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Evergreen goes to 2-0 in USPA Sportsmanship Cup Competition

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The Empire polo team (L to R)-Jim Wright, Erik Wright, Rob Scapa and Eileen Duffy with representatives of the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa at the Empire Polo Club Sunday afternoon. Empire edged Granite Bay, 8-7, in a United States Polo Association Sportsmanship Cup match.

Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Nicolas Maciel) rebounded from a humiliating 12-3 loss in USPA Sportsmanship play on Saturday to record a hard-fought 8-7 win over Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Alvaro Tadeo, Jenny Alter and Diego Cruz) Sunday afternoon at the Empire Polo Club, bringing an end to a day loaded with polo action.

Granite Bay drew first blood, however, with Alvaro Tadeo scoring the first goal of the match for the early 1-0 lead.  Empire countered with a goal from Jim Wright to end the first chukker in a 1-1 tie.

Erik Wright’s first goal of the day gave Empire their first lead of the day, 2-1, but Granite Bay continued to press their attack.  An empire foul sent Tadeo to the penalty line where he converted from 60-yards out for the final goal of the period to make it 2-2.

Both teasms played disciplined defense with Jim Wright and Tadeo exchanging goals in the third.  At the midway point, the score remained level at 3-3.

Pressure from Empire in the fourth chukker resulted in a pair of Granite Bay fouls.  Jim Wright took advantage of the Granite Bay errors, converting from 40-yars and 60-yards respectively.  The Empire defenders held firm, shutting out the Granite Bay attack for the first time all day.  After four periods of play, Empire had taken a two-goal, 5-3 advantage.

Granite Bay erupted for three consecutive goals in the fifth with goals from Diego Cruz, Tadeo and Eric Hammon boosting them into the lead, 6-5.  Jim Wright countered with back-to-back goals for Empire, ending the period on top of Granite Bay, 7-6.

Erik Wright opened the scoring in the sixth with his second score of the day, extending the Empire lead to two goals, 8-6, but there was no quit in Granite Bay.  Tadeo scored for the fourth time, but time was on Empire’s side as they held on for the 8-7 win.

Jim Wright led all scoring with six goals (two on penalty conversions).  Erik Wright added a pair of goals for the win.  Tadeo led the Granite Bay attack with three goals from the field and a penalty goal.  Hammon and Cruz each added a goal in a losing effort.

Evergreen 8, Hanalei Bay 7

Earlier in the day, Carlitos Galindo dazzled the Sunday crowd by scoring seven times in leading Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) to their second tournament win in as many days as they outlasted Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) in a hotly-contested 8-7 win.

Although Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap, an aggressive Evergreen defense held them scoreless from the field in the opening two chukkers.  Single goals from Galindo and Bayne Bossom had Evergreen in front, 2-1, after the first.  A pair of 40-yard penalty goals from Galindo in the second period extended the Evergreen led to three goals, 4-1.

A goal from Ashton Wolf in the third cut the Evergreen lead down to two goals in the third, but their defense was unable to shut down Galindo.  His fourth goal on the day ended the first half with Evergreen leading by three goals, 5-2.

A re-focused Hanalei Bay team took the field in the fourth chukker and appeared to be in sync.  Consecutive goals from Ian Schnoebelen, Wolf and Taylor Freeman went unanswered.  The fourth period ended with Evergreen and Hanalei Bay all even at five goals apiece.

Goals were hard to come by in the fifth with both defenses stepping it up a notch.  A single 40-yard penalty goal from Galindo accounted for all of the scoring as Evergreen edged out to a narrow 6-5 lead with once period remaining in regulation play.  Freeman and Galindo traded goals in the sixth, each scoring twice, as Evergreen escaped with the 8-7 win.

Galindo’s seven goals set the pace for the day.  Bossom added a goal for the Evergreen victory.  Freeman scored a team-high three goals for Hanalei Bay.  Wolf added a pair of goals, Schnoebelen scored once and the team received one goal by handicap in the loss.

All four teams will return next week for the completion of the 2018 USPA Sportsmanship Cup.

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

Saturday’s Sportsmanship Cup results: Evergreen 12, Empire 3; and Hanalei Bay 13, Granite Bay 6.

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 takes Stagecoach Challenge behind nine goals from Carlitos Galindo

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2018 Stagecoach Challenge winners-Evergreen (L to R), Juan Jo Gonzalez, Bayne Bossom, Carlitos Galindo and Tom Sprung were undefeated in two days of competition at the Empire Polo Club.

Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) and Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) rode into Sunday’s final of the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge at the Empire Polo Club with high-scoring offenses that had averaged about 13-goals-per game (Evergreen 13; Hanalei Bay, 12.6) after three games, setting the stage for a high-scoring championship match that would feature some of the tournament’s top scorers, and they didn’t disappoint.

Carlitos Galindo rocked the Hanalei Bay defenders in first chukker action that saw him score three consecutive goals for the early 3-1 edge (Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap).  Taylor Freeman scored Hanalei Bay’s first goal from the field to end the first with Evergreen holding on to a 3-2 advantage.

Fouls by Hanalei Bay got them into trouble early in the second period, and Evergreen made them pay.  Galindo converted a penalty shot from 60-yards while teammate Bayne scored on a 30-yarder.  Both Galindo and Bossom added goals from the field as Evergreen rocketed out to a 7-2 lead.  Ashton Wolf scored the final goal of the period, but Hanalei Bay trailed by four goals, 7-3.

Hanalei Bay, (L to R)-Krista Bonaguidi, Ian Schnoebelen, Ashton Wolf and Taylor Freeman.

Hanalei Bay scratched their way back into the game in the third, cutting the lead back to 7-5 on goals from Wolf and Freeman (a 40-yard penalty conversion), but it wasn’t to be.  Galindo added a penalty goal and a goal from the field with Juan Jo Gonzalez scoring his first goal of the day on a penalty shot to give Evergreen a commanding 10-5 halftime lead.

The Hanalei Bay defense stepped it up in the fourth, holding Evergreen scoreless for the first time all day, but were unable to capitalize on it.  A single goal from Wolf was all they could muster, offensively, and continued to trail, 10-6.

Bossom’s single goal in the fifth for Evergreen was the only score of the period as solid defensive efforts slowed down both attacking efforts.  The Evergreen led returned to five goals, 11-6, with one period left in regulation play.

Gonzalez added a goal and Galindo scored twice (one on a penalty shot) while an impotent Hanalei Bay attack was unable to mount a successful scoring effort for the second consecutive chukker.  When the final horn sounded it was Evergreen with the convincing 14-6 victory.

Carlitos Galindo led all scoring with an impressive nine goals.  He also finished the tournament as high-scorer with a total of 26 goals in four games.  Bossom added three goals and Gonzalez scored twice for the win.  Wolf scored three times for Hanalei Bay.  Freeman added two goals and the team received one goal by handicap.

Empire 7, Granite Bay 5

In a noon Stagecoach Challenge consolation game, it was Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Nicolas Maciel) sneaking past Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal), 7-5.

First chukker goals from Nicolas Maciel (substituting for Jim Wright) and Rob Scapa went unanswered as the Empire defenders turned aside one assault after another.  The first chukker ended with Empire on top, 2-0.

The Empire polo team of Erik Wright, Nicolas Maciel, Rob Scapa and Eileen Duffy downed Granite Bay in the consolation match.

Maciel’s second goal of the day extended the Empire lead to three goals, 3-0, before Granite Bay found their offense.  Countering with goals from Eric Hammon and Alvaro Tadeo, Granite Bay came within a goal of the lead, 3-2, as the period ended.

Goals were scarce in the third as both defenses held.  A single 30-yard penalty conversion by Erik Wright accounted for all of the scoring as Empire left the field at the end of the first half on top of a 4-2 score.

A fourth period goal from Maciel was supported by a defense that held Granite Bay without a goal for the second consecutive chukker.  After four periods of play, Empire remained in the lead, 5-2.

Granite Bay came alive in the fifth, with goals from Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal, 5-4, but Empire answered back.  Single goals from Maciel and Wright restored their 3-goal lead, 7-4, with one period left to play.

The defensive tone of the game carried into the final chukker, with Granite Bay’s Julie Fernandez accounting for the only goal in a 7-5 Empire victory.

Maciel led the Empire attack with four goals.  Wright scored twice and Scapa accounted for a goal in the win.  Tadeo’s two goals were a team high for Granite Bay.  Single goals were scored by Fernandez, Mariscal and Hammon.

Two Sunday wins give World Gym league title

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The World Gym team of (L to R)- Tom Schuerman, Todd Randall, Claudia Uretz and Wiley Uretz finished two days of competition with an undefeated record for the title in the week’s 1-goal competition at the Empire Polo Club Sunday.

