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Stagecoach Challenge finalists to be decided in Saturday action

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Evergreen’s Carlitos Galindo is currently the top scorer in Stagecoach Challenge competition with 12 goals. He will attempt to carry his team to victory in Saturday’s action and earn a berth in Sunday’s tournament final.

With two games already under their belts, three of the four teams competing in the in the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge will have an opportunity to earn a berth in Sunday’s final at the Empire Polo Club when they play their last preliminary games on Saturday, January 6th.

Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzalez and Bayne Bossom) remains the favorite going into Saturday’s game with Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal).  Boasting a 2-0 record and wins over both Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Jim Wright) and Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen), Evergreen is the only undefeated team in competition.

Granite Bay’s Alvaro Tadeo will lead the Granite Bay charge in Saturday’s game against Evergreen.

Boasting two of the tournament’s top scorers in Carlitos Galindo (12 goals in two games) and Juan Jo Gonzalez (eight goals in two games), the team has been averaging 12.5 goals per game and yielding a paltry average of just eight goals per game on defense.

Granite Bay, 1-1, isn’t far off the mark behind high-scoring Alvaro Tadeo who trails scoring leader Galindo with 11 goals.  Eric Hammon is tied for fifth place in scoring with 8 goals in the last two games.  Granite Bay has averaged a respectable 12 goals per game on offense while giving up 9.5 goals per game on defense.

A win by Evergreen will put them into the finals with a perfect 3-0 record while a win by Granite Bay will give both of them 2-1 records and will keep all teams waiting for the outcome of the Empire vs. Hanalei Bay battle.  Evergreen and Granite Bay will meet on Field 7 at 10AM.

The second match of the afternoon will take place at 2PM also on Field 7 features Hanalei Bay with a 1-1 record against winless Empire at 0-2.

After losing their opening game of the tournament to Evergreen, 12-7, Hanalei Bay bounced back to hammer Granite Bay, 17-7.  With Taylor Freeman averaging 4.5 goals per game and teammate Ashton Wolf averaging 4 goals per game. Hanalei Bay has averaged 10 goals per game on offense while surrendering 14 goals per outing on defense.  Empire has the tournament’s number two high scorer with Jim Wright (with 11 goals over two games), but has been unable to mount a successful team effort in the early competition.   Ashton Wolf leads the Hanalei Bay attack with 8 goals over the last two games.

Empire’s Jim Wright is hoping to bring home a victory for Empire in Saturday’s 2PM game.

The two teams with the best records at the end of the day will meet one another in a 2PM championship game on Empire Polo Club’s Field 1.

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Evergreen remains unbeaten with 13-9 win; Hanalei Bay trashes Granite Bay, 17-7

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Evergreen scored their second win of the Stagecoach Challenge Sunday afternoon at the Empire Polo Club by defeating Empire 13-9.

In the feature match of the day, a powerful Evergreen polo team (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzalez and Bayne Bossom) broke open a 5-5 halftime tie to gallop off with a 13-9 win over Empire (Eileen Duffy, Rob Scapa, Jim Wright and Erik Wright) in the second round of play in the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge.

Empire received one goal by handicap from the 4-goal Evergreen lineup but it was Juan Jo Gonzalez with the first goal from the field to level the score at 1-1.  Jim Wright gave the lead back to Empire with his first goal of the day, 2-1, with Bayne Bossom leveling the score with the final goal of the chukker, 2-2.

Carlitos Galindo scored back-to-back goals for Evergreen as they moved in front, 4-2, in second period action.  Erik Wright converted a 40-yard penalty shot to keep Empire close, 4-3.

Jim Wright scored the tying goal for Empire, 4-4, on a 60-yard penalty shot as the two teams battled on.  Single goals from Galindo and Rob Scapa ended the first half in a 5-5 deadlock.

Three fourth period goals from Jim Wright (one on a 40-yard penalty conversion) were answered by a pair of goals from Scapa as Empire inched into the lead, 8-7 as the chukker ended.

