GOOSE CREEK REPEATS WIN; USPA SILVER CUP
Goose Creek repeated as USPA Silver Cup champions having to go to overtime to
defeat a very talented and determined Pony Express team 11-10. The Silver Cup
played at 20 goals is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the United States first
played in 1900 in Brookline, Massachusetts. The Silver Cup is hosted by 302 Polo Club
in Aiken South Carolina and presented by Mercedes-Benz of Augusta. Goose Creek
Polo Team is based at Virginia International Polo Club in Upperville.
Teamwork and organization were critical throughout the game, and never more so
during the extra chukker, when Maureen Brennan jumped on a back shot from Cote
Zegers and threaded a perfect pass to Martin Zegers, who found an open Adam Snow,
who finished the play and the game.
The score was 4-2 Pony Express at the half. After a slow start, Goose Creek scored
four times in the fourth chukker to tie the score at 6-6. Both teams traded goals in the
fifth chukker, and the Zegers brothers gave the defending champion a two-goal lead,
before Nicolas Roldan and Brandon Phillips tied the game, scoring less than a minute
apart to even the score with a little more than 1 minute left to play, forcing sudden death
to decide the outcome of the game.
During halftime it was announced that Aiken resident Owen Rinehart (Charlottesville
native) will be inducted into the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in March
2009. Virginia International Polo Club recently held a clinic given by Rinehart who also
played in Virginia’s only high goal match, “The Guarisco Gallery 20 Goal Matchâ€,
hosted by VIPolo.
Brennan’s Horse Papita was named Best Playing Amateur Pony and Snow’s Amy was
named Best Playing Professional Pony. Brennan won MVP Amateur honors and Martin
Zegers won the Most Valuable Professional Player.
Martin Zegers scored six goals for Goose Creek, Snow added two goals, C. Zegers and
Brennan one each, and the team received one goal as a result of the handicap
differential.
“We (Martin and Cote Zegers) played with Adam this summer, which helped us to be
ready for this tournament,” said Zegers. “Our horses were fresh coming into this
tournament. Today was anyone’s game, and we got lucky at the end.”
Pony Express was led by Roldan’s five goals, Tomas Goti’s three scores and Phillips’
two tallies.