By Alex Webbe
Heronwood received one goal by handicap from the 16-goal Three J’s Cigar Emporium, and held its won for a while, but the high-scoring Three J’s lineup built on a 7-6 halftime lead to capture the 2008 US Trust Cup12-10 on a breezy Sunday afternoon at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Hector Galindo put Heronwood’s first two goals on the scoreboard in the opening chukker, but goals from Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini and J. J. Celis kept it all even at 3-3 after the opening period.
Juan Bollini set the pace for the Three J’s team in the second frame with three goals from the field. John Gobin and team captain Michael Smith Liss each scored a goal to keep it close at 6-5, Three J’s.
Phillips scored his second goal of the game in the third chukker, but Heronwood’s Liss answered with his second goal of the game to trail Three J’s 7-6 at the end of the first half.
“We were working well together in the early chukkers,” said Three J’s J. J. Celis, “but we brought our better horses out in the last few chukkers and really got our rhythm.”
Phillips converted a penalty shot to open the second half followed by a goal from the field from Bollini. Heronwood’s Michael Liss would convert a penalty shot for Heronwood, but it was Three J’s ahead 9-7.
Goals from Phillips and Celis in the fifth period would have Three J’s ahead 11-7 before Liss scored again for Heronwood. Three J’s led 11-8 going into the final chukker of the game.
Celis scored to open the sixth chukker for a 12-8 lead, but two more goals from Liss cut it to 12-10, but time expired, and Three J’s took the Cup.
“If we would have had just another minute,” lamented Hector Galindo, “we were coming back.”
Juan Bollini was named MVP while leading Three J’s Cigar Emporium with five goals. Brandon Phillips scored four times and J. J. Celis added three goals in the win.
Michael Smith Liss led all scorers with six goals. Hector Galindo scored twice and John Gobin added a goal for Heronwood.
PALM BEACH EQUINE DEFEATS GTP 7-4
In earlier US Trust Cup action, Scott Swerdlin’s Palm Beach Equine team scored a 7-4 win over GTP in the consolation round of the tournament.
GTP jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the strength of goals from Ruben Gracida and Jeff Blake, but that was when its offense seemed to go to sleep. A second chukker goal from Palm Beach Equine’s Tommy Biddle and a third period goal from Swerdlin was complimented with fifteen minutes of shutout defense for a 2-2 halftime score.
Jeff Blake opened the fourth chukker with a goal from the field and GTP team captain Marc Ganzi converted a penalty shot for a 4-2 lead before Palm Beach Equine could answer. Mauricio Devrient converted a penalty shot and the chukker ended with GTP holding on to a 4-3 lead.