2009 USPA Silver Cup Finals

MavOffice Takes USPA Silver Cup


By Alex Webbe


 


In polo’s version of “The War of the Roses”, Tom Uskup’s MavOffice team scored a 15-12 win over Barb Uskup’s Barrington team in the finals of 2009 USPA Silver Cup on the grounds of the New Bridge Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina Sunday afternoon.


 


Barrington rode onto the field with an impressive high-goal record this season that included a single loss and the 2009 Monty Waterbury Cup.  High-scoring Tommy Biddle and sure-shooting Julio Arellano were the core of a Barrington team that beat everyone they faced at least once.


 


The MavOffice team had struggled earlier in the fall season, but showed promise from time to time in Waterbury Cup competition.


 


“I thought that we were getting better with each game,” said 6-goaler Julian Daniels.  “We could feel the improvement every time we played,” he added.


 


MavOffice exploded with the first three goals of the game, and held on to lead 3-2 after the first chukker of play.  Two goals from Tiger Kneece and a goal from team captain Tom Uskup set the pace for the game while Barrington’s Tommy Biddle converted a penalty shot and scored a single goal from the field to keep his team in the game.


 


Biddle scored the tying goal to open the second period before the MavOffice attack got to work.  One goal from Julian Daniels and three from Horacio Onetto pushed the MavOffice team ahead 7-3 after two chukkers of play.


 


Onetto opened the third period with a penalty conversion before Barrington fought its way back into the game.  Single goals from Arellano, Biddle and Antonio Galvan gave Barrington new life, as they left the field trailing 8-6.


 


Both defenses tightened in the fourth period with Barrington being held to a single Arellano goal and Onetto accounting for MavOffice’s only goal of the chukker.  Barrington continued to trail by two goals, 9-7.


 


MavOffice played shutout defense in the fifth chukker while putting in three goals of its won to take a commanding 12-7 lead.


 


“We decided that we were going to try and put it out of reach in the fifth chukker,” said Daniels.  “We felt that if we played well in the fifth, we could hold on to the lead through the final chukker.”


 


Riding a 7-year-old chestnut mare named Katrina, Daniels scored two goals from the field on a pair of long runs.  Teammate Onetto added a single goal. 


“I felt pretty comfortable with the game at the end of the fifth chukker,” added Daniels.  “I figured that it would be pretty difficult for them (Barrington) to overcome a five-goal lead.”


 


The final chukker began with a number of penalties being whistled.  Biddle converted two for Barrington and MavOffice relied on penalty conversions from Kneece and Onetto (2).  Barrington continued to battle, adding three goals from the field, but the MavOffice would prove to be too much for them as they fell 15-12.


 


Horacio Onetto led all players with eight goals on the day, and was named MVP.  Julian Daniels’ 7-year-old Bay mare, Dream Catcher received Best Playing Pony honors.


 


“I really thought that Katrina would have taken the honors,” said Daniels, “they both played brilliantly, and of course I’m pleased with the recognition.


 


This War of the Roses ended in a tie.  Barb Uskup and her Barrington team are the proud owners of the 2009 Monty Waterbury Cup while husband Tom Uskup and his MavOffice team are the 2009 USPA Silver Cup winners.