Hawks and Lucchese win in semifinal thrillers
By Alex Webbe
Players and spectators alike were treated to the fastest polo of the season as the Hawks and
Lucchese scored exciting come-from-behind wins in contests that had all eyes glued to the field Wednesday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
In the opening game of the day, and a virtual rematch of the finals of the 2010 Joe Barry Memorial Cup finals (Zacara won, 13-11), Zacara and the Hawks faced-off.
In a fast-paced, give-and-take matchup, the teams were all even at the half, 7-7, as Fred Mannix, Jr. led the Hawks attack with four goals. Teammate Mariano Aguerre scored twice and brother, Julian Mannix, added a goal.
Balanced scoring for Zacara had Gonzalo del Tour, Jeff Hall and Toto Collardin each scoring a pair of goals while team captain Lyndon Lea chipped in a goal in the early tie.
The Hawks cranked up its attack a notch in the fourth chukker with Fred Mannix scoring three goals. Zacara was held to a single goal from Lea, and the Hawks soared to a 10-8 lead.
A determined Zacara team stepped it up on their end in the fifth, shutting down the Hawks offense and scoring four times on goals from del Tour, Hall (2) and Collardin. Zacara left the field after five chukkers o play leading 12-10.
“They (Hawks) had confidence this time,†said polo veteran Nick Manifold when asked the difference between today’s game and the 13-11 Zacara win in the finals of the Barry Cup. “They (Hawks led going in to the final chukker in the Barry Cup and then gave up three quick goals in the loss,†he said. “Today there was no letdown.â€
The pace of the game rose to another level in the final chukker of play. Julian Mannix scored the first goal of the game after receiving a beautiful pass from 10-goaler Aguerre, and brother Fred converted two more penalty shots for goals, and a 13-12 win. A voracious defense kept Zacara off the scoreboard in the final seven minutes of play, despite a last second race to the goal by Collardin that went just wide of the post.
“We just had to win it,†offered an elated Fred Mannix, Jr. after the game. “For Cachi (Garcia-Velez), and Julian (Mannix) and Mariano (Aguerre),†he said, “we just had to win.â€
“I think the difference this time was the attitude of the players,†said Aguerre, “they never let up and they never thought that we couldn’t win,†he said. “They played very well.â€
Fred Mannix led all scoring with nine goals. Teammates Julian Mannix and Mariano Aguerre scored two goals apiece in the win.
Jeff Hall scored four times for Zacara. Gonzalo del Tour and Toto Collardin added three goals apiece while team captain Lyndon Lea scored twice.
The win catapults the Hawks into their second tournament final of the season.
LUCCHESE 13, WANDERERS/ISLA CARROLL 12
The second semifinal of the afternoon Kris Kampsen provided a great deal of the firepower, but it would be the more balanced attack of the Lucchese team that would take the honors in the match, sending them to Sunday’s Ylvisaker Cup finals against the Hawks.
In a see-saw contest that had Lucchese leading 7-6 at halftime, the spectators that lined the sidelines were treated to a second consecutive show of horsepower and raw athletic skill as Lucchese fought their way back from a 12-8 deficit to score the 13-12 victory.
“We took the field as a team,†said the team captain and owner of the Lucchese Boot Company, John Muse, “and we played throughout as a team. I’m very proud of each of our players.â€
Luis Escobar echoed the sentiments of Muse when describing the effort of the players of the team.
“Any success we have we share as a team, he said. “This has been a team effort from the very beginning,†he said, “and it has been one of my best experiences in the game.â€
The Wanderers stormed the field in the fourth period, with Kampsen scoring four goals by himself and Nacho Figueras adding a goal. Lucchese was held to a single penalty goal from Escobar, and trailed 11-8.
Kampsen made it 12-8 with the opening goal of the fifth chukker, but that would be the end of the Wanderers’ attack. Over the balance of the fifth and sixth chukkers, Lucchese would outscore the Wanderers 5-1, getting a pair of goals apiece from Weisz and Bensadon and a single goal from Escobar.
Lucchese made a dramatic comeback to score the 13-12 win and move into Sunday’s finals of the Ylvisaker Cup against the Hawks.
Kampsen led all scoring with ten goals. Teammates Sugar Erskine and Nacho Figueras scored single goals in the loss.
Luis Escobar led the Lucchese scoring with five goals. Andres Weisz and Pancho Bensadon scored four goals each.
Lucchese and the Hawks are scheduled to meet on Sunday at 3 pm at the International Polo Club in Wellington in the finals of the 2010 Ylvisaker Cup.