March 1, 2020 | Empire Polo Club
8-Goal USPA Congressional Cup Finals
4-Goal Congressional Cup Results
In Sunday’s Congressional Cup Finals, Ridgway Hemp (Beau Staley -1, Agustin Bottaro 0, Memo Gracida 5, Alonso Andrade 1) faced Evergreen (Tom Sprung -1, Carlos Galindo 2, Carlitos Galindo 4, Nick Cifuni 3).
Nick Cifuni scored Evergreen’s first goal, followed by Ridgway Hemp’s score by Memo Gracida, which ended the first chukker with teams tied, 1 to 1. In spite of several long runs and big hits, the defense was so strong that chukker two was scoreless for both teams. Play intensified in the third time period. Carlitos Galindo pegged both of his penalty 3 shots and hit an amazing 70-yard missile, that soared high above and between the posts. Alonso Andrade carried the ball through heavy Evergreen traffic, and Memo tapped it in for Ridgway Hemp. The teams went to half time with Evergreen leading, 4 to 2. In the fourth time period Memo and Carlitos each converted a penalty 4, keeping the game close with the score 5 to 3. The momentum switched in the fifth chukker, as Ridgway Hemp’s Memo Gracida came out racing on “Ballet” and racked up 3 points, earning her the title of best playing pony. Nick Cifuni scored a penalty 3 for Evergreen. Alonso Andrade added one, and that put Ridgway Hemp in the lead by one at the end of the fifth chukker, 7 to 6. Memo started the final chukker’s scoring with a converted penalty 2, and one of his classic walk-the-ball through the goal, moving the scoreboard to a 9 to 6 ball game. Ridgway Hemp added two more goals, and Carlos Galindo added one for Evergreen. At the final bell, it was Ridgway Hemp celebrating a victory with a final score of 11 to 7.
The four-Goal Congressional Cup has six teams competing until March 15, when the top two teams will meet for the finals. The teams that drew to play in this Sunday’s match were Granite Bay/S4K (Jay Garnett -.5, Eric Hammon 0, Jim Wright 3, Topo Mendez 1.5) and Luna Polo (Jennifer Alexy 0, Alexis Payan 0, Bautista Von Wernich 1, Diego Larregli 3).
The first to score was Jim Wright for Granite Bay/S4K. Luna Polo fired back with Alexis Payan, Bautista Von Wernich, and Diego Larregli each contributing one goal, ending the first time period with Luna Polo in the lead, 3 to 1. Granite Bay out-scored Luna Polo in the second chukker adding two points to Luna Polo’s one. The teams went to half-time with the advantage to Luna Polo, 4 to 3. Alexis Payan made two goals in the third chukker for Luna Polo. Jim Wright converted two penalty 3 shots and battled his way to score another, ending the fast and furious chukker with teams tied, 6 to 6. In the fourth and final chukker, Granite Bay/S4K was unable to score, while Luna Polo’s Diego Larregli scored twice. That ended the match with Luna Polo winning, 8 to 6.