The pivotal fifth chukker belonged to Evergreen with Gonzalez scoring twice and Galindo adding a goal.  The empire offense was held scoreless and found themselves trailing by two goals, 10-8, with once period left in regulation play.

Erik Wright scored on a 40-yard penalty shot in the sixth chukker, but the balance of the period belonged to Evergreen’s Galindo.  A penalty conversion and two more goals from the field carried Evergreen to a 13-9 victory.

Galindo led all scoring with seven goals.  Teammates Gonzalez and Bossom each scored three times for the win.  Jim Wright led the Empire attack with five goals.  Erik Wright scored twice and Scapa added a goal in a losing effort.

The win was the second of the tournament for Evergreen (2-0) while Empire remained winless (0-2).

Hanalei Bay 17, Granite Bay 7

In a 10AM Stagecoach Challenge game, every member of the Hanalei Bay polo team (Krista Bonaguidi, Ian Schnoebelen and Taylor Freeman) got on the scoreboard as they rolled over previously unbeaten Granite Bay (Julie Fernandez, Goyo Mariscal, Alvaro Tadeo and Eric Hammon), 17-7.

Opening goals from Ian Schnoebelen and Krista Bonaguidi had Hanalei Bay with the early lead, 2-0.  Alvaro Tadeo and Eric Hammon countered with single goals that tied the game at 2-2 at the end of the first chukker.

Tadeo gave the lead to Granite Bay, 3-2, with a 30-yard penalty goal in the second period, but Hanalei Bay battled back.  Goals from Schnoebelen and Ashton Wolf ended the chukker with Hanalei Bay guarding a narrow 4-3 advantage.

Hammon scored the tying goal for Granite Bay as the third chukker got underway, but that was where their offense stalled.  A goal from Wolf was complimented by two goals from Taylor Freeman (one on a penalty conversion).  The first half ended with Hanalei Bay leading by three goals, 7-4.

Hanalei continued to gain momentum into the second half.  Three more goals from Taylor and a goal from Wolf went unanswered, and Hanalei Bay stretched their lead to seven goals, 11-4.

The Hanalei Bay offense continued to pick up steam in the fifth.  Wolf and Freeman added two goals each while the Hanalei Bai defense shutout Granite Bay for the second straight chukker.  With one period left to play, the Hanalei Bay lead had ballooned to eleven goals, 15-4.

With Hanalei Bay coasting through the final seven minutes of the game, Granite Bay got singe goals from Hammon, Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal.  Schnoebelen scored his third and fourth goal of the match as Hanalei Bay evened their Stagecoach Challenge record at 1-1 with a 17-7 win.  The loss was the first for Granite Bay, 1-1.

Hanalei Bay’s Freeman led all scoring with seven goals.  Wolf scored five times; Schnoebelen added four and Bonaguidi scored once for the win.  Hammon and Tadeo each scored three ties for Granite Bay, with Mariscal contributing a goal in the loss.

Competition continues in the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge on Saturday, January 6th with Evergreen (2-0) facing Granite Bay (1-1) and Hanalei Bay (1-1) meeting Empire (0-2).  The two teams with the best records will meet one another in the final on Sunday, January 7th.

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Evergreen and Granite Bay flex offensive muscles in Stagecoach Challenge

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Alvaro Tadeo led all scoring on the day with eight goals, leading his Granite Bay team to a hard-fought win over Empire in Saturday action at the Empire Polo Club.

Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) ran roughshod over Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) in the opening game of the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge at the Empire Polo Club Saturday morning, 12-7, while Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal) came up with seven second half goals to slip past Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Jim Wright), 13-11 in the four-goal tournament.

Carlitos Galindo and teammate Juan Jo Gonzales scored five gals apiece as Evergreen beat Hanalei Bay on Saturday.

Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap from Evergreen but watched Carlitos Galindo scored the first goal from the field for the 1-1 tie.  Bayne Bossom and Ashton Wolf exchanged goals to end the first period all even at 2-2.

