-0) scoring a 12-11 win over a Mt. Brilliant (0-1) in opening round play.
Pony Express received one goal by handicap and Carlos Gracida (9) scored the opening goal to give them an early 2-0 lead. Goals from Kris Kampsen (6) and Jeff Blake (6), however tied the game at 2-2 to end the first chukker of play. Argentinean 7-goaler Tomas Goti scored to give Pony Express a 3-2 lead in the second period with his first goal of the game Before Jeff Hall (8) knotted it again at 3-3.
“We just couldn’t get it together,” said Kampsen, reflecting on the team’s execution. “I had an off day,” he added. I know we can play so much better than that.”
Kampsen converted a Penalty 3 to give Mt. Brilliant a brief 4-3 lead before Goti’s second goal of the match left it tied at 4-4 at the end of the first half.
The combination of Goti and Gracida proved too much for Mt. Brilliant in the fourth as the combination scored a total of six goals (three apiece) while holding Mt. Brilliant to a single Jeff Hall score.
Trailing 10-5 going into the fifth chukker, Mt. Brilliant attempted to rally the troops. Three straight goals from Kampsen followed by a single goal from Blake was complimented by shutout defense from Mt. Brilliant, and with one chukker to play, Pony Express held on to a narrow one goal lead.
Sixth chukker goals from Hall tied it and then gave Mt. Brilliant an 11-10 lead before Pony Express fought back.
A goal from Matias Machado tied the game, 11-11, and a great scoring effort by Gracida gave them a 12-11 lead.
Mt. Brilliant took the ensuing throw-in and raced down the field only to have the brilliant Gracida turn the shot at goal aside. The throw-in from the boards, twenty yards from the end line resulted in a penalty, giving Mt. Brilliant a Penalty 4, a free shot at goal from the 60-yard line. Kampsen’s shot was lifted high in the air only to have an easterly wind carry it just wide of the goal, insuring the Pony Express win.
Goti and Gracida led the Pony Express team with five goals apiece. Machado added a single goal.
Kampsen’s five goals led the Mt. Brilliant effort. Hall added four goals and Blake scored twice.
Skeeterville opened the 2008 season with a win as Wellington resident Julio Arellano scored six goals in leading Skeeterville (1-0) to an opening round 10-8 win over actor Tommy Lee Jones and his San Saba (0-1) teammates.
In a slow starting game, San Saba’s Paco de Narvaez opened the game by converting a 60-yard penalty shot. Skeeterville’s Arellano tied it with a goal from the field before Toto Collardin’s score gave Skeeterville a 2-1 lead after the first chukker of play.
Two penalty goals from Arellano gave Skeeterville a brief 3-2 advantage before Inaki Echezareta only score of he game evened it at 3-3.
Arellano scored three more goals in the third chukker while holding San Saba to two scores from Collardin. Skeeterville left the field at the half with a narrow 6-5 edge.
Owen Rinehart came alive in the fourth period scoring twice before Narvaez got San Saba on the board, but Skeeterville led, 8-6.
Narvaez scored on a penalty conversion before Rinehart’s third goal of the game made it 9-7, Skeeterville. Collardin took a fall with 1:21 left in the chukker and was forced to leave the game. Guille Aguero was brought in to replace Collardin, but there was no more scoring.
Rinehart’s fourth goal of the match put Skeeterville ahead 10-7 before a scrambling Aguero managed to get San Saba on the scoreboard with a penalty conversion, but try as they may, San Saba couldn’t penetrate the Skeeterville defense.
Final score, Skeeterville 10, San Saba 8.
I wish I hadn’t watched the earlier game of the day,” said IPC owner and team captain of the Isla Carroll polo team following their 14-10 waltz over Bud Light/ERG, “I got so nervous, I couldn’t wait for our game to begin.”
Well rest easy Mr. Goodman, all is right with Isla Carroll.
Veteran 7-goalers Sugar Erskine and Silvestre “Bete” Donovan accounted for eight of the Isla Carroll goals while California import, 24-year-old Shane Rice added five goals for the win. Goodman added a single goal in the third chukker.
“They made it easy for me,” said an excited Rice, following the match. “It’s just so easy to play with these guys.”
Rice scored the first goal of the game from the field before two goals from Bud Light/ERG’s Hector Galindo (8) and a penalty conversion from Julio Gracida (6) had Isla Carroll trailing 3-1.
Donovan opened the scoring in the second frame followed by goals from teammates Erskine and Rice (penalty shot) for a 4-3 lead. Bud Light’s Roberto Gonzalez tied it at 4-4 to end the chukker.
The third period was all Isla Carroll as every member of the team scored single goals while holding Bud Light/ERG scoreless.
The fourth chukker was more of the same. Following Gonzalez’s second goal of the game, Rice converted another penalty shot, Erskine scored twice from the field and Donovan scored his third goal of the game. Isla Carroll left the field after four chukkers of play with a healthy 12-5 lead.
Gracida got Bud Light on the scoreboard with a goal from the field in the fifth period, but rice’s fifth goal of the game (a penalty conversion) and another goal from Erskine put Isla Carroll out in front, 14-10.
Gracida added three more goals in the final chukker and Galindo scored from the field but it was a case of too little too late.
Isla Carroll won its first game of the season 14-10.
Action continues on Sunday in the Joe Barry Memorial Cup with Scott Devon’s Catamount team meeting Gonzalo and Carlos Avendano’s Patagones side.