Long Beach/Antelope Wins Nixon Memorial in Santa Barbara
By Alex Webbe
A balanced Long Beach /Antelope attack scored a 13-9 winover Chadmar/Nicoma in the finals of the 12-goal Lisle Nixon MemorialTournament at the Santa Barbara Polo Club after trailing early.
Dan Walker scored the first goal of game followed by anotherLong Beach goal from Matt Walker, but three straight penalty conversions byFederico Von Wernick had Chadmar in front 3-2 after the first chukker.
Joel Ladin scored to make it 4-2 until Santiago Trotzconverted a Penalty 4 for Long Beach. totie it up. Roberto Zedda made it 5-3before Dan Walker answered with another Long Beach goal. Chadmar/Nicoma left the field after twochukkers with a narrow 5-4 advantage.
Both defenses tightened in the third period with Matt Walkeraccounting for the only scoring on two penalty conversions. Long Beach took a 6-5 lead at the half.
Ladin scored his second goal of the match to knot it at 6-6,but Dan Walker’s third goal of the game, a penalty shot, kept Long Beach ahead,7-6.
The fifth chukker belonged to Long Beach with Trotz scoringthree goals while the Chadmar offense was silenced. Long Beach led, 10-6.
Both teams exchanged goals throughout the final chukker,three goals apiece, for the final 13-9 Long Beach win.
Dan Walker, Matt Walker and Santiago Trotz scored four goalsapiece for the win. Von Wernick ledChadmar with four goals in a losing cause.
In earlier play, Windsor Capital scored a 13-7 victory overGehache in the consolation round of the tournament with Nicolai Galindo leadingall scorers with five goals. Windsor Capital took a 5-4 in the second chukker,and never looked back.
Art Cameron, filling in for Windsor Capital’s Pat Nesbittscored three consecutive goals in the final chukker while holding Gehachescoreless for the third chukker in the match.
Play will continue on Friday, May 23 in the Pope ChallengeCup.