Defenses played tight in second chukker action with Juan Jo Gonzalez scoring first for Evergreen, 3-2 and Wolf countering with his second goal of the day to make it 3-3 after two periods of play.

Galindo scored on a 40-yard penalty shot for Evergreen and followed up with a goal from the field that had his team in front, 5-3.  Wolf drove the ball through the Evergreen goalposts on a 30-yard penalty shot for the final goal of the half, trailing evergreen, 5-4, after the first three chukkers.

Taylor Freeman tied the score at five goals apiece with his first goal of the game, but Gonzalez responded with a goal from the field and a 40-yard penalty goal that had Evergreen in the lead, 7-5, at the end of the fourth.

Fifth chukker goals from Gonzalez and Galindo had Evergreen in front by four goals, 9-5 as they dominated the fifth chukker.  Freeman closed out the period with a 30-yard penalty conversion, with Evergreen on top of a 9-6 score.

Consecutive goals from Bossom, Gonzalez and Galindo in the sixth period put the game out of reach, 12-6, as Hanalei Bay struggled to find any offensive punch.  Ian Schnoebelen scored the final goal of the game but it was Evergreen who rode off the field with the 12-7 win.

Gonzalez and Galindo did most of the damage to Hanalei Bay, scoring five goals each.  Bossom added two goals for the win.  Wolf led the Hanalei Bay attack with three goals.  Freeman scored twice, Schnoebelen added a goal and the team received one goal by handicap.

Granite Bay 13½, Empire 11

It was another high-scoring affair in the Stagecoach Challenge’s afternoon game with Granite Bay and Empire combining for a total of 24 goals being scored on the field in a 13½ to 11 Granite Bay victory.

Five goals from Eric Hammon helped power Granite Bay to a win.

Granite Bay received one-half goal by handicap and added two more in the opening chukker on goals from Eric Hammon and Alvaro Tadeo.  Jim Wright supplied the only first period offense for Empire as they fell behind 2½ to 1 after the first period.

Erik Wright jump-started the Empire offense in the second, scoring twice from the field and adding a 30-yard penalty goal.  Single goals from Hammon and Tadeo kept Granite Bay in the lead, 4½ to 4, but Empire was pressing.

Jim Wright took over for his father in the third, scoring all three goals for Empire from the field.  Hammon and Tadeo each added a goal, but it was Empire with a 7-6½ halftime advantage.

Jim Wright opened the second half with a goal from the field, 8-6½.  Tadeo countered with a goal of his own, 8-7½.  Eric Wright’s fourth goal of the day made it 9-7½, Empire.  Goals from Hammon and Tadeo (60-yard penalty conversion) returned the lead to Grante Bay at the end of the fourth chukker, 9½ to 9.

Tadeo and Eric Wright traded goals, 10½ to 10 in the fifth before a 30-yard penalty goal from Tadeo gave Granite Bay a little breathing room and an 11½ to 10 edge with just seven minutes left in regulation play.

Tadeo scored from the field for his eighth goal of the game as the sixth chukker got underway, extending the Granite Bay lead to 12½ to 10.  A 30-yard penalty goal from Hammon had Granite Bay on top, 13½ to 10, with time running out for Empire.  Jim Wright scored the final goal of the day for Empire in the 13½ to 11 Granite Bay win.

Tadeo led all scoring with eight goals (two on penalty conversions).  Hammon scored two of his five goals on penalty shots.  Jim Wright scored six times for Empire with Erik Right adding five goals in the loss.

Erik Wright scored five times in an Empire loss.

Stagecoach play will continue on Sunday, December 31st with a 10AM game between Granite Bay (1-0) and Hanalei Bay (0-1).  Evergreen (1-0) is slated to face Empire (0-1) at 2PM, while a 10-goal exhibition match between Cottrell 1 (Jenny Luttrell, Gaby Saccullo, Ruben Coscia and Matthew Gonzalez) and Cottrell 2 (Mike Kerley, Jose Rodriguez, Nicolas Maciel and Juan Curbelo) will be sandwiched in between at noon.  All games will take place on Field 1.

