Seventy-three-year-old Francisco Escobar was named MVP after his Santa Clara polo team won the 2017 Victoria Performance Cup Sunday morning.
Santa Clara (Francisco Escobar, Lucas Escobar, Landon Daniels and Mariano Obregon) scored wins over Santa Clarita (Kaisser Maakar, Max Torokvei, Magoo Laprida and Alex Silvestre) and Ymas (Jocelyne Groulx, Jacobo Bacariza, Luis Escobar and Benji Daniels) Sunday morning at the Santa Clara Polo Club in a final round-robin for the 2017 Victoria Performance Cup.
Santa Clara had to spot Santa Clarita one-half goal by handicap in the opening two chukkers of play but took immediate control of the game. Consecutive goals by Lucas Escobar, Mariano Obregon and Francisco Escobar had Santa Clara in control of the game, 3-½. Brandon Plunkett scored the final goal of the chukker but Santa Clarita trailed by one and one-half goals, 3-1½.
Francisco Escobar stretched the lead to 4-1½ with his second goal of the day as the second chukker got underway and Landon Daniels got on the scoreboard with a goal for a 5-1½ advantage. Santa Clarita rallied for three straight goals, cutting the lead back to one-half goal, 5-4½, but that was where it ended. At the end of the first two periods of play it was Santa Clara with a 5-4½ victory.
Ymas 1½, Santa Clarita 1
In the second two chukkers of the six-period round-robin, Ymas received one goal by handicap and added to it with a first chukker goal from Benji Daniels. Santa Clarita was unable to score despite several runs at goal. The early lead went to Ymas, 1½-0.
The Santa Clarita team of (L to R)-Alex Silvestre, Max Torokvei, Kaisser Maakar and Magoo Laprida.
Goals continued to be rare in second chukker action as the Santa Clarita defense stepped up their game. A single goal from Argentine 8-goaler Magoo Laprida was the only goal scored as Ymas snuck past Santa Clarita, 1½-1.
Santa Clara 2, Ymas ½
In the final two periods of the round-robin, Santa Clara and Ymas matched 1-0 records and were playing for the cup. Ymas received one-half goal by handicap but were unable to add to it in the opening seven minutes of play. Landon Daniels scored the first goal of the mini-match as Santa Clara rode off the field at the end of the opening period with a fragile 1-½ goal lead.
Two more Santa Clara goals in the second chukker were supported by shutout defense and Santa Clara rode on to win the tournament by a 3-½ score.
Members of all five teams in the tournament were on hand to celebrate and honor Francisco Escobar as Most Valuable Player.
The Santa Clara Polo Club is located at 12293 50th Street South, Wellington, FL, 33467. The matches are free of charge and the public is invited to attend.