By Alex Webbe
Yellow Cab handed Jan Pamela/Little Owl its first loss of the season in an exciting 13-12 match in the International Polo Club’s 12-goal Pro-Am Sawgrass Challenge Sunday morning. Earlier in the day, it was Willow/Blanco taking a close one from Mt. Brilliant, 11-10.
It was a balanced Yellow Cab attack that capitalized on an early 4-1 lead over Jan Pamela/Little Owl to score its opening win in the 12-goal Sawgrass Challenge.
Jan Pamela/Little Owl received one goal by handicap but watches as Yellow Cab rang up four unanswered goals in the first chukker of play. Guille Usandizaga and Francisco Bilbao each scored a pair of goals for the three goal lead, 4-1.
Jan Pamela/Little Owl answered the bell in second chukker action, scoring four goals while shutting down the Yellow Cab attack. J. P. Uihlein scored twice for Jan Pamela/Little Owl with teammates Steve Dalton and Joe Wayne Barry adding single goals from the field. Jan Pamela/Little Owl took the lead, 5-4.
Yellow Cab took its turn in the third period. Goals from Bilbao and Jeffrey were complimented by a penalty conversion from team captain Simon Garber, and Yellow Cab took the lead back, 7-5, as Jan Pamela/Little Owl was unable to score.
Fourth chukker goals from Bilbao and Jeffrey Garber had Yellow Cab up 9-5, but Jan Pamela/Little Owl bounced back. Penalty conversions from Dalton and Barry kept Jan Pamela/Little Owl in the game, trailing 9-7.
Uihlein opened the fifth chukker with a goal from the field for Jan Pamela/Little Owl, but that would be the extent of the team’s offense in the period. Yellow Cab roared back with a pair of goals from Usandizaga and a single goal from Bilbao ended the chukker with a four goal 12-8 lead.
Dalton and Barry scored single goals in the final chukker while Simon Garber registered his second goal of the game. Time would expire with Yellow Cab driving off with the 13-10 win.
Francisco Bilbao led all scoring with five goals. Guille Usandizaga added four goals in the win with Simon and son Jeffrey Garber adding two goals apiece.
J. P. Uihlein, Steve Dalton and Joe Wayne Barry scored three goals apiece in the loss. Jan Pamela/Little Owl received one goal by handicap.
WILLOW/BLANCO 11, MT. BRILLIANT 10
In earlier Sawgrass Challenge play, Willow/Blanco took advantage of two goals by handicap and a 7-3 halftime lead to hold on for an 11-10 win over Mt. Brilliant.
Josh Shelton scored the first goal of the game for Mt. Brilliant but was quickly answered by Brandon Phillips. The first chukker ended with Willow/Blanco sporting a 3-1 lead.
Phillips converted a 40-yard penalty shot in the second with Mt. Brilliant 6-goaler Julian Daniels responding with a penalty goal of his own. The Willow/Blanco lead stood at two goals, 4-2.
Third chukker goals from Tom Sikes, Phillips and Mike Egan stretched the Willow/Blanco lead to four goals. Daniels scored the only goal of the period for Mt. Brilliant, and Willow/Blanco took a 7-3 lead at the end of the first half.
Mt. Brilliant got goals from Carlitos Galindo and Daniels in the fourth, but Phillips added his fourth and Brad Blake scored to maintain the four goal lead, 9-5.
Daniels opened the fifth with a 60-yard penalty conversion before Blake responded for Willow/Blanco with a goal from the field. A pair of goals from Galindo cut the Willow/Blanco lead to two goals, 10-8, as the chukker ended.
Mt. Brilliant mounted a last ditch effort to wrest the lead away from Willow/Blanco, and nearly pulled it off.
Single goals from Galindo and Daniels had it all even at 10-10, but Blake’s third goal of the day broke the tie and gave the win to Willow/Blanco.
Julian Daniels was high-scorer with five goals. Carlitos Galindo added four goals and Josh Shelton scored once in a losing effort.
Phillips led the Willow/Blanco attack with four goals. Brad Blake scored three times and Tom Sikes and Mike Egan added one goal apiece for the win.