The Pony Express/Detroit Blues (1-1) put together its most explosive offense of the season in downing the previously undefeated Hawks, 16-12, in Wanderers Classic play at the International Polo Club Thursday afternoon.
Julian Mannix opened the scoring for the Hawks, but was countered by goals from Nic Snow and Bob Daniels of the Pony Express/Detroit Blues. Jason Crowder converted a penalty shot for a goal, and the first chukker ended in a 2-2 tie.
The second chukker belonged to the Pony Express/Detroit Blues as single goals were scored by each member of the team (Daniels, Snow, Tomas Goti and Collin McCosh) to take a 6-3 lead. Diego Arellano scored the only goal of the chukker for the Hawks.
The Pony Express/Detroit Blues scored four more goals in the third period, getting a pair of goals from Snow and single goals from McCosh and Goti. The Hawks answered with two goals from Crowder and a goal from the field from Juan Curbelo. The first half ended with the Pony Express/Detroit Blues holding on to a 10-6 lead.
Crowder returned to the field with the Hawks in the fourth, putting up a pair of goals while holding the Pony Express/Detroit Blues to a single Goti penalty goal. The lead was cut, but the Pony Express/Detroit Blues continued to hold a comfortable 11-8 advantage.
The pace continued to quicken as the Hawks continued pressing the Pony Express/Detroit Blues defense. Goals from Mannix and Crowder in the fifth cut into the Pony Express/Detroit Blues lead, as Goti’s penalty goal was all they could muster. The Hawks continued to trail, 12-10.
The teams took the field in the sixth chukker with the Pony Express/Detroit Blues holding a two goal lead, but that was when they really got down to business. With the Hawks smelling a rally, the Pony Express/Detroit Blues amped it up a bit, scoring four goals while holding an anxious Hawks attack to only two goals.
McCosh scored twice in the final chukker and the Pony Express/Detroit Blues got single goals from Daniels and Snow. The Hawks were held to single goals from Mannix and Curbelo and suffered their first defeat in three outings.
In his second match of the day (he played in an earlier 20-goal contest and scored three times) Jason Crowder led all scoring with six goals. Julian Mannix scored three times while Juan Curbelo added two goals to the total and Diego Arellano added a goal in a losing effort.
The balanced attack of the Pony Express/Detroit Blues team had Collin McCosh and Tomas Goti scoring four goals apiece. Nic Snow led the team with five goals and Bob Daniels scored three times for the win.
Wanderers Classic play will continue on Saturday, January 22 at noon when Bendabout/First View (1-1) meets Lechuza (1-1).
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Annual Polo Ball at Nespresso Grande Pavilion
