Black Watch Bests PonyExpress 8-7

By Alex Webbe

“I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS,” said BrandonPhillips, playfully, after Black Watch’s 8-7 win over Pony Express in theopening round of play in the Grand Champions Polo Club’s Spring Challenge Cup.

Black Watch received three goals by handicap from the18-goal Pony Express team and took advantage of two goals from team captainNeil Hirsch and great defense to lead 5-0 after the opening chukker.

Hector Galindo converted a penalty shot to make it 6-0before John Gobin got Pony Express on the scoreboard to end the chukker 6-1.

J. J. Celis scored two more goals for Pony Express as theBlack Watch attack slowed. 

A final goal from Daniels ended the first half with PonyExpress trailing 6-4.

“We had it going pretty strong in the first couple ofchukkers,” said Black Watch 8-goaler Hector Galindo.  “Then when we needed to turn it back onagain, we had a little trouble,” he added.

Hirsch scored his third goal of the game to open the fourthperiod, but Daniels countered for Pony Express. Martin Pepa scored his first goal of the game to make it 8-5, and BlackWatch appeared to have take back control of the game.

The Pony Express defense played well in the final twochukkers as it ate away at the Black Watch lead.  Brad Blake scored for Pony Express in thefifth period and Daniels added a goal in the sixth chukker, but in spite ofholding Black Watch scoreless for the final fifteen minutes of the game, PonyExpress found itself on the losing end of an 8-7 score.

“The fields were amazing,” said 4-goaler Martin Pepa,reflecting on the play of the Black Watch field.  “It carried the ball just the way you wantedit to.”

Galindo and Gonzalo Del Tour also gave a great deal ofcredit to the field while Hirsch lamented the play of his horses.

“I had a little trouble with the horses today,” hesaid.  “Maybe it was the horses, maybe itwas me,” he smiled.

Hirsch scored three goals for Black Watch.  Teammates Martin Pepa and Hector Galindoadded single goals and it received three goals by handicap.

Marc Daniels led the Pony Express attack with threegoals.  J. J. Celis scored twice and JohnGobin and Brad Blake each scored one goal.

ROCCO’S TACOS 10,NEWPORT 9, OT

In earlier tournament action, Juan Bollini led all scoringwith five goals as Rocco’s Tacos defeated a game Newport team in overtime inthe opening match of the Spring Challenge Cup, sponsored by Rocco’s Tacos andTequila Bar of West Palm Beach.

Bollini scored the opening two goals of the game in thefirst chukker and Rocco’s Tacos rode out to a 4-1 lead.

The Newport defense held Rocco’s Tacos scoreless in thesecond period and Tom Biddle scored to cut the lead to two goals.  Newport trailed 4-2.

Tommy Collingwood converted his second penalty goal of thegame to open the third chukker before goals from Marc Ganzi and BrandonPhillips cut the Rocco’s Tacos lead to 5-4.

Newport stormed onto the field for the fourth chukkerscoring goals from Gene Goldstein, Brandon Phillips and Tommy Biddle to take a7-5 lead.  Bollini scored his third goalof the game, but Rocco’s Tacos left the field trailing 7-6.

Defense ruled the field in the fifth chukker.  A single goal from Kris Kampsen tied it up at7-7, and the period ended.

Kampsen converted a penalty shot in the sixth chukker togive Rocco’s Tacos a short-lived 8-7 lead before Gene Goldstein knotted it at8-8.  Bollini scored to make it 9-8 infavor of Rocco’s Tacos, but Newport fought back, with Biddle adding his thirdgoal of the game to tie it at 9-9 and force a sudden-death overtimechukker. 

Both teams wasted early scoring opportunities in the seventhchukker until Bollini took the ball out of an equestrian scrum in front of theNewport to score the winning goal.

Bollini scored five times; Kampsen added three goals andTommy Collingwood scored twice in the win.

Tommy Biddle scored three goals fro Newport.  Phillips and Goldstein scored two goalsapiece and Marc Ganzi added a goal.