Altair vs. Mt. Brilliant

02/11/2012, 3:00 pm |

Mt. Brilliant - 10, Altair - 9

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.