Jason Crowder (filling in for Freddie Mannix) scored the first goal of the game, but a penalty goal from Zacara’s Martin Ravina had it all even at 1-1 at the end of the first chukker of play.
By Alex Webbe
Ensuing goals from Santi Torres and Paco De Narvaez ran it up to 3-1 for ERG, as Zacara fought to find a way through the ERG defense,
Zacara rolled off three straight goals in the third, getting a goal from the field from Gonzalo Del Tour and a pair of goals from 7-goaler Jeff Blake. De Narvaez accounted for the only ERG goal, and the first half ended in a 4-4 tie.
Two fourth chukker goals from Crowder were complimented by a single gal from Torres, and ERG took a two goal lead, 7-5, into the fifth chukker.
Jeff Blake scored Zacara’s only goal of the period on a penalty shot.
Three more goals from ERG in the fifth were the killing blow as Zacara was held to a single goal from Gonzalo Del Tour, and trailed 10-6 going into the final period of play.
Sixth chukker action was fast and furious, but the scoring was limited to a single goal from Blake as ERG rode away with a 10-7 win and a position in the finals of the Bobby Barry Cup, the subsidiary of the Joe Barry Memorial Cup.
Quotes: “It was a great opportunity,” said Jason Crowder, who scored three times while filling in for Freddie Mannix on the ERG team,” the team went well and I felt comfortable on the field.”
PATAGONES 11, VALIENTE 10
Eighteen-year-old Robert Jornayvaz scored the first goal of the game but Santi Wulff quickly tied it for Patagones with the only other goal of the opening chukker.
Wulff made it 2-1, Patagones in the second, but a pair of goals from Jeff Hall and a single goal from Argentine 9-goaler Nacho Astrada had Valiente in the lead, 4-2.
Patagones delivered three goals in the third chukker as polo veteran Memo Gracida scored twice and Carlos Avendano added a goal. Hall converted a penalty shot for a goal for Valiente, and the first half ended in a 5-5 tie.
Patagones exploded with four goals in the fourth with Gracida and Carlos Avendano each scoring a pair. Valiente fought back, getting single goals from Stewart Armstrong and Hall, but it was Patagones that left the field at the end of the chukker with a 9-7 advantage.
Valiente cut the lead to a single goal in the fifth, getting another goal from Hall and a penalty conversion from Astrada. Santi Wulff scored from the field for Patagones to maintain the lead, 10-9.
Gracida’s fifth goal of the contest had Patagones up 11-9, but Valiente fought back. Hall scored for the sixth time, and continued to press the Patagones defense when the final horn sounded, giving the game to Patagones in an 11-10 win, and a berth in the Bobby Barry Cup finals on Sunday at noon.
“We played a lot better,” said polo legend, Memo Gracida of the Patagones team, “but we have a long way to go.”
“We were more aggressive, but need to get better positioned on the field if we are going to play better,” he added.
Equestrian Idol “All Stars” Musical Cabaret
Annual Polo Ball at Nespresso Grande Pavilion
