Quite on Z won the battle of the unbeatens in the USPA 12-Goal Bronze Cup Tuesday at windswept Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, -1, Artemio Figueras, 2, Joaquin Panelo, 6, Hilario Figueras, 5) came on strong in the second half to hand Globalport (Mikee Romero, 0, Jack Whitman, 2, Beltran Laulhe, 6, Anthony Garcia, 4) its first loss of the tournament with a 9-8 victory.
Globalport started off strong in the first half by controlling the game tempo. Whitman scored back-to-back goals for a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Artemio Figueras tied the game at 2-2 with back-to-back goals at the 3:12 and 2:19 marks. Romero regained his team’s lead, 3-2, after beating his defender to score.
Globalport got its two-goal cushion back when Whitman took a long pass from Laulhe and scored with 6:09 left in the second chukker for a 4-2 lead. Panelo cut the lead to one, 4-3, when he scored behind his defender with 3:12 left.
After Globalport was unable to convert two penalty attempts and Artemio Figueras saved Laulhe’s goal attempt, Artemio Figueras then converted a 30-yard penalty to tie the game, 4-4, with 2:59 left. Laulhe scored with a minute left before the game for a 4-3 lead.
Globalport led in shots on goal, 10-5, with Quite on Z leading knock-ins, 5-1. Each team won five throw-ins. Globalport led in fouls, 5-3.
Quite on Z turned it around in the second half when Hilario Figueras started moving forward more. After a defensive opening fourth chukker, Artemio Figueras converted a 30-yard penalty shot with 31 seconds left to tie the game at 5-5.
The fifth chukker was a big chukker for Quite on Z which took the lead, 6-5, for the first time early in the chukker when Hilario Figueras scored off the throw-in. Quite on Z was then awarded a penalty one for a 7-5 advantage. Quite on Z had its biggest lead of the game, 8-5, when Hilario Figueras stole the ball and scored with 4:57 remaining. Whitman converted a 30-yard penalty to cut the lead to 8-6, going into the final chukker.
Quite on Z continued to control most of the sixth chukker mixing up its rotation and throwing everything at Globalport. Artemio Figueras continued his ball-hawking ways saving two goal attempts just before the goal line. With 4:58 left, Hilario Figueras, with the wind behind his back, scored again for another three-goal cushion, 9-6.
With less than two minutes left, Globalport closed the gap, 9-7, behind Whitman’s goal. With only seven seconds reamining, Garcia scored on a 60-yard penalty to finish 9-8.
The Figueras brothers combined for seven goals with Artemio scoring a team high four goals. Panelo added one. The team also picked up a penalty one. Whitman led Globalport with a game-high five goals. Romero, Joulhe and Garcia each had one.
Globalport outshot Quite on Z, 17-16 and led in throw-ins, 9-8. Globalport finished with 11 fouls and Quite on Z with seven fouls. Quite on Z led knock-ins, 9-7.
It is the first time Grand Champions, the nation’s largest club, is hosting the USPA Bronze Trophy 12 Goal Tournament.
Last year’s winner was Maharlika (Gina Padilla, 0, Miguel (Miki) Astrada Jr., 2, Santino Magrini, 4, Matias Magrini, 6) who defeated Los Altos (Alvaro Fernandez, 0, Keko Magrini, 6, Memo Gracida, 3, Luis Saraco, 3), 13-9, at La Herradura Polo Club in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Established in 1980, the Bronze Trophy is a prestigious national tournament played at the 8- to 12-goal level. Originally hosted at Gulfstream Polo Club (now defunct) in Lake Worth until its closure, the tournament relocated in 2015 to New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, S.C.