Ylvisaker Cup Forfeits to El Cabure

 

By Alex Webbe

 

In a surprising turn of events Valiente - Robert Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and Adolfo Cambiaso were forced to forfeit the final of the 2014 Ylvisaker Cup, giving the trophy to El Cabure - Scott Wood, Sugar Erskine, Agustin Merlos and Carlucho Arellano without a chukker being played.

 

It appears that in a little known rule of the United States Polo Association’s, an improper replacement of a Valiente player made the team ineligible.

 

 

According to a statement issued by the International Polo Club, “Valiente was informed an hour before the game that due to a technicality one of the players on their roster was not eligible to play, therefore they elected to withdraw.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A replacement team was quickly recruited to replace the Valiente team on the field, and in short order, an ERG team - Kelly Plato, Juan Martin Obregon, Marianito Obregon and Jose Donoso rode onto the field to battle the veteran El Cabure lineup in a four chukker exhibition game.

 

 

Without the benefit of handicap from the 20-goal El Cabure team, the 18-goal ERG team of replacement players lost 5-3, with El Cabure team captain Scott Wood scoring four of his team’s five goals.

 

Marianito Obregon scored twice for ERG; with Jose Donoso picking up his team’s only other goal in the 5-3 loss.

 

AUDI 11, FARAWAY 9

 

Earlier in the day, Audi - Grant Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Nic Roldan and Freddie Mannix scored an 11-9 win over Faraway - Santiago Chavanne, Martin Pepa, Mariano Gonzalez and Hutton Goodman in the Ylvisaker Cup subsidiary tournament.

 

With fifteen-year-old Grant Ganzi replacing his father, Marc, in the lineup, Audi took an immediate 1-0 lead for a 1-0 start. First chukker goals from Fred Mannix and Nic Roldan penalty goal gave Audi a 3-0 edge.

 

The two teams traded goals in the second with Roldan adding two more goals for Audi while Faraway picked up a penalty and a goal from the field from Gonzalez. After two chukkers of play, Audi found themselves in control of a 5-3 game.

 

Single goals from Martin Pepa and Nic Roldan cancelled one another out as the first half came to a close. Audi rode off the field with a 6-4 halftime lead.

 

Roldan got Audi on the right track as the talented 8-goaler accounted for all three of the Audi goals. Roldan opened the chukker by converting a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal. Two more goals from the field from Roldan were answered by a single penalty goal from Gonzalez. At the end of the fourth chukker, Audi was driving off with a four goal, 9-5 advantage.

 

Faraway rallied in the fifth period, picking up a pair of goals from Santiago Chavanne and a single goal from Hutton Goodman. Mannix scored a single goal for Audi who continued to led, 10-8.

 

Faraway continued to press and looked to build on the momentum they picked up in the previous chukker, but that would not be the case. Chavanne brought Faraway to within a goal in the final chukker, but Roldan put the nail in the coffin with his eighth goal of the game in the team’s 11-9 victory.

 

Roldan led all scoring with eight goals and was named MVP for his efforts. Mannix added two goals and the team received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Faraway lineup. Gonzalez set the pace for Faraway with four goals. Chavanne scored three times while Pepa and Goodman were each credited with a goal in the course of the match. Gonzalez’s gray mare, Meghan, received Best Playing Pony honors.