Lucchese Wins Tournament Opener 11-10
By Alex Webbe
John Muse took the field for the first time this season at the International Polo Club in Wellington and rode away with an 11-10 win for his Lucchese (1-0) team and a shot at the semifinals of the 2010 Joe Barry Memorial Cup.
For Lechuza Caracas (0-2) it was the second consecutive loss for the team from Venezuela (0-2), for Lucchese another challenge on Monday, January 18 when they would meet the Hawks )1-0) to determine the bracket winner.
The game was far from a runaway, but Lucchese managed to outlast Lechuza Caracas, scoring in the final chukker in the 11-10 win in the Joe Barry Memorial Cup tournament Friday afternoon.
Clear skies and warmer weather greeted several hundred spectators who were on hand to cheer on the horses and players as John Muse and his Lucchese polo team took the field for the first time this season. Lechuza Caracas was hoping to rebound from a disappointing 15-8 loss to the Hawks in the tournament opener.
Lechuza altered its lineup, replacing Guille Aguero with Tomas Goti in hopes of producing a more efficient attack. The Lucchese team was merely a refitted EFG Bank team, with Lucchese Boot CEO, John Muse taking the field captaincy for the Barry Memorial Cup.
Pancho Bensadon opened the scoring for Lucchese before Lechuza answered with goals from Nicolas Espain and Goti.
Luis Escobar and Bensadon each scored a goal in the second chukker to knot it at 3-3, with Santiago Torres accounting for Lechuza’s only goal of the second chukker.
Six goals were scored in the third chukker, three by each team, and the teams rode off the field at halftime in a 3-3 tie.
“I felt fine about the game all the way through,†said Argentinean 5-goaler Andres Weisz. I never felt like we were in any trouble although it seems like we trailed by a goal throughout much of the game.â€
Santiago Torres opened the scoring in the fourth period, but Lucchese’s Escobar leveled it at 7-8 with his second goal of the game.
Lechuza seemed to be getting the upper hand on Lucchese in the fifth chukker. Espain and Bensadon traded goals to open the period before two straight goals from the field by young Santiago Torres had Lechuza up by a pair of goals, 10-8. With time running out in the chukker, Escobar scored for Lucchese once more, leaving Lechuza ahead 10-9 with seven minutes left to play.
“When you have a team like this,†Escobar offered, “you really want to play polo,†and play they did.
Lucchese played stellar defense in the final chukker, turning away one Lechuza shot after another while pressing its own attack.
Escobar converted a penalty shot to even it at 10-10, and then scored the winning goal with seconds on the clock.
Following an errant Lucchese shot at goal, Lechuza brought the ball into play. Passing the midfield mark, Lucchese managed to intercept the ball and knock it over the sideboards to end the match.
“We didn’t play our best game,†said Lucchese captain John Muse, “but we pulled it together in the sixth (chukker) and won.â€
Joe Barry Memorial Cup action will continue on Sunday with a noon game between Zacara (1-0) and Mt. Brilliant (1-0). The 3 pm contest will feature Patagones (1-0) and Faraway Polo (1-0).