By Alex Webbe
Barrington was looking to capture its second consecutive 20-goal tournament of the fall season at the 302 Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina, having taken top honors in the USPA Monty Waterbury Cup, but a determined Orchard Hill team had other ideas.
Barrington charged out to a 9-8 halftime lead, but the final three chukkers were a different story. After playing goal for goal through the first half of the game, the high-flying Barrington attack was silenced, outscored 11-2 to end the game.
“I felt real good about the first half,” said Barrington’s hard-hitting 7-goaler, Tommy Biddle. “Everything was going right, and I felt like it was going to be our day. The second half, however, was something else.”
Barrington scored the first two goals of the game, betting a penalty conversion for a goal from team captain Barb Uskup and a goal from the field from Biddle. Orchard Hill got one goal by handicap went up 3-2 as Lucas Criado added two goals from the field to end the first chukker.
“The horses were going well,” added Biddle, “we were hitting the ball well, we were in synch.”
The two teams traded early goals in the second period. Nic Roldan drove two balls through the goal posts for Orchard Hill and team captain Steve Van Andel added another while Biddle scored three times and teammate Antonio Galvan added another to tie the game at 6-6.
“Nic (Roldan) played a perfect game,” said polo veteran Jack Whittemore. “He showed a maturity that I hadn’t seen before,” he added. ‘As well as the other members of the team were playing,” he said, “I thought Nic made the difference today.”
A pair of goals from Julio Arellano had Barrington up 8-6 in the third, but Orchard Hill responded with goals from Criado and Chris Stratemann. Biddle’s fifth goal of the game ended the chukker and gave Barrington a 9-8 halftime lead.
A renewed Orchard Hill team took the field in the fourth chukker as the wheels started to come off the Barrington wagon.
“I felt like everything I hit in the first half would go in, but couldn’t get a break in the second half,” said Biddle.
And the ball seemed to be bouncing right for Orchard Hill.
“We were just hungry,” said Orchard Hill 8-goaler Roldan, “and we just kept on coming.”
Two more goals from Roldan and single goals from Criado (40-yard penalty conversion) and Stratemann had Orchard Hill up 12-9, as the Barrington offense ground to a halt.
“I thought we rode with them in the fourth,” said Biddle, “but we just didn’t get any breaks.”
Biddle finally got Barrington on the scoreboard again in the fifth with a goal from the field, but goals from Criado and Van Andel gave Orchard Hill a four goal lead to end the chukker, 14-10.
Adding insult to injury, Biddle’s 12-year-old Thoroughbred gray mare, Limu, slipped and fell, and remained motionless for a couple of minutes.
“She was tired,” said Biddle. “I had been riding her all over the field in the fifth, and she slipped.”
The wind was knocked out of her, and when she got up, unharmed, the game continued.
“I think that when Steve (Van Andel) scored to put us up by four goals, it took the wind out of them (Barrington),” said Stratemann. “I think that goal was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“We were all even with them the last time we played them (Barrington) going into the last chukker,” said Roldan, “and gave up three goals three goals in the loss, We weren’t planning on letting down and having that happen again.”
Roldan opened the scoring in the final chukker with a goal, and Barrington 9-goaler Julio Arellano answered with a goal for Barrington, but that would be the last sign of any offense from the local team. Roldan added another goal and Stratemann drove the ball through the Barrington goal posts three times in the one-sided 19-11 win.
“I thought Nic Roldan was the difference,” said George Dupont, the director of the Museum of Polo. “Every member of the team played well,” he said, “but I thought that the way Nic played was the difference.”
Roldan scored six times for Orchard Hill, as he initiated several long drives in the course of the match. Criado and Stratemann added five goals apiece and Van Andel notched a pair of goals in the win. Orchard Hill also received one goal by handicap.
Biddle’s six goals let the Barrington attack. Arellano scored three times and Uskup and Galvan added single goals in a losing effort.
“This (Orchard Hill) is the best team,” said Roldan. “Criado is a dream to play with,” he added. “He is such a team player. And Steve (Van Andel) and Chris (Stratemann) were great. It was a total team effort.”
The efforts of the Orchard Hill team weren’t overlooked when it came time for the trophy presentations as Steve Van Andel was named amateur MVP and his mount, South Boundary was named Best Playing Pony in the amateur class.
Nic Roldan received MVP honors in the professional category and his 7-year-old gray Thoroughbred mare, Dona, received Best Playing Pony honors in the professional category.
Orchard Hill’s Chris Stratemann was aptly named Most Valuable Player of the 2010 USPA Silver Cup tournament for his solid effort throughout the competition.