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.