Hawks and Lucchese win in semifinalthrillers
By AlexWebbe
Players and spectators alike were treated to the fastest polo of the season as the Hawks and Lucchese scored exciting come-from-behind wins in contests that had all eyes glued to the field Wednesday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Balanced scoring for Zacara had Gonzalodel Tour, Jeff Hall and Toto Collardin each scoring a pair of goals while team captain Lyndon Lea chipped in a goal in the early tie. The Hawks cranked up its attack a notchin the fourth chukker with Fred Mannix scoring three goals. Zacara was held to a single goal from Lea,and the Hawks soared to a 10-8 lead.
A determined Zacara team stepped it upon their end in the fifth, shutting down the Hawks offense and scoring fourtimes on goals from del Tour, Hall (2) and Collardin. Zacara left the field after five chukkers oplay leading 12-10.
“They (Hawks) had confidence this time,”said polo veteran Nick Manifold when asked the difference between today’s game and the 13-11 Zacara win in the finals of the Barry Cup. “They (Hawks led going in to the final chukker in the Barry Cup and then gave up three quick goals in the loss,” he said. “Today there was no letdown.”
The pace of the game rose to another level in the final chukker of play. Julian Mannix scored the first goal of the game after receiving a beautiful pass from 10-goaler Aguerre, and brother Fred converted two more penalty shots for goals, and a 13-12 win. A voracious defense kept Zacara off the scoreboard in the final seven minutes of play, despite a last second race to the goal by Collardin that went just wide of the post.
“We just had to win it,” offered anelated Fred Mannix, Jr. after the game. “ForCachi (Garcia-Velez), and Julian (Mannix) and Mariano (Aguerre),” he said, “we just had to win.”
“I think the difference this time wasthe attitude of the players,” said Aguerre, “they never let up and they never thought that we couldn’t win,” he said. “They played very well.”
Fred Mannix led all scoring with nine goals. Teammates Julian Mannix and Mariano Aguerre scored two goals apiece in the win.
Jeff Hall scored four times forZacara. Gonzalo del Tour and TotoCollardin added three goals apiece while team captain Lyndon Lea scored twice.
The win catapults the Hawks into their second tournament final of the season.
LUCCHESE13, WANDERERS/ISLA CARROLL 12
The second semifinal of the afternoon Kris Kampsen provided a great deal of the firepower, but it would be the more balanced attack of the Lucchese team that would take the honors in the match,sending them to Sunday’s Ylvisaker Cup finals against the Hawks.
In a see-saw contest that had Lucchese leading 7-6 at halftime, the spectators that lined the sidelines were treatedto a second consecutive show of horsepower and raw athletic skill as Lucchese fought their way back from a 12-8 deficit to score the 13-12 victory.
“We took the field as a team,” said theteam captain and owner of the Lucchese Boot Company, John Muse, “and we playedthroughout as a team. I’m very proud of each of our players.”
Luis Escobar echoed the sentiments of Muse when describing the effort of the players of the team.
“Any success we have we share as a team,he said. “This has been a team effortfrom the very beginning,” he said, “and it has been one of my best experiencesin the game.”
The Wanderers stormed the field in the fourth period, with Kampsen scoring four goals by himself and Nacho Figuerasadding a goal. Lucchese was held to asingle penalty goal from Escobar, and trailed 11-8.
Kampsen made it 12-8 with the openinggoal of the fifth chukker, but that would be the end of the Wanderers’attack. Over the balance of the fifthand sixth chukkers, Lucchese would outscore the Wanderers 5-1, getting a pairof goals apiece from Weisz and Bensadon and a single goal from Escobar.
Lucchese made a dramatic comeback toscore the 13-12 win and move into Sunday’s finals of the Ylvisaker Cup againstthe Hawks.
Kampsen led all scoring with tengoals. Teammates Sugar Erskine and NachoFigueras scored single goals in the loss.
Luis Escobar led the Lucchese scoring with five goals. Andres Weisz and PanchoBensadon scored four goals each.
Lucchese and the Hawks are scheduled tomeet on Sunday at 3 pm at the International Polo Club in Wellington in thefinals of the 2010 Ylvisaker Cup.