Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo 2014 – The Cambridge Challenge Concludes
At Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club
Oxford beat Harvard
Yale defeat Stanford and London Steal Cambridge’s Championship Crown
The Cambridge Challenge came to a grand finale today at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, revealing this year’s champions. Following the success of last year’s tournament, teams returning to compete in this year’s event included the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and Yale University. This year also saw the inclusion of two impressive newcomers to the tournament, the University of London and Stanford University.
It was decision time for these six elite teams in sunny Tianjin on the final day of this year’s thrilling tournament. Things started off with the fifth and sixth place match, presenting Yale with their last opportunity to win a match as they challenged Stanford. Stanford defeated Yale 5–3.5 the previous day, while giving Yale 2.5 points due to the handicap difference, which they repeated today.
Stanford made the first strike, with a goal from Eric Birdsall, making the score 2.5–1 to Yale. The second chukka opened with a goal from John Cook, followed by a beautiful neck shot from Erich Schloss, giving the Stanford team a 3-2.5 lead. But they didn’t hold on to that lead for long, as Yale quickly turned things around with a goal by Arthur Sonnenfeld, who knocked it through the posts. Another quick goal from Chelsea Messinger and the first half was over, with Yale on top for the first time in the tournament, with a 4.5–3 lead.
Yale continued their drive on Stanford with two more goals from Arthur, one of them a penalty. As things started to look as though Yale would run away with the match, Stanford were able to score once more before the end of the third chukka at the hands of Eric. The third chukka ended with Yale still leading, 6.5–4. The fourth chukka showed great determination from both teams. Cyrus Shahabi was able to score for Yale after a drive up the field from Arthur, stretching out Yale’s lead. Stanford managed to score one last time before the match ended, but it was too late, as Yale secured its first win of the tournament with a 7.5-5 victory.
The subsidiary final hosted Harvard and Oxford. In yesterday’s match, Harvard defeated Oxford in great form, managing a spectacular comeback in the second half of the match, outscoring Oxford 4-1 to win the match 6-5. Fighting for the third place today, Oxford made a strong start, scoring first in the match with a goal from Tomas Reynal, finishing a shot taken by Elli Gilje. Another shot scored by Jerome Kamm was quickly answered by a drive and goal from Harvard’s Johann Colloredo-Mansfeld, ending the chukka with Oxford
in the lead, 4-1. In the second chukka, Neil Purdy took a beautiful shot, sending the ball under the belly of his horse and through the posts. Oxford scored twice in this quarter and took a 6-2 lead to end the first half.
The second half started out with a free hit from Johann, who was unable to convert it to a point. At the other end of the field, Tomas managed to take it to the Harvard defense, scoring for the Oxford team. Johann answered, as he patiently moved the ball down the field to find the centre of the posts with a big shot for another Harvard goal. Both teams displayed some aggressive play, but were unable to score in the rest of the third chukka, leaving the score 7-3 to Oxford. In the fourth, Johann was able to power through the tough Oxford defense to close the lead to three. Immediately after, Tomas Reynal broke away for an easy score, bringing their lead back up to four. Another big goal from Lawrence Wang gave Oxford a five-point lead in the back end of the fourth chukka. Thomas Waite scored one more for Harvard, hoping to spark another comeback, but Harvard did not have it in them today, leaving Oxford to take their revenge and win the match 9-5.
The championship game of the tournament presented a fierce line-up from Cambridge, with a 0.5-point handicap, up against the London team. On the previous day, London defeated Cambridge, giving them a confidence boost to start the fifth and final day. The final match of the tournament opened with strong defense shown from both teams, preventing any opportunity of changing the scoreboard. Charles Scott, presented with an opportunity to score, did so with a high shot that made its way through the posts for the first goal of the match. The quarter ended with London in the lead, 1-0.5. Cambridge took control in the beginning of the second chukka with a drive from Sam Browne all the way to the front of the goal, which was eventually knocked in by Cambridge’s Angad Singh. Charles managed to break out of the group of players with the ball and drive it through the posts for another London goal.
The second chukka ended 2.-1.5 to London. In the third chukka, Charles worked his way toward the goal, wound up, and ripped it through the posts for another London point. Charles found another opportunity to score a penalty, and did so, giving London a two and a half-point lead. Charles was on fire as he went on to score one more for London off of a penalty that was almost denied by the mallet of Sam Browne.
Arthur Cole-Fontayn knocked one through the posts off an assist from Charles Scott. The third chukka ended 6-1.5, with London in the lead. In the fourth chukka, the Cambridge squad made a valiant effort, with Sam Browne scoring two for Cambridge, hoping to make a comeback against the London team. Missing a few golden opportunities
late in the fourth, the Cambridge team fought hard till the final horn sounded, but could not change their fate, having to pass the championship crown of the Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo Tournament to the University of London.
At the closing ceremony all the teams were suitably celebrated for competing in the 2014 Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo Tournament. The outcome of the day’s matches left London as the new Metropolitan Intervarsity Polo Champions, after defeating last year’s champs, Cambridge, who, this year, earned second place. Oxford took third place after defeating Harvard, who ended the tournament in the fourth place. Yale, with their first win in the tournament, claimed the fifth place after defeating Stanford, who ended in the sixth place.
The “Most Valuable Player†award of the tournament went to London’s Charles Scott, after a marvelous performance, scoring 13 goals in 3 matches, following a late arrival to the tournament, missing London’s first match against Yale. “Best Pony†of the tournament went to Scott’s pony, Beetle. Charles gave Beetle high praise and credit for London’s comeback against Cambridge on the fourth day of play, when he scored four points in the fourth chukka to take the win. The award for “Most Improved Player†went to Lawrence Wang from Oxford University.
When asked about his experience during the tournament, Charles Scott gave thanks and praise to Mr. Pan Sutong, Chairman of Goldin Group and Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club for organising such an amazing tournament. “It was really well organised, the pitch was amazing, the horses were lovely, and staying at the hotel was a great experience; everything ran very smoothly, and I would like to thank everyone involved in the tournament,†he said.
The full results:
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Result: London vs Yale 10 – 7.5
Stanford vs Harvard 4 – 11
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Result: Oxford vs Cambridge 2.5 – 6
London vs Harvard 9 – 4
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Results: Cambridge vs Stanford 17 – 5.5
Oxford vs Yale 10 – 1
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Results: Oxford vs Harvard 5 – 6
Stanford vs Yale 5 – 3.5
Cambridge vs London 5 – 7
Sunday, 20 July 2014
Results: Stanford vs Yale 5 – 7.5
Harvard vs Oxford 5 – 9
Cambridge vs London 3.5 – 6