NEWS

Maryland and Yale Polo Clubs each hosted four-team middle school tournaments this past weekend to continue the 2018 USPA Middle School League. Please see below for recaps of the weekend's events. USPA Middle School League competition continues this coming weekend at Maui Polo Club in Makawao, Hawaii. If you would like to sign up to participate in the USPA Middle School League, find more information and registration here.

Work to Ride and Drumcliffe Grey faced off in the first USPA Middle School Tournament of the weekend. Gray’s Nahla Thomas and Madison Jordan were scoring machines with nine unanswered goals between themselves in the first chukker, including two two-point scores from Madison Jordan. Stellar defense from teammate Jeannie Velasquez helped Grey hold the shutout in the first chukker. Madison Jordan would score three more for her team in the second before Work to Ride’s Marisol Jimenez found the mark for White’s first score. Jimenez and Thomas traded goals to end the half 13-3 in favor of Grey. Jimenez opened the scoring in the third chukker but was quickly matched by Madison Jordan. Jimenez scored from the field again before Madison Jordan nailed a two-point shot and another single to increase Grey’s lead to twelve heading into the last chukker. Jimenez and Marc Harley would split four goals in the fourth chukker to Grey’s three, but Grey would prevail with a final score of 20-9.

Drumcliffe Blue opened the second game of the tournament in similar fashion to the first. Aurora Knox and Kylie Beard combined for nine unanswered tallies in the first chukker. Drumcliffe Red’s Brianna Jordan scored back-to-back goals to get her team on the board, while a pony cut the lead to six. Knox and Beard matched the Red team’s scores before the end of the chukker. With help from teammates Eleanor Dawson and Jack Jawork, Brianna Jordan traded goals with Knox and Beard again in the third to keep the difference at ten. Knox, Beard, and teammate Caroline Woltman each found their mark in the final chukker to give Blue the win 20-7.

Brianna Jordan opened the scoring in the consolation game for Drumcliffe Red and was matched by Jimenez’s two-point score. The two would trade goals to end the first chukker 4-2 in favor of Work to Ride. Brianna Jordan and Yash Chhugani tied the score to open the second with goals from the field. Isabelle Brockett aced a penalty shot and scored again on the run to give Work to Ride the lead. Brianna Jordan and Jimenez traded goals again to end the chukker 7-5 in favor of Work to Ride. Jimenez had the hot stick in the third chukker with four goals. Defensive help from Brockett and Nour Blankinship held Red scoreless in the third. Two scores from Brianna Jordan and an addition from the ponies could not overcome the continued scoring of Jimenez and Brockett in the fourth chukker and Work to Ride prevailed, 14-8.

Kylie Beard opened the scoring in the finals from the penalty line and added another tally from the field to give Drumcliffe Blue the early lead. Madison Jordan added goals both from the field and the penalty line to put Drumcliffe White up by two, but a spectacular two-point shot from Knox tied the game at the end of the first chukker. A team effort by White held Blue to a single score while they added four of their own in the second chukker. Madison Jordan and Beard traded a handful of goals in the third chukker to leave the difference at two heading into the final chukker. Knox scored first in the fourth to cut White’s lead to one, but Madison Jordan gave her team a cushion with a score from the field. Beard and Thomas traded goals to keep the gap at two. Knox cut the lead to a single score, but Drumcliffe White would hold on and take the final game with a score of 13-12.

Marisol Jimenez, Brianna Jordan, Madison Jordan and Rory Knox were chosen as the All-Star team. Nahla Thomas was elected to receive the Sportsmanship Award. Marlan Farm’s Roscoe was chosen as Best Playing Pony.

Teams named after Yale Polo ponies took to the arena for the second USPA Middle School Tournament of the weekend. Teclita’s Gaston Gomez kicked off the scoring in the first game of the weekend. Teammate Jonathon Wallace found the mark next, giving his team a two-goal lead. Kaya Brownell made the first goal for Luna to cut the difference to one, but Luke Howe tallied another score for Teclita to match her. Gomez and Brownell traded goals to end the chukker 4-2 in favor of Teclita. The second chukker was a tie for the teams; Teclita splitting four goals between their entire team and Team Luna’s Brownell and William Grayken contributing two apiece. Teclita broke out in the third chukker, scoring seven goals to Team Luna’s two. Team Luna slowed the scoring of their opponents in the fourth chukker, but Teclita prevailed, 19-10.

Saralyn Painter struck first from the field for Tecate in the second game. Abdullah Chaudry matched her goal for Team Wind River to keep the game tied early in the first. Painter tallied three more goals before Chaudry could add another score to cut the lead to two. Painter’s teammate Ana Veitch and Kaitlyn Gaulin each added a score to end the chukker 6-2 in favor of Tecate. All of Tecate’s players found the goal once in the second chukker, while Chaudry and Sophia DeAngelis tallied goals to cut the lead to five heading into half time. The third chukker saw five goals from Tecate and a single score from the field for Wind River’s Sara Andrade. The fourth chukker followed the same as the third, with Tecate riding away with the win, 20-6.

Brownell traded goals with Chaudry and Andrade to open the consolation game, but a two-pointer from Grayken gave Luna a 5-2 lead after the first chukker. Brownell added two more to her total in the second chukker, but three goals from DeAngelis and a single tally from Chaudry cut the lead to one at the half. Adam Wallace hit a hot streak in the third chukker, tallying three goals for Luna. Wind River clawed their way back to even the score with four from Chaudry. A field goal by Grayken gave Luna a one-goal lead heading into the fourth chukker. Defense won out in the last chukker with each team tallying a single score as Luna took the win 12-11.

Painter hit a booming two-point shot to kick off the scoring in the final game for Tecate. Each of Teclita’s players found their mark to take the lead by one. Painter nailed another shot from the field to tie the game at three, but Gomez put Teclita up by a goal to end the chukker. Gomez and Gaulin traded goals to begin the fourth, but Teclita outscored Tecate 6-2 in the rest of the second chukker to take the lead 11-6. The momentum shifted in the third chukker with Painter and Gaulin splitting five goals, including another Painter two-pointer, to Teclita’s two. Gomez’s first score in the fourth chukker widened his team’s lead to three, but a third Painter two-point shot from the field cut the lead to a single goal. The two-pointer would be the last of Tecate’s goals as Teclita was a brick wall of defense, shutting out their opponents for the remainder of the chukker and adding four goals between themselves to take the tournament final, 18-13.

Kaya Brownell, Sophia DeAngelis, Luke Howe and Saralyn Painter were voted to the All-Star team. Sophia DeAngelis was elected by her peers to receive the Sportsmanship Award. Saralyn Painter’s Armana was chosen as Best Playing Pony.