Tonkawa wins the Iglehart Cup for the third time. L to R-Gonzalo Deltour, Sebastian Merlos, Brenda Dupont, Jeff Hildebrand and Mason Wroe. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalo Deltour, Sebastian Merlos and Mason Wroe) and Enigma (Jerome Wirth, Jeff Hall, Matias MacDonough and Carlucho Arellano) battled neck-and-neck through six chukkers before a strong fifth chukker by Tonkawa lifted them to a one goal lead that held up for the final chukker to win their third Iglehart Cup.
Played on the Tonkawa home field, Enigma scored first with Carlucho Arellano converting a 60-yard penalty shot for a 1-0 lead. Tonkawa responded with goals from Sebastian Merlos and Gonzalo Deltour to move in front, 2-1. Arellano added another 60-yard penalty goal that tied the game at 2-2 midway through the chukker. Tonkawa team captain Jeff Hildebrand moved his team back into the lead, 3-2, with a short penalty goal at the 1:55 mark but Enigma rallied. A final goal came from Enigma 7-goaler Jeff Hall with 52 seconds on the clock, tying the game at 3-3 to end the period.
Second chukker action got started with Tonkawa’s Gonzalo Deltour scoring the first goal of the period from the field, 4-3. Teammate Sebastian Merlos broke free to score a goal just two minutes into the chukker to extend the lead to two goals, 5-3. Mason Wroe’s first goal of the game made it 6-3 before Enigma could respond. The final two goals of the chukker were scored by Arellano (one on a penalty shot), cutting the Tonkawa lead back to one goal, 6-5.
Hildebrand scored the first goal of the third period from the field followed by a 60-yard penalty conversion from Deltour. A resolute Tonkawa held Enigma scoreless and at the end of the first half of play Tonkawa held a three goal lead, 8-5.
The fourth chukker belonged to Enigma’s Carlucho Arellano who scored four consecutive goals (two from the field and two on penalty shots) and gave the lead back to Enigma, 9-8. An Enigma foul sent Deltour to the penalty line with 14 seconds showing on the clock. Deltour converted and the two teams left at the end of the fourth period all even at 9-9.
Tonkawa rode onto the field in the fifth chukker and immediately took control of the field.
Deltour and Wroe each scored from the field to put Tonkawa back in the lead, 11-9.
Deltour added another goal on a penalty shot that had Tonkawa in the lead by three
goals, 12-9. Arellano scored on a 30-yard penalty shot and Matias MacDonough’s first goal of the day came with 14 seconds left in the chukker and cut the Tonkawa lead back to a single goal, 12-11 with one chukker left in regulation play.
Two minutes into the sixth chukker Merlos scored a goal from the field to give Tonkawa a 13-12 advantage. Arellano’s tenth goal of the match came on a40-ayrd penalty conversion, but that was as close as they would get. Both team struggled for control of the ball with neither being able to mount a successful attack. With Enigma deep in Tonkawa territory, the final horn sounded and Tonkawa claimed their third Iglehart Championship.
Deltour set the pace for the Tonkawa team with five goals (two on penalty shots). Merlos and Wroe scored three goals each and Tonkawa team captain Jeff Hildebrand was credited with two goals for the victory. Arellano scored ten times 9seven times on penalty shots) and received MVP honors for his efforts in spite of the loss. Hall and MacDonough scored single goals in the loss.
MacDonough’s gray mare, Farista was named Best Playing Pony.