In the second day of 1-goal league competition at the Empire Polo Club, World Gym (Claudia Uretz, Sydney Jordan, Tom Schuerman and Wiley Uretz) recorded wins over the Flaming Chickens (Joey Gallemore, Devon Gallemore, Victor Soto and Hayward Pardue) and Grande Prairie (Ross Adam, Lolo Payan, Craig Nelson and Suki Piper) to take first place in the six-team field Sunday afternoon.

The Flaming chickens opened the noon round-robin scoring a narrow 3½-3 win over Grande Prairie behind the offensive push of Victor Soto.

Soto and Grande Prairie’s Lolo Payan exchanged goals in the opening chukker of the four-period mini-match with Soto giving the lead to the Flaming Chickens with the final goal of the chukker for a 2½-1 lead (Flaming Chickens received one-half goal by handicap).

Soto’s third goal of the match had the Flaming chickens on top, 3½-1 before Grande Prairie responded.  Consecutive goals from Payan ended the game with the Flaming Chickens riding off with the win, 3½-3.

World Gym 5, Grande Prairie 2

World Gym exploded for four first chukker goals against a shell-shocked Grande Prairie lineup.  Two goals apiece from Wiley Uretz and Tom Schuerman were complimented by shutout defense as World Gym went up, 4-0.

Tod Randell’s first goal of the day made it 5-0, World Gym with Grande Prairie struggling for an answer.
Grande Prairie got single goals from Craig Nelson and Payan in the final period, but it was World Gym riding off the field at the end of the contest with a 5-2 victory.

World Gym 4, Flaming Chickens 2½

It was Wiley Uretz with the hot hand as the final two chukkers of the round-robin got underway.  He former college All-American scored the first three goals of the chukker while the World Gym defenders held the Flaming Chickens scoreless.

Soto and Devin Gallemore scored the first two goal of the final chukker, cutting the World Gym lead to one -half goal, 3-2½.  Tom Schuerman scored the final goal of the game for a 4-2½ win.

Club Polo Cabo takes consolation

Earlier in the day, Club Polo Cabo (Tony Yahyai, Scott Walker, Domingo Questel and Alyssa/Ella/Clair) defeated Gold Rush (David Barnett, Manny Rodriguez, Jeffrey Rewald and Zinta Rewald) and Vashon (Stephanie Davidson,  Kim Bergman and Jessica Bailey) to win the consolation 1-goal round-robin.

Club Polo Cabo got first chukker goals from veteran Domingo Questel and Club Polo Cabo team captain Tony Yahyai while Gold Rush had to settle for a 30-yard penalty conversion.  After the first seven minutes of play Club Polo Cabo held a narrow 2-1½ advantage (Gold Rush received one-half goal by handicap).

Questel’s second goal of the match extended the Club Polo Cabo lead to 2-1½, with Gold Rush in hot pursuit.  Disciplined defense held Gold Rush to another penalty goal that had Club Polo Cabo escaping with the 3-2½ victory.

Vashon 4, Gold Rush 2½

In the second mini-match of the morning, Vashon handed Gold Rush their second defeat of the day in a 4-2½ bout.

Vashon rattled off the first three goals of the opening chukker with JMG coring twice and Kim Bergman adding a goal, 3-½ (Gold Rush received one-half goal by handicap). Jeffrey Rewald got Gold Rush on the scoreboard with his first score, 3-1½.

Jeffrey Rewald cut into the Vashon lead with his second goal of the match, 3-2½, but it wasn’t to be. JMG scored the final goal of the match for the 4-2½ win.

Club Polo Cabo 4, Vashon 3

The final two chukkers of the round-robin pitted Club Polo Cabo against Vashon, with the winner capturing the consolation round-robin.

Club Polo Cabo picked up goals from Yahyai and Questel while Vashon countered with a pair of goals from Gutierrez.  After their first chukker the two teams remained tied at 2-2.

Bergman’s second goal of the day and first of the game had Vashon on top, 3-2, but Club Polo Cabo wasn’t through.  Two goals from Questel (one on a penalty conversion) ended the game with Club Polo Cabo riding of with the win, 4-3.

Evergreen and Hanalei Bay in Stagecoach Challenge final

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Krista Bonagudi scored twice in Hanalei Bay’s win over Empire Saturday afternoon, earning them a berth in Sunday’s 2018 Stagecoach Challenge final.

Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) captured the first final berth in the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge with a healthy 12-7 win over Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal) in a 10AM Saturday morning game at the Empire Polo Club.

Alvaro Tadeo got Granite Bay on the scoreboard first with a 60-yard penalty conversion, but Evergreen battled back.  Consecutive goals from the field from Juan Jo Gonzalez closed out the first chukker with evergreen on top, 2-1.

Evergreen controlled the second period as they put up four unanswered goals.  Gonzalez opened with a goal followed by a pair of goals from teammate Bayne Bossom to make it 5-1.  Gonzalez scored the final goal of the period to put Evergreen into a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Gonzalez stretched the Evergreen lead to seven goals, 8-1, scoring back to back goals in the third.  Goyo Mariscal scored Granite Bay’s first goal in over a chukker cutting the lead back to six goals, 8-2.  Gonzalez scored his third goal of the chukker and his fifth of the game to give Evergreen a commanding 9-2 halftime advantage.

Gonzalez opened the second half with a goal from the field, 10-2, before a stifling Granite Bay defensive effort shut the door on him.  A pair of goals from “Eric Hammon and a goal from Tadeo gave Granite Bay some hop as they left the field at the end of the fourth chukker trailing by five goals, 10-5.

Carlitos Galindo lashed out with two goals in the fifth, 12-5, as Evergreen pressured the Granite Bay defenders.  A 30-yard penalty goal from Hammon closed out the period with Evergreen in control, 12-6.

Tadeo scored the first goal of the sixth chukker, but that would be the end of any Granite Bay offense.  Single goals from Bossom and Galindo ended the game with Evergreen earning a spot in Sunday’s 2PM finals on the strength of the 14-7 victory.

Gonzalez led the field with six goals.  Galindo scored five times and Bossom added three goals for the win.  Tadeo and Hammon provided most of the offense for Granite Bay, scoring three goals apiece.  Mariscal added a goal in the loss.

Hanalei Bay 14, Empire 5

Ashton Wolf scored first for Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) in the 2PM Stagecoach Challenge game with a goal from Ian Schnoebelen making it 3-0 (Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap) in the early minutes of the match.  Rob Scapa got Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Jim Wright) on the scoreboard with the final goal of the chukker to trail, 3-1.

Scapa tried to rally the Empire offense as he scored consecutives goals from the field for a 3-3 tie.  A goal from Krista Bonaguidi and two more from Wolf put Hanalei Bay in front by three goals at the end of the chukker, 6-3.

Wolf added two more goals in the third while a solid defensive effort by every member of the Hanalei Bay defense held Empire scoreless for a five-goal, 8-3 halftime lead.

Hanalei Bay continued to have their way with Empire in the fourth and fifth chukkers with single goals from Wolf and Schnoebelen and shutout defense expanding the lead to seven goals after the fourth, 10-3, and nine goals, 12-3 after scores from Taylor Freeman and Wolf in the fifth.

The two teams traded goals in the final chukker of the game with Bonaguidi and Wolf adding goals for Hanalei Bay and Empire responding with goals from Erik Wright and Jim Wright in the 14-5 beatdown.

Wolf scored a game-high eight goals for Hanalei Bay.  Bonaguidi and Schnoebelen added two goals each.  Freeman was credited with a goal and the team received one goal by handicap for the win.  Scapa’s three goals were a team-high for Empire.  Erik Wright and Jim Wright each added a goal in the losing effort.

The win sends Hanalei Bay to Sunday’s 2PM finals against Evergreen with Empire facing Granite Bay in a noon consolation match.  Both games will be played on Empire Polo Club 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.

Flaming Chicken, Grande Prairie and World Gym record Saturday wins

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Club Polo Cabo’s Tony Yahyai made his 2018 debut in league play at the Empire Polo Club Saturday afternoon.

Six teams lined up for the second 1-goal league of the season at the Empire Polo Club Saturday, with the competition getting started with a 10:15AM game on Field 9.

