By Alex Webbe
Pony Express/Santa Clara ran up a 5-3 halftime lead over Omar Trevino’s Tres Vinos polo team Friday afternoon on its way to a 9-6 win and a spot in Sunday’s finals of the 2011 USPA Eastern Challenge Cup, sponsored by The Tackeria.
It was the interplay between seven-goalers Hector Galindo and Tomas Goti that netted Pony Express/Santa Clara seven of its nine goals on the day and lifted them to victory.
The 13-goal Tres vinos team received one goal by handicap but could do little offensively in the opening chukker as Galindo and Goti scored single goals for the early 2-1 lead.
Francisco Escobar scored the first goal of the second chukker and Goti converted a penalty shot for a 4-1 lead. Franco Veronessi picked up the first Tres Vino goal from the field, but the chukker ended with Pony Express/Santa Clara riding a 4-2 lead.
Goti’s third goal of the game had Pony Express in front 5-2 before Tres Vinos closed the gap. A goal from the field from Brandon Phillips ended the first half with Pony Express/Santa Clara holding a 5-3 advantage.
Pony Express/Santa Clara opened the second half the same way they had been playing in the opening three chukkers, and another goal from Goti had them ahead by three goals, 6-3. Veronessi scored on a well-placed shot across the goal, and the fourth chukker ended with Tres Vinos trailing, 6-4.
Hector Galindo seemed to won the fifth chukker, scoring twice from the field in stickwork and horsemanship that recalled earlier days for the 7-goal veteran. Miscues and intercepted passes cut any offensive effort by Tres Vinos short, and the period ended with Pony Express/Santa Clara with a comfortable 8-4 lead.
Francisco Escobar’s second goal of the afternoon gave Pony Express/Santa Clara a five goal lead, 9-4 before Tres vinos came to life. Two quick goals from Phillips cut the game to three, 9-6, but time ran out as Tres Vinos was attacking the Pony Express/Santa Clara goal.
Goti led all scoring with four goals. Galindo scored three times and Escobar added two goals in the win.
Phillips scored three times for Tres vinos and Veronessi added two goals. Tres Vinos received one goal by handicap.
Pony Express/Santa Clara will meet Piaget in the finals of the 2011 USPA Eastern Challenge Cup on Sunday morning at 9:30 am followed by an 11am consolation round-robin featuring Elangeni Ranch, Audi/Newport and Tres Vinos.