General Admission and tailgating are free with a $20 parking fee. VIP is $30 per person with a reservation. Call 760-393-7298 for VIP reservations. Entrance is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St. Visit http://www.EmpirePolo.com for more details

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

2018 Stagecoach Challenge-Prevew

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US Polo Team Jim Wright will be taking the field with the Empire foursome in Stagecoach Challenge action.

The opening round of play in the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge at the Empire Polo Club will debut with a pair of 4-goals games on Saturday, December 30th that will feature Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) and Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) in a 10AM game followed by a 2PM contest between Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Jim Wright) and Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez,Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal).  Both games will take place on Field 2.

On Sunday, December 31st, Stagecoach Challenge will continue with Evergreen facing Hanalei Bay at 10AM and Empire and Granite Bay battling one another at 2PM.

General Admission and tailgating are free with a $20 parking fee. VIP is $30 per person with a reservation. Call 760-393-7298 for VIP reservations. Entrance is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St. Visit http://www.EmpirePolo.com for more details

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Pheasant Hollow runs past Granite Bay and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch for Holiday Cup win

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Empire Polo Club’s 2017 Holiday Cup winner, Pheasant Hollow (L to R) Debra Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Pier. The tournament win was the third of the month for Pheasant Hollow.

Building on their dominance of both Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch (Dave Carlson, Shannon Mendez, Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade) and Granite Bay lineup (Julie Fernandez, Caroline Anier, Eric Hammon and Goyo Mariscal) in Friday’s round-robin competition, Pheasant Hollow (Debra Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Piper) finished the Holiday Cup with a 7-3 win over Granite Bay and a 9-6 victory over Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch.

Pheasant Hollow faced Granite Bay in the first two chukkers of the day and rode onto the field with a 4-2 edge from the previous day’s play (a cumulative total of goals scored determine the ultimate outcome).  Tim Rudy scored the first goal of the day followed by a 30-yard penalty goal from teammate Debra Vermoch.  Granite Bay was held scoreless for a 2-0 Pheasant Hollow advantage.

Granite Bay took control of the second period, picking up single goals from Goyo Mariscal and Eric Hammon and shutting down the Pheasant Hollow attack, but it wouldn’t be enough.  On the strength of the 5-1 lead Pheasant Hollow amassed on Friday, they would record the win, 7-3.

In the highest scoring showdown of the tournament, Pheasant Hollow and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch matched one another goal for goal in the opening seven minutes of the third chukker of the day for a 2-2 tie.  A pair of goals from Rudy were offset by single goals from Shannon Mendez and Alonso Andrade.

Rudy pushed Pheasant Hollow ahead on a goal from the field and a 60-yard penalty conversion, 4-2.  Mendez and Cameron Smith exchanged goals, with Pheasant Hollow remaining on top, 5-3. Dave Carlson scored the final goal of the game for Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch, but the two-day total saw Pheasant Hollow celebrating the 9-6 win and the 2018 Holiday Cup title.

The final two periods of the tournament saw Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch and Granite Bay play to a 2-2 tie, giving the win to Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch on the strength of a two day total of 5-2 two day total.

Goals from Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade had Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch in front in the opening chukker, 2-0.  Caroline Anier got Granite Bay on the scoreboard, but trailed 2-1.

Anier’s second goal of the day went unanswered with Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch taking the win with a two-day total of 5-2.

The Holiday Cup win was the third of the month for Peasant Hollow and was powered by a total of 11 goals from Tim Rudy over the two-day event.

The Holiday Cup was the Empire Polo Club’s fourth and final tournament of the month, but plenty of action is in store with the Opening Day/Hat Day of the 2018 season and the beginning of the Stagecoach Challenge on Sunday, December 31st.

The 2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers there months of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.