Nico Escobar scored five goals in the Agua Clara 9-6 win.
(Photo courtesy of Sandy Klein)
By Whitney Webbe
Opening day wins by Santa Clara (Federico Escobar, Max Secunda and Francisco Escobar) and Agua Clara (Mauricio Herrera, Nico Escobar, Weston Gracida and Luis Escobar) in the 2013 Choice of Champions USPA Masters Cup at the Santa Clara Polo Club in Wellington established the finalists in the four team 8-goal competition.
Santa Clara spotted Tulun (Victor Wulf, Javier Guerra, Omar Sosa and Juan Guirlanda) two goals with and scored the only goal of the opening chukker. Tulun was scoreless but led 2-1 on the strength of the two goals by handicap.
Secunda tied it up with his second goal of the game in the opening minute of the second period, 2-2. Secunda’s second goal of the chukker and third of the game ended the period with Santa Clara in the lead, 3-2. For the second consecutive chukker Tulun was unable to score.
Tulun’s Victor Wulf tied it up at 3-3 with his first goal of the game, but fouls gave the momentum back to Santa Clara. Francisco Escobar converted two penalty shots for goals and the Santa Clara lead grew to 5-3 to end the first half.
The two teams traded goals in the fourth with Santa Clara getting a goal from the field from Secunda and another penalty goal from Francisco Escobar. Tulun answered back with a penalty conversion from Wulf and a goal from the field from Juan Guirlanda. Santa Clara continued to lead, 7-5.
Secunda was on fire again in the fifth as he scored his fifth goal of the game in the opening minute of the chukker, and added another about halfway through the period. Tulun clawed their way back into the game with a penalty goal from Javier Guerra and a goal from the field from Wulf. The Santa Clara lead remained at two goals, 9-7, with one chukker left in regulation play.
Federico Escobar opened the sixth chukker with his first score of the game followed by a penalty goal from Francisco Escobar and Secunda’s seventh goal of the afternoon for a commanding 12-7 lead with 2:36 left to play. Wulf and Guerra scored the final goals of the game, but it was Santa Clara that took the match, 12-9.
Secunda led all scoring with seven goals. Francisco Escobar scored all four of his goals on penalty shots. Federico Escobar added one goal in the victory. Wulf led the Tulun attack with four goals (three on penalty shots). Guirlanda scored twice and Guerra added a goal in the loss. Tulun also received two goals by handicap.
AGUA CLARA 9, ELEGANTE POLO 6
Agua Clara captured the other berth in the Choice of Champions USPA Masters Cup with a 9-6 win over Elegante Polo (Robert Kiger, Tito Robledo, Armando Huerta and Tom Blake) later in the day.
Agua Clara received one goal by handicap from Elegante Polo and quickly added to it with a first chukker penalty goal from Mauricio Herrera. Shutout defense kept Elegante Polo scoreless, 2-0.
Nico Escobar added two more goals to the Agua Clara total, scoring once on a penalty shot and once from the field. For the second consecutive chukker Elegante Polo was unable to get on the scoreboard and trailed 4-0.
Nico Escobar’s third goal of the day had Agua Clara on top of a 5-0 score. Tommy Blake scored Elegante Polo’s first goal of the game at the 4:17 mark of the third chukker, 5-1. Mauricio Herrera first goal of the afternoon made it 6-1, Agua Clara. Robert Kiger scored Elegante Polo’s second goal of the game with Nico Escobar running the Agua Clara lead up to five goals again with a last second score for a 7-2 halftime lead.
Both defenses tightened up again in the fourth. Nico Escobar scored his fifth goal over four minutes into the chukker. Tito Robledo kept the pressure on with a goal for Elegante Polo. Agua Clara remained in control of the match, 8-3.
Robledo second goal of the day opened the scoring in the fifth, 8-4, and a well-executed neck shot from Blake cut the Agua Clara lead to three goals, 8-5. Herrera carried the ball over 160 yards down the field for a goal with just three seconds on the clock, pushing the Agua Clara lead back to four goals, 9-5.
Goals were hard to come by in the final period of play. Robledo scored the final goal of the game with less than three minutes left in the game and when the final horn sounded Agua Clara rode off the field with a 9-6 win and an appointment with Santa Clara in the finals on Saturday morning at 11:30AM. Both the final and the consolation match between Tulun and Elegante Polo (at 10AM) will take place at the Santa Clara Polo Club located at 12301 50th Street South, there is no charge for admission and the public is invited to attend.