Mt. Brilliant edges Altair, 10-9, in OT in Freebooters
Classic
By Alex Webbe
Mt. Brilliant (3-0) watched an early lead fade
before rallying to score a 10-9 overtime win over a talent-laden Altair (0-2) team
in play in the 2012 Freebooters Classic at the International Polo Club in
Wellington Saturday afternoon.
Brandon Phillips converted a 60-yard penalty
shot and added a goal from the field to put Mt. Brilliant out to an early 2-0
lead. Carlos Gracida got Altair on the
scoreboard with a goal from the field followed by another Mt. Brilliant score
from Tommy Collingwood. At the end of
the first chukker, Mt. Brilliant was on top, 3-1.
Altair rallied in the second, picking up a
pair of goals from Carlitos Gracida (one from the field and one on a penalty
shot). Julio Gracida scored his first
goal of the game for a 4-4 tie. Mt.
Brilliant got a single goal from Collingwood.
Carlitos Gracida scored his third goal of the
game to account for the only offense in the third period. The first half ended with Altair holding onto
a narrow 5-4 advantage.
Carlitos Gracida ran the Altair lead up to
two goals with a goal from the field.
Phillips responded with a goal for Mt. Brilliant as they continued to
trail by a single goal, 6-5.
Phillips scored the tying goal in the opening
minutes of the fifth chukker, and a goal from teammate Juan Monteverde had them
in the lead, 7-6, but goals from Carlos Gracida and Julio Gracida quickly
reversed that lead. The chukker ended
with Altair edging Mt. Brilliant, 8-7.
Guillermo Steta scored in the sixth chukker
to give Altair a 9-7 lead, but Mt. Brilliant stormed back. A pair of goals from team captain Bo Goodman
knotted it up at 9-9 and forcing a sudden-death overtime chukker.
It was Tommy Collingwood that made short work
of the extra chukker, scoring his third goal of the game and carrying Mt.
Brilliant to a 10-9 win over Altair.
Phillips led the Mt. Brilliant attack with
four goals. Collingwood scored three
times; Goodman added two goals and Monteverde scored once in the victory.
Carlitos Gracida scored four goals for
Altair, Carlos Gracida and Julio Gracida scored two goals apiece and Steta
added a goal in the loss.