The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
Oct. 4th 09
It was the finals of the 2009 Spreckles Cup and it was a wild 6th chukker and it all came down to one second that changed it all. It was the finals of the Spreckel’s Cup. There was a huge crowd, probably the biggest crowd in Polo this year anywhere in California. The result came down to really one second. It was a game that was great, but not that exciting for the most part. It was TriTech vs Hanaeli Bay and it started out great for Tritech as they drilled the center 3 times unanswered as Hanalei missed two open goal penalties and trailed 3 to 0 in the first. A bit of life appeared in the 2nd as Hanalei tied for the chukkar. Hanalei tied the 3 rd, 2 to 2 so 1/2 time score was Hanalei down by score of 6 to 3. Halftime was what Hanalei needed and they came out on fire. Horsepower seemed heavy in their favor as the boys in black left the field at the end of the 4th up by 1 and had a 4 and 0 chukkar but it was not over for the boys in blue yet. They roared back to take the lead again, then it got really good as the 6th and final chukkar saw Hanalei take the lead by 1 and miss 4 straight opportunities to get a two goal lead. It was a very close time, but not between the posts and it only counts when it is.
Then Tritech roared down the field barely missing the chance to tie when the black team brought the ball in with about 90 seconds to go they were stopped early and out of bounds. With less than 35 seconds left on the clock, young Jesse Bray grabbed the throw in as the Stick and Palomino (Jason Crowder) celebrated a little too early and tied the game with a few ticks left and it was Sudden Death overtime. Just like that it was all over and anybody’s game. Silent Chris Maloney (of Tritech) seized a missed ball and boomed it up to a waiting Doctor (Gaston Von Wernich) and the rest is history. TriTech becomes the 2009 Champions.
It was a fun final and hard-played game. The field was a little rough and it could have been better, but that seems to be the way it is this year whether it is due to the drought or just odd weather. I am not sure, but it is obvious that we could have bigger crowds in the game with a little more market power as all three big finals this year have had great attendance and it seems that these are the only ones people really know about. The weather was cool today and the crowd was huge and very much into the game.
HANELI BAY WAS not shut out for the finals though. Mrs. Krista Bonaguidi one upped her Hubby with a very hard fought victory in the finals of the Spreckles low-goal. She teamed up with the Collins Gang and took home the Silver in this one. It was a 1 goal victory over Lady Tracy Mulvaney and the hard-riding La Passion team to be the 2009 Champs so congratulations to …
HANALEI BAY/CROSSWINDS – KRISTA BONAGUIDI- CHRIS COLLINS – CHRISTOPHER COLLINS AND JUAN “BATTA’ CURBELO.
TRITECH JESSE BRAY – MATIAS OBREGON- GASTON VON WERNICH – CHRIS ”THE CRICKET” MALONEY
AND A VERY BIG THANKS TO HEATHER AND HER STAFF ON AN AMAZING SHOW HERE TODAY.