Catamount Tops Tamera in $25,000 US Trust Challenge Cup Rematch in Finals
By Alex Webbe
The highlight of a day’s worth of competition was the 3pm meeting of undefeated Catamount (2-0) and Tamera (2-0) in the $25,000 US Trust Challenge Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Catamount received one goal by handicap and quickly added to it on a goal from 6-goaler Kris Kampsen.
Kampsen converted a penalty shot for a goal in the second chukker, but Tamera fought back with a goal from Diego Arellano and two from J. J. Celis, tying the score at 3-3.
A paralyzing defense that shut down the Tamera attack and another goal from Kampsen in the third gave Catamount a narrow 4-3 lead at half-time.
Luis Escobar tied it for Tamera in the opening minutes of the fourth chukker before goals from Kampsen (penalty conversion) and Melissa Ganzi had Tamera trailing 6-4.
“Every time I thought we were taking control of the game, they found a way back into it,” said Kampsen. “We just couldn’t get a comfortable lead all game.”
Tamera pressed the Catamount players in the fifth chukker, shutting them out and adding a single Escobar goal to cut the deficit to a single score.
Five –goal Canadian native Brandon Phillips rallied Catamount in the final chukker with a penalty conversion and a goal from the field. Escobar scored once for Tamera, but it wasn’t enough as Catamount rode off with the 8-6 victory.
The win was bittersweet for Catamount (3-0) as it will have to meet Tamera (2-1) again in Sunday’s finals.
Kampsen led all scorers with four goals. Phillips scored twice and Ganzi added a single goal for Catamount. It received one goal by handicap.
Escobar scored three times for Tamera. Celis scored twice and Arellano scored once.
In earlier tournament action South African Harm Schutt scored four goals in leading Palm Beach Polo (1-2) to a 10-7 win over Palm Beach Equine (1-2).
Schutt scored the first three goals of the game before Alejandro Echevarria (substituting for injured team captain Scott Swerdlin) got Palm Beach Equine on the scoreboard.
Glen Straub’s first goal of the game gave Palm Beach Polo a brief 4-1 lead before goals from Palm Beach Equine’s Leo Mandelbaum, Calixto Garcia and Schutt tied it at 4-4.
A scoreless third chukker was followed by two goals from Palm Beach Equine’s Tommy Biddle for a 6-4 advantage. A well-placed goal from Argentine 5-goaler Mauricio Devrient cut the lead to 6-5 as the chukker ended.
Biddle converted a penalty shot for Palm Beach Equine in the fifth, but goals from Harm and Devrient (penalty shot) evened it at 7-7.
Vale Aguilar scored to open the sixth period before a 240-foot backhander by Devrient made it 9-7 Palm Beach Polo. A final goal from Straub closed the scoring with Palm Beach Polo on top of a 10-7 score.
Schutt led the field with four goals. Devrient added three goals. Straub scored twice and Aguilar added a single goal for the win.
Biddle scored three times for Palm Beach Equine. Echevarria scored twice and Mandelbaum and Garcia added single goals.
In the day’s final match, Neil Hirsch was credited with the final goal of the game as Black Watch notched a hard-fought 10-9 win over Heronwood Farms.
Black Watch received one goal by handicap, but it was Heronwood’s Michael Liss who scored first on a penalty shot. It was quickly countered with a goal from the field by Martin Pepa. Two more goals from Pepa in the second gave Black Watch a 4-2 edge before Heronwood erupted for three unanswered goals, and it was 5-4, Heronwood.
Two more goals from Heronwood’s Julio Ezcurra in the fourth chukker were countered by a single goal from Francisco Escobar, as Black Watch now trailed 7-4, but the day was far from over.
Jeff Hall finally got on the board for Black Watch but was countered by a great neck shot from Liss. Heronwood led by a slender 8-7 margin.
Joe Muldoon’s second goal of the game gave Heronwood some breathing room, 9-7 before Black Watch fought back with two penalty conversions from Escobar to tie it up and press it into sudden-death overtime.
Neal Hirsch was credited with the final goal of the match as Black Watch walked away with a 10-9 win.
Tournament play continues on Sunday with matches at 11am, 12pm and the finals between Catamount and Tamera at 3pm.
For further information please contact Michelle Devrient at 308-1850.