Sep 25, 2017 2:54 PM
When Good Thunder and Skaneateles met in the first match of the Northrup Knox Cup at New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina, the competition showcased two very closely matched 12-goal teams. Skaneateles pulled ahead 11-10 to take the victory over Good Thunder and continued their winning streak into the Northrup Knox Cup Final undefeated. In a rematch of the first game of the tournament, their opponent Good Thunder arrived at the final with a (1-1) record.
A goal from Good Thunder’s Pelon Escapite opened the game, but was quickly answered by Skaneateles’ Costi Caset* and Mariano Obregon, scoring a goal apiece to lead 2-1 in chukker one. Skaneateles then went full throttle, scoring no less than nine unanswered goals, to hold a commanding 11-1 advantage at the half.
Good Thunder had their work cut out for them managing to keep Skaneateles scoreless in the fourth. Finally making a valiant comeback effort in the fifth, another goal from Escapite followed by a Penalty 3 conversion from Eddy Martinez put Good Thunder back on the board. It was not enough however, as Skaneateles knocked four more between the uprights to maintain a substantial lead. Good Thunder continued their forward momentum into the final chukker scoring two unanswered field goals, including Matt Sekera’s first goal of the day, but it was not enough to overcome their second and third chukker deficit. Skaneateles took home the prestigious Northrup Knox Cup, and the first leg of the New Bridge 12-Goal Trifecta, with a final score 15-3. Most Valuable Player was awarded to Cesar Jimenez and Best Playing Pony honors were presented to Fancy owned and played by Mariano Obregon.
*Costi Caset is a member of Team USPA. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.
All photos courtesy of ©Katie Roth.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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