Fauquier Times-Democrat

July 18, 2007

By; Betsy Parker

GOOSE CREEK, GUARISCO TOP VIP LEAGUE PLAY

Goose Creek and Guarisco Art topped their respective divisions in the active - and crowded - 4-goal June grass league of the Virginia International Polo Club.  The finals were played on the historic Goose Creek field between Middleburg and Upperville.

"We had eight teams signed up, so we divided the league into two flights, A and B, with teams having higher-rated pros seeded to Flight A,"  VIP club manager German Noguera explained. 

Having the services of 6-goaler Martin Zegers on tap, Goose Creek had to concede three goals on handicap to Pegasus.  Pegasus' Ashley Van Metre and 4-goaler Nicolas Eurnekian scored early but went silent as Goose Creek steadily overcame the deficit with James Houston and Susan Cummings delivering two goals each and VIP founder Maureen Brennan one.

With the fourth chukker ending in a 5-5 tie, Houston made the decisive penalty in an overtime shootout to give Goose Creek a 6-5 win.

The Guarisco team swept the Flight B but had to deal with the scrappy Skyview in the high-scoring finals.  Guarisco's Marwan Mohey El-Dien, in his rookie season, took full advantage of long hits from 2-goaler Martin Tassara, to score three goals.

Matched by 0-goal player JJ Ebro, Guarisco enjoyed a two-goal lead, 6-4, as the third chukker ended. 

At that point, Skyview twins Austin and Tyler Burdick, (playing with their father, Todd, and anchored by Noguera) had tallied two goals apiece.

In the fourth chukker, Austin Burdick broke through on a pass from Noguera to bring Skyview to within one, 6-5, but Guarisco discarded its running game to play defense and run out the clock.

Laura Guarisco, whose Georgetown art gallery sponsored both the Guarisco team and Flight A final match, presented trophy gift bags to Goose Creek while Sally Pennington, whose family's Monomoy Services sponsored the Flight B match, did the same for Guarisco.