Los Machitos won its first game on opening day of the John T. Oxley Memorial Tuesday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Los Machitos (Larry Austin, 0, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Lucas Criado Jr., 7, Torito Ruiz, 7) led from start-to-finish to defeat Casablanca (Matias Gonzalez, 4, Grant Ganzi, 3, Mariano Gracida, 4, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 11-7, in the 16-goal tournament.
Los Machitos capitalized on broken plays and penalties throughout the game while Casablanca was trying to jell on offense.
Los Machitos jumped out early for a 2-0 lead behind Criado Jr.’s goal from the field and Ruiz’ 60-yard penalty conversion in the opening chukker.
After Casablanca was awarded a penalty-one, Los Machitos extended its lead to 4-1 late in the second chukker with goals from Souza and Ruiz. Ganzi cut the lead to 4-2 with a 40-yard penalty conversion in the final seconds of the chukker.
Los Machitos kept hammering away in the third chukker, outscoring Casablanca 3-1 for a 7-3 halftime lead. Los Machitos came up with the big offensive plays including a long run to goal by Criado Jr., 130-yard goal from Ruiz and coast-to-coast run by Ruiz for another goal.
Los Machitos outshot Casablanca, 8-6 and led knock-ins, 3-1. Casablanca won more throw-ins, 7-3, but couldn’t capitalize. Los Machitos led fouls, 4-3.
It was much of the same in the second half with Los Machitos playing well offensively and defensively while Casablanca was trying to get its offensive attack going.
Casablanca jumped out quickly in the fourth chukker cutting the lead to 7-5 with goals from Gracida and Gonzalez, but it was the closest Casablanca would get.
Los Machitos regained the momentum in the fifth and sixth chukkers and kept the pressure on until the end. Los Machitos held Casablanca scoreless, 3-0, for a 10-5 lead after the fifth chukker and outscored them 2-1 in the final chukker.
Criado Jr. scored a game-high five goals for Los Machitos. Ruiz had four and Souza added one. The team was also awarded a penalty-one. For Casablanca, Ganzi led with three goals. Gonzalez, Gracida and Collingwood each had one. The team also had a penalty-one.
The John T. Oxley Memorial Trophy resides at the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. It was gifted to the Museum by his son Jack Oxley and Royal Palm Polo Club at the time of the club’s closing in May 2008.
Established in honor of the venerable Oxley, the first year playing for the trophy was in 1997 at Royal Palm Polo and Sports Club, and presented to Team Fort Lauderdale for their victory over Vancouver International.
Inducted into the Museum’s Hall of Fame in 1994, Oxley was recognized as a pioneer in polo. The founder of the Royal Palm Polo Sports Club in Boca Raton, Oxley played polo well into his 80s. He started playing at age 46 and won the U.S. Open twice, Sunshine League, Rolex Gold Cup, Monty Waterbury and Silver Cup.
At age 83, Oxley became the oldest player ever to win a major polo event when his team won the International Gold Cup. Oxley died of a heart attack at his summer home in Tulsa, Okla. in 1996. He was 87.