NEWS

Story courtesy of the International Polo Club Palm Beach

With a spot in the 2021 Ylvisaker Cup Final on the line, Beverly Polo (Bill Ballhaus, Peke Gonzalez*, Jorge ‘Tolito’ Fernandez Ocampo Jr., Hilario Figueras) pulled off an emphatic semifinal victory Thursday, February 4, defeating Tamera (Hope Arellano*, Lucas Escobar*, Diego Cavanagh, Luis Escobar) 11-5. The efficient attacking skills of Figueras, who led the way with six goals, helped secure the decisive win and a ticket to their third consecutive final at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida).

Beverly Polo and Tamera met earlier in the Ylvisaker Cup with Tamera capturing the 14-10 victory in their first matchup, but the semifinal provided a different story as Beverly Polo came out strong in the first and led throughout the entire game. Figueras provided a dynamic effort for Beverly Polo, matching his entire number of field goals on the season in one game, coming forward from the number four position to add five goals in open play. Tamera had difficulty matching Beverly Polo, converting just two of their 11 shot attempts which affected their chances to mount a comeback. Controlling possession, Beverly Polo’s defense was a significant factor in the game, holding Tamera to just one goal throughout the second half. Joining Figueras on the attack, Ocampo Jr. contributed with four assists to provide a strong duo for Beverly Polo to capture the impressive six-goal victory.

A strong start from Beverly Polo allowed them to build on their two-goal advantage on handicap, increasing the lead to three after goals from Figueras and Ocampo Jr. Cavanagh converted a Penalty 4 to get Tamera on the scoreboard as the remainder of the first half saw the teams locked in a defensive battle. Beverly Polo went scoreless in the second chukker allowing Tamera to inch closer, but inaccurate shooting from the field and penalty line resulted in Tamera only scoring one goal off the mallet of Cavanagh to trail 4-2. Despite conceding the first goal in the third chukker, Tamera fought to close the gap, receiving one goal each from Lucas Escobar and Cavanagh. The scoreboard stood 5-4 in favor of Beverly Polo at half time.

Unwilling to concede their lead, Beverly Polo raced onto the field in the second half, shooting at goal five times in the fourth chukker, but their efforts produced just one field goal from Figueras. With the possession advantage, Beverly Polo kept Tamera pinned in their own half and prevented them from scoring to extend the lead back to two. In the most decisive chukker of the game, Beverly Polo’s defense kept Tamera off the scoreboard once again while producing three goals to turn a two-goal lead into a five-goal advantage. Finishing their strong performance, Beverly Polo extended their lead, adding two more goals from Figueras to secure their spot in the final with the dominant 11-5 victory.

Beverly Polo (2-2) will face Palm Beach Equine (2-1) for a rematch in the Ylvisaker Cup Final on Sunday, February 7, at 3:00pm ET. Broadcast from the U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1, the game will be livestreamed exclusively on Global Polo TV.

*Peke Gonzalez, Hope Arellano and Lucas Escobar are Active Team USPA Members. 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.