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Aspen Valley Polo Club Rallies In Double Overtime Thriller; Mark Tomlinson Named MVP |
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Brit Mark Tomlinson, 32, scored a game-high ten goals including the game-winner early in the eighth chukker and was named Most Valuable Player. “I managed to intercept the ball coming through the throw-in and the guy [Julian de Lusarreta] coming to me was just a bit overcommitted and it opened up,” Tomlinson said of his winning goal. “I eventually had it 10 yards out which you can’t miss but managed to slot it. That was a relief.” Chapa Floppy, an eight-year-old chestnut mare ridden by Argentine 6-goaler Tomas Goti of Pony Express was named Best Playing Pony. Aspen Valley Polo Club (Grant Ganzi, 1, Juancito Bollini, 2, Wes Finlayson, 3, Mark Tomlinson, 6) and Pony Express (Justin Daniels, 0, Bob Daniels, 0, Tomas Goti, 6, Julian de Lusarreta, 6) will be talking about this rare double overtime game for a while. “It was almost like we needed to be seven down to get into gear,” said Tomlinson, one of Great Britain’s top players rated at 7 goals in his native country.
Added Ganzi: “After the first two chukkers I’m thinking this is not our game. Seven goals, I really thought the worse. We didn’t stay to our plan and it cost us. We fixed it and turned the game around. This win is really a good win because we came back from seven goals. I’m proud of our team for not letting it get to us and not giving up.” On a chilly afternoon with winds gusting up to 20 miles per hour, Aspen Valley Polo Club scored six unanswered goals late in the third and fourth chukkers to tie the game at 8-8 on Tomlinson’s 40-yard penalty shot with 1:32 left in the fourth. “When you’re a team that was 8-1 up and suddenly the wind had been completely taken out of your sails, suddenly it’s a different game.”
Pony Express came back to tie it with two penalty goals from Goti and de Lusarreta’s goal from the field after working his way through three defenders. Both teams had opportunities to score in the first overtime chukker. Finlayson robbed what looked to be a sure goal by Bob Daniels just in front of the goal. Tomlinson missed a 60-yard penalty shot. Finlayson also turned back Goti’s goal run sending the game into a second overtime. “We knew we needed to change something after falling behind,” Finlayson said. “We were struggling as a team. We started coming back little by little and got the momentum back.” It didn’t take long for Tomlinson to take advantage of a scoring opportunity in the eighth chukker after the throw-in to clinch the victory for his undefeated team (3-0). After playing so well in the first half, Pony Express players were noticeably disappointed with the loss. “When you are winning by that much you relax a little bit,” said Goti, who led his team with eight goals. “We weren’t playing the same as we were in the beginning. The other team woke up like we knew they would.”
Added Justin Daniels, at 16, one of the youngest players in the tournament: “We were ahead by so many, we let down and they came back. The game could have gone either way but once you’re ahead you should be able to keep the lead.”
“Grand Champions is a great place to play polo,” Tomlinson said. “The fields are great, the weather is great. It has a lot going for it.” Tomlinson is enjoying mentoring his three young teammates. “It’s awesome to play with three young guys,” Tomlinson said. “It’s a challenge for me to make sure they are right mentally. There is extra pressure because you have to make three guys play off you and you’ve got to make them play better because they are all up-and-coming players. If you do that right it’s great because all of a sudden you have three guys working for you, hungry and all playing above their handicap, that’s the idea.”
2015 POLO ON DEMAND Grand Champions Polo Club has a full schedule of tournaments from January to May. Let our polo experts create a turn-key experience including top pros to bring out the best in you and your team. Lessons are available. 12-GOAL TOURNAMENTS JANUARY: The Limited Edition 12-Goal Series; FEBRUARY: USPA Sieber Memorial Trophy; FEBRUARY 24-March 7: $50,000 National 12-Goal Tournament; MARCH: The Top Pony 12-Goal Series; APRIL: Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame Challenge Cup 8-GOAL TOURNAMENTS: JANUARY: Aspen Valley Cup; FEBRUARY: USPA Cyril R. Harrison Trophy; MARCH: The Limited Edition 8-Goal Series and USPA Regional President’s Cup; APRIL: USPA Association Cup 6-GOAL TOURNAMENTS JANUARY: Metropolitan Cup; FEBRUARY: Halo Polo Trophy; MARCH: Madelon Bourdieu Memorial; APRIL: Las Acacias 16-GOAL TOURNAMENTS: MARCH: Santa Rita Abierto; APRIL: John T. Oxley Memorial Trophy
GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB WHERE: 13444 Southfields Road, on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington, 33414. POLO MANAGER: Juan Olivera, 561-644-5050, gcpoloclub@gmail.com INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi, FlexJet and Casablanca. Everyone is welcome to watch high, medium and low goal polo in a relaxed atmosphere that includes a free Argentine asado during the winter, spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the International Cup in November, Great Futures Boys & Girls Club Polo Day and Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament in March and Women’s Championship Tournament (WCT) in April. Admission is free except for special events. |
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