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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.

Hanalei Bay takes 2017 Jackalope Cup with a pair of wins

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2017 Jackalope Cup winner, Hanalei Bay, at the Empire Polo Club (L to R)- Krista Bonaguidi, Alvaro Tadeo, Ashton Wolf and Ron Bonaguidi.

Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ron Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf and Alvaro Tadeo) had been close in the last two tournaments only to see Pheasant Hollow (Deb Vermoch, Eileen Duffy, Carlos Galindo and Tim Rudy) take top honors in both the Desert Challenge and the Coyote Classic, but the weekend belonged to them.

“We changed the way we played this weekend,” offered Hanalei 3-goaler Ashton Wolf.  “Instead of turning on the ball we started hitting backhanders to one another.  Our success was all about teamwork,” he added, “four players working together.”

Ron Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the day for an early 1-0 lead over Granite Bay (Cameron Smith, Eric Hammon, Victor Soto and Alonso Andrade) in the round-robin competition.  Cameron Smith tied the game at 1-1 for Granite Bay moments later.  Krista Bonaguidi converted a 30-yard penalty shot for the final goal of the chukker and a 2-1 Hanalei Bay lead.

Both defenses held the scoring in the second period to a minimum.  Alvaro Tadeo scored on a penalty shot for Hanalei Bay while he and his teammates held Granite Bay to a single goal from Smith for the 3-2 victory (a two-day total of 6-5).

“They’re (Granite Bay) a good team,” said Wolf.  “They all all played well,” he said, “They were tough.”

The addition of Alonso Andrade seemed to be just what Granite Bay needed as the chemistry of the new lineup carried them to back-to-back ties in Saturday’s contests against Hanalei Bay and Pheasant Hill, and when the faced Pheasant Hollow on Sunday, they picked up right where they left off.

Granite Bay scored on single goals from Andrade and Victor Soto to go up 2-0 before Pheasant Hollow could mount an effective attack.  Carlos Galindo got them on the scoreboard with the final goal of the period.  Granite Hill left the field at the end of the chukker with a 2-1 advantage.

Tim Rudy leveled the score at 2-2 as the second period got underway, and Debra Vermoch added a penalty goal for the 3-2 edge.  Soto’s second goal of the day ended the game in a 3-3 tie (a two-day total that had the teams even at six goals apiece).

The final two periods of the afternoon would see the Hanalei Bay team continue to roll.  Goals were scarce in the opening chukker as both teams concentrated on defense.  Ashton Wolf sent the ball through the Pheasant Hollow goalposts for the only score and a fragile 1-0 advantage.

Tadeo scored on a 60-yard penalty shot, 2-0, to open the scoring in the final period of the day.  Hanalei Bay stretched their lead to three goals, 3-0, with Wolf adding another goal before Pheasant Hollow could respond.  A 60-yard penalty conversion from Tim Rudy allowed them to escape the shutout, with Tadeo putting the icing on the cake with a final goal in the 4-1 rout.  The two-day total had Hanalei Bay beating Pheasant Hill by four goals, 8-4.

Wolf and Tadeo set the offensive pace for Hanalei Bay in the Jackalope Cup with five goals apiece.  Both Krista and Ron Bonaguidi added two goals each for the win.

The final four-goal tournament of the month, the Holiday Cup, is scheduled to be played at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, December 23rd.  The two-day competition will conclude on Saturday, December 24th.

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://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-775

Hanalei Bay takes the early lead in Jackalope Cup; a strong showing by Granite Bay has them in the mix

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A new Granite Bay lineup (Cameron Smith, Eric Hammon, Victor Soto and Alonso Andrade) made immediate waves in the opening two chukkers of Saturday’s opening round of round-robin play in the 2017 Jackalope Cup at the Eldorado Polo Club by playing Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ron Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf and Alvaro Tadeo) to a 3-3 tie.

Krista Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the day on a 30-yard penalty conversion, 1-0, that was countered by a goal from the field from Granite Bay’s Eric Hammon, 1-1.  Alvaro Tadeo took the lead back for Hanalei Bay with his first goal of the day, 2-1, but Granite Bay continued to battle.  Hammon’s second goal of the chukker had the teams all even at 2-2 after the opening seven minutes of play.

Snow-capped mountains set a majestic backdrop for the polo action at the Empire Polo Club.

Tadeo scored the first goal of the second period as Hanalei Bay see-sawed their way back into the lead, but it was not to be.  A determined Granite Bay attack managed to break through the Hanalei Bay defenders, with Cameron Smith scoring the final goal of the wo-chukker mini-match for a 3-3 draw.

The addition of Alonso Andrade appeared to be just what the Granite Bay team needed as a concerted offensive effort resulted in a goal from the field from Victor Soto for the early lead against defending champion, Pheasant Hollow (Deb Vermoch, Eileen Duffy, Carlos Galindo and Tim Rudy), 1-0.  Consecutive goals from Debra Vermoch, Tim Rudy (60-yard penalty conversion) and Carlos Galindo, however, had Pheasant Hollow on top of a 3-1 score as the chukker ended.

Hanalei Bay’s Ashton Wolf supplied three goals in Saturday’s Jackalope Cup action.

Soto and Galindo traded goals in the fourth period of the day, as Pheasant Hollow continued to hold a two-gal advantage, 4-2, when the momentum shifted.  After having suffered late loses in last week’s competition, Granite Bay supported back-to-back goals from Andrade with a solid defensive effort that left the game all even at 4-4 at the end of the contest.

The final two periods of the day saw Hanalei Bay securing their first win of the season over Pheasant Hollow in a nip-and-tuck match.  Rudy scored the first goal of the final mini-match of the day, 1-0, when the Hanalei Bay defense stepped it up.  A single goal from Ashton Wolf was the only other score in the chukker, 1-1, and both teams rode off the field for fresh mounts for the final period of the day.

A goal from Ron Bonaguidi opened the last chukker of the afternoon with Wolf adding two more goals.  Granite Bay got single goals from Rudy and Galindo, but it was Hanalei Bay with the 4-3 lead as the chukker ended.

Granite Bay had their best showing of the young season as they tied both Hanalei Bay and Pheasant Hollow in head-on-head competition on Saturday.  Hanalei takes a 4-3 lead (against Pheasant Hollow) and a 3-3 tie with Granite Bay into Sundays finals round of play.  Pheasant Hollow, the winner in the first two tournaments of the month (Desert Challenge and Coyote Classic) finds itself on unfamiliar ground with one tie and one loss after the first day’s action.

In Round-robin play, all the teams will play one another for another two chukkers with the totals from Saturday being added to the goals scored on Sunday.  The team with the best record will take the cup.

Jackalope Cup play is scheduled to get underway in a round-robin format, once again.  Competition will kick-off on the Empire Polo Club’s Field 7 at 11:30AM.

The final four-goal tournament of the month, the Holiday Cup, is scheduled to be played at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, December 23rd.  The two-day competition will conclude on Saturday, December 24th

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://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.