Iglehart Cup 20–goal tournament play at the International Polo Club Palm Beach

The Wanderers/Isla Carroll and EFG Bank Score Wins in Iglehart Cup

By Alex Webbe

 

The International Polo Club Palm Beach got the 2010 season off to a roaring start in spite of the unseasonably cool temperatures at the Wellington, Florida polo complex as The Wanderers/Isla Carroll and EFG Bank teams scored wins in the first round of the single elimination 20-goal Iglehart Cup.

 

In the feature game of the day, Luis Escobar led the EFG Bank team with eight goals as it rode past a stubborn Zacara side in a 13-11 game.

 

Jumping out to an early 4-1 lead, EFG Bank lead throughout the game, leaving the field at halftime with an 8-5 advantage.

 

Zacara continued to press its attack, holding EFG Bank scoreless in the fourth period, but never got closer than one goal to the determined EFG Bank four.

 

 â€œWe were concentrating on the opposing players,” offered Escobar, “we weren’t trying anything fancy, just marking our men and controlling the ball.”

 

The two teams traded a pair of goals in the fifth chukker, with Zacara’s coming from Collardin and Hall while Bensadon and Weisz scored single goals for EFG Bank.  EFG continued to hold on to a two-goal lead, 10-8, going into the final chukker of play with Bendabout.

 

Escobar opened the final chukker of the game scoring two of the first three goals, including a beautifully-placed cut shot with Bensadon adding a single goal as EFG Bank moved out to a 13-8 advantage. 

 

Two consecutive goals from del Tour and a penalty conversion from Hall had Zacara behind by only a pair of goals as time expired, and EFG Bank rode off the field with a 13-11 win.

Escobar led the field with a total of eight goals with teammate Poncho Bensadon accounting for four goals and Andres Weisz scoring once.

 

Collardin scored five goals for Zacara.  Hall and del Tour had three goals apiece.

Iglehart Cup action is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, December 6 in semifinal play with The Wanderers/Isla Carroll playing Patagones at 1 pm followed by a 3 pm contest between EFG Bank and the Hawks. 

 

 

In earlier Iglehart Cup action, Sugar Erskine scored the first goal of the new season as The Wanderers/Isla Carroll polo team rode on to score an impressive 16-13 victory over Bendabout . 

Kris Kampsen scored the first of his game-high seven goals on a pass from team captain John Goodman and then added another goal to make it 3-0 before Bendabout could find its offense.

“We got off to a good start,” said South African 7-goaler Erskine, “we needed it too,” he added. 

A goal from Nacho Figueras and another from Erskine had The Wanderers up 5-0 before Bendabout finally got on the scoreboard.  With forty-nine seconds left in the first chukker, Roldan scored for Bendabout, who left the field trailing 5-1.

Ulysses Escapite added two goals to the Bendabout total and Roldan added another goal as they cut the lead to a single goal, 5-4, but The Wanderers/Isla Carroll team wasn’t ready to roll over 1yet.  Figueras and Kampsen each scored to end the period giving The Wanderers/Isla Carroll a 7-4 lead after two periods.

Erskine added two more goals in the third and Kampsen’s fourth goal of the match had The Wanderers/Isla Carroll up by five goals at halftime, 10-5, as the defense held Bendabout to a single goal from Owen Rinehart.

“The fields were great,” offered Erskine after the match, I don’t ever remember them playing better, but we couldn’t let up.  This team (Bendabout) was too talented.”

Bendabout continued to press its attack in the fourth, but The Wanderers/Isla Carroll matched them goal for goal.  They (Bendabout) entered the fifth chukker behind by five goals, 13-8.

For only the second time in the game, Bendabout out-scored The Wanderers/Isla Carroll in the fifth chukker, cutting the lead to four goals, 15-11, but try as they might, they couldn’t seem to catch up to the high-flying foursome.

In the sixth and final chukker, Roldan and Gillian Johnston each scored single goals to open play, drawing to within two goals of The Wanderers/Isla Carroll, but a final penalty conversion from Kampsen sealed the game and the 16-13 win.

“I made three of the dumbest plays of the game,” said Kampsen after the game, “and they all came in the last chukker.”

“I think we were a little anxious towards the end of the game,” said Figueras.  “It was a fast game, and we played well offensively, he added, “we just got a little nervous at the end.”

The win moves The Wanderers/Isla Carroll into Wednesday’s semifinals against Patagones.

Kampsen led all scoring with seven goals. Erskine scored five times and Figueras added four goals in the win.

Roldan led the Bendabout team with five goals.  Escapite and Rinehart scored three goals apiece, and Johnston scored twice in the loss.