Grand Prairie (Ross Adam, Lolo Payan, Craig Nelson and Suki Piper), Gold Rush (David Barnett, Manny Rodriguez, Jeffrey Rewald and Zinta Rewald) and Club Polo Cabo (Tony Yahyai, Scott Walker, Domingo Questel and Alyssa/Ella/Clair) joined last week’s World Gym (Claudia Uretz, Sydney Jordan, Tom Schuerman and Wiley Uretz), Vashon (Stephanie Davidson, JMG, Kim Bergman and Jessica Bailey) and Flaming Chicken lineup (Joey Gallemore, Devon Gallemore, Victor Soto and Hayward Pardue) as the Empire Polo Club kicks off the season with its official Opening Day.

Flaming Chicken 11, Gold Rush 6

Flaming Chicken got the ball rolling as they scored the first three goals of the game on their way to an 11-6 win over Gold Rush in the morning match.

Consecutive goals from Joey Gallemore, Hayward Pardue and Victor Soto were answered by a single goal from Gold Rush’s Zinta Rewald as Flaming Chicken took the early 3-2 lead.

Soto added two more goals in the second.  Goals from Joey and Devin Gallemore expanding the Flaming Chicken advantage to four goals, 7-3.  Jeffrey Rewald scored the only goal of the chukker for Gold Rush.

Both defenses stepped it up in the third and goals were scarce.  Zinta Rewald added her second goal of the game, 7-4 with Soto recording the only other goal of the period.  With one period left to play, Flaming Chicken continued to lead by four goals, 8-4.

Two more goals from Joey Gallemore and a single goal from Pardue boosted Flaming Chicken to an 11-6 win in spite of goals from Gold Rush’s Jeffrey Rewald and David Barnett.

Soto and Joey Gallemore led the Flaming Chicken attack with four goals apiece.  Pardue added two goals and Devin Gallemore added a goal for the win.  Jeffrey Rewald and Zinta Rewald each scored twice for gold Rush.  Barnett added a goal in the losing effort.

Grande Prairie 8, Club Polo Cabo 7

Lolo Payan scored four first chukker goals, giving Grande Prairie built an early 4-1 lead over Club Polo Cabo in first period play.  Club Polo Cabo came up with a single goal from veteran Domingo Questel in the chukker.

Club Polo Cabo fought their way back into the game in the second.  Club Polo Cabo scored consecutive goals from Questel, Scott Walker and team captain, tony Yahyai to level the score at 4-4.  Payan scored the final goal of the first half for Grande Prairie for a narrow 5-4 halftime lead for Grande Prairie.

Questel tied the game at 5-5 with the opening goal of the third, but back-to-back goals from Payan gave the lead back to Grande Prairie, 7-5.  Questel closed out the period with his fourth goal of the day, but trailed Grande Prairie, 7-6.

Craig Nelson’s first goal of the afternoon had Grande Prairie in front by two goals, with Club Polo Cabo struggling to stay alive.  Questel scored the final goal of the match to bring Club Polo Cabo to within a goal of the lead, but that was where it ended as Grande Prairie held on for the 8-7 victory.

Payan was top scorer in the game with seven goals.  Nelson added a goal for the Grande Prairie win.  Questel cored a team-high five goals for Club Polo Cabo.  Yahyai and Walker each added goals in the loss.

World Gym 4, Vashon 3

World Gym and Vashon fought to a 2-2 halftime tie before World Gym managed to eke out a 4-3 victory in the final 1-goal game of the day.

JMG scored the first goal of the game, giving Vashon the 1-0 lead when the World Gym defense clamped down.  Tom Schuerman countered with a goal for World Gym in a hotly-contested opening chukker that ended in a defensively-dominated first chukker, 1-1.

JMG and Wiley Uretz exchanged goals in the second period as both sides struggled to generate an effective attack, but the defenders won out.  At the end of the first half the score remained tied at two goals apiece.

Goals continued to be elusive in third period play, with the only scoring coming from penalty conversions from Wiley Uretz and Sydney Jordan.  Vashon was unable to score, and fell behind, 4-2.

Both defenses continued to set the pace for fourth chukker play.  A single goal from the field from Jessica Bailey was the only score of the period as World Gym held the lead in a 4-3 victory.

Wiley Uretz scored twice for world Gym with teammates Jordan and Schuerman each adding a goal.  JMG was credited with two goals for Vashon with Bailey accounting for the team’s only other goal in the loss.

The 1-goal competition will field two round-robin matches on Sunday with Gold Rush, Club Polo Cabo and Vashon meeting at 10AM followed by a noon contest featuring Flaming Chicken, Grande Prairie and World Gym.  Both round-robins will take place on Empire Polo Club’s Field 9.