El Sur/Tatos Mallets Team Wins Arena Match
By Alex Webbe
Just because the sun goes down, there’s no reason to think that everyone is through playing polo in Wellington, Florida. A four chukker, high-goal arena match that attracted some of the game’s top players was staged at the El Sur polo club to the delight of a crowd of locals Friday night.
Seven goals from Kris Kampsen set the pace for the El Sur/Tatos Mallets polo team as it scored a 13-12 overtime win over Bulltick at the El Sur polo arena in Wellington.
Two three-man teams of 17-goals competed against one another in a high goal exhibition match that attracted a couple of hundred spectators to the lighted outdoor polo arena.
Play began with Kris Kampsen scoring the opening goal followed by a goal from arena 8-goaler Shane Rice. Kampsen adapted to the arena play quickly, scoring his second goal of the game. Bulltick’s received a tying goal from Dominic State before Nick Roldan scored to give El Sur/Tatos a 3-2 led to end the chukker.
Kampsen came back with two more goals in the second chukker and Miguelito added another goal to the El Sur/Tatos total that were offset by three goals from Bulltick’s Shane Rice.
El Sur/Tatos left the arena at halftime with a narrow 6-5 lead.
Torres opened the scoring in the third chukker followed by another goal from Kampsen. Nacho Figueras answered for Bulltick. Roldan converted a penalty shot for El Sur/Tatos but Dominic State answered with another goal for Bulltick. Goals from Kampsen and Roldan ended the chukker with El Sur/Tatos leading 11-7.
A reinvigorated Bulltick team returned to the arena for the fourth chukker, scoring four consecutive goals. Figueras opened with two goals followed by single scores from State and Rice. Dominic State managed a final goal to tie the game at 12 as regulation time expired. Kampsen scored the only goal of the chukker for El Sur/Tatos.
Overtime play in the four-chukker match was fast and furious as long drives by Shane Rice attempted to keep his team on the attack. A clearing shot by Nick Roldan was carried toward the Bulltick goal where Miguelito Torres ended the sudden-death overtime period with his third goal of the game.
Kampsen led all scorers with seven goals. Teammates Miguelito Torres and Nick Roldan scored three goals apiece in the win.
US Arena Team player and the captain of the Bulltick team, Shane Rice, led his team with five goals. Dominic State scored four times and Nacho Figueras added three goals to the mix.