By
Alex Webbe
Jesse Bray, substituting for an injured Ernie Ezcurra, scored
ten goals as Barrossa (Erik Wright, Jef Graham, Santiago Trotz and Jesse Bray) smothered
Trinity (Rick Paicius, Robin Paicius, Clemente Zavaleta and Agustin Zavaleta) in
the finals of the 2012 Champions Cup finals at the Empire Polo Club in Indio,
California Sunday afternoon.
Bray scored three goals from the field in the opening
chukker while the Barrossa defense limited Trinity to a single penalty goal
from Clemente Zavaleta. Barrossa looked
strong as they took the early 3-1 lead.
Second chukker goals from Bray and Graham had Barrossa
ahead, 5-1 before Trinity could respond.
A pair of goals from Clemente Zavaleta kept them close, trailing
Barrossa by two goals, 5-3.
Bray put Barrossa in the lead, 6-3 in third chukker play,
but a penalty conversion and a goal from the field by Clemente Zavaleta had
Trinity within a goal at 6-5, but that would be as close as they would get for
the balance of the afternoon. Another
goal from the field from Bray was complimented by a penalty goal from Santiago
Trotz. Barrossa left the field after the
first half with an 8-5 lead.
Action settled down in the second half, with Trotz
scoring the only goal of the fourth chukker.
Trinity was blanked and Barrossa moved further in front, 9-5.
Bray exploded in the fifth period, picking up three more
goals from the field and a penalty goal.
Trinity was unable to get on the scoreboard for the second consecutive
chukker, falling behind 13-5.
Clemente Zavaleta scored the first goal of the sixth
chukker on a penalty conversion and added another goal from the field, but the
Trinity rally stalled. Trotz scored the
final goal of the game from the field as Barrossa rolled over Trinity 14-7 for
the 2012 Champions Cup title and the tournament’s top prize money.
Bray’s ten goals were a game high. Barrossa teammate Trotz scored three times
and Graham added a goal in the win.
Clemente Zavaleta
scored all seven of the Trinity goals.
To no one’s surprise, Bray was
named MVP while Ernie
Ezcurra’s mare, Sharapova, ridden by
Bray, was honored as
Best Playing Pony.
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HIGH 9, CASA SOMBRES 8 OT
Rocky Mountain High (Noh Sprung, Roxy Keyfauver, Kimo
Huddleston and Cybele Jordan) needed an overtime goal to score its hard-fought
9-8 win over Casa Sombres (Bolko Kissling, Conrad Kissling, Ernesto Bautista
and Ashton Wolf) in the finals of the Empire Polo Club’s Lions Cup 4-goal
tournament earlier in the day.
In a defensive-minded first period, Casa Sombres scored
the only goal of the chukker with Ernie Bautista scoring from the field. Rocky Mountain High trailed early, 1-0.
Second chukker goals from Bautista and Bolko Kissling
went unanswered as Casa Sombres extended its lead to three goals, 3-0 as Rocky
Mountain High was having difficulties in organizing an effective attack. Ashton Wolf scored the first goal of the
third chukker to put Casa Sombres on top, 4-0 when Rocky Mountain High found
its offense. Consecutive goals from Noah
Sprung, Roxy Keyfauver and Kimo Huddleston had them back in the game, trailing
Casa Sombres by a single goal, 4-3, at the end of the first three chukkers.
Casa Sombres rallied in the fourth, picking up single
goals from Bolko Kissling, Bautista and Wolf.
Huddleston scored twice (once on a penalty shot) to keep it close, but
Casa Sombres left the field with a 7-5 edge with one chukker left in regulation
play.
Penalty goals from Huddleston and Jordan were topped off
by a go-ahead goal from the field from Keyfauver for an 8-7 Rocky Mountain High
advantage, but Bolko Kissling kept the Casa Sombres hopes alive with his third
goal of the game to tie it up at 8-8, forcing a sudden-death overtime chukker.
A goal from the field from Huddleston made short work of
the extra period as Rocky Mountain High rode away with the 9-8 first place
finish.
Huddleston led all scoring with five goals. Keyfauver added two goals and Sprung and
Jordan each scored a goal in the victory.
Bolko Kissling and Bautista scored three goals apiece for
Casa Sombres. Wolf was credited with two
goals in the loss.