Goose Creek pulls off repeat
It was deja vu as Goose Creek repeated as USPA Silver Cup champions, having to go to overtime to defeat an indefatigable and determined Pony Express team 11-10.
Teamwork and organization were critical throughout the game, and never more so during the extra chukker, when Maureen Brennan jumped on a loose ball and threaded a perfect pass to Martin Zegers, who found an open Adam Snow, who finished the play and the game.
The score was 4-2 Pony Express at the half. After a slow start, Goose Creek scored four times in the fourth chukker to tie the score at 6-6. Both teams traded goals in the fifth chukker, and Zegers and Brennan gave the defending champion a two-goal lead, before Nicolas Roldan and Brandon Phillips tied the game, scoring less than a minute apart to even the score with 1:20 left to play, forcing sudden death to decide the outcome of the game.
During halftime it was announced that Aiken resident Owen Rinehart will be inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in March 2009.
Brennan's Horse Papita was named Best Playing Amateur Pony and Snow's Amy was named Best Playing Professional Pony. Brennan won MVP Amateur honors and Zegers won the Most Valuable Professional Player.
"It was a tough tournament and a tough season because it took us some time to get our rhythm, and we even lost a game in the regular round going into this tournament," said Snow. "We knew going in before that any team could win the tournament."
Zegers scored six goals for Goose Creek, Brennan and Snow added two goals each, and the team received one goal as a result of the handicap differential.
"We (Martin and Cote Zegers) played with Adam this summer, and we thought we would be ready coming into the tournament," said Zegers. "Our horses were fresh coming into this tournament. Today was anyone's game, and we got lucky at the end."
Pony Express was led by Roldan's five goals, Tomas Goti's three scores and Phillips' two tallies.
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