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Agustin Merlos Scores 11 Goals as Crab Orchard Dominates Airstream 15-11
In Ylvisaker Cup Action Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach |
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WELLINGTON, FL – Nine-goaler Agustin Merlos scored 11 goals as defending champion Crab Orchard rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Airstream 15-11 in a first-round game of the 22-goal Ylvisaker Cup Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
In the first game of the doubleheader, 6-goaler Ignacio Toccalino scored five goals, including the winner with 5:48 remaining in overtime, to lift Lechuza Caracas over Bendabout 10-9. “In the first three minutes, they killed us,” said Merlos. “We couldn’t get to the ball. We were asleep. “We didn’t play for 10 days and it takes a while to get going. We were slow, slow, slow. We couldn’t get to our man or the ball.” Crab Orchard made a speedy recovery, scoring 11 consecutive goals, 10 by Merlos, to take an 11-3 lead with 1:40 remaining in the third chukker. Lucas Monteverde’s tap-in with 28 seconds remaining in the third chukker stopped the run, but the damage was done. “This was a very tough first game,” said Airstream patron Peter Orthwein. “They’re game-hardened, this is our first match. We didn’t have any horse problems. In the second and third chukkers, they beat us out of the throw-ins. It seemed they came up with the ball every time and went down and scored.” Merlos was the beneficiary of Crab Orchard’s success. He scored 42 goals in four games during the previous tournament for Crab Orchard. “Playing with (9-goaler) Memo (Gracida), I don’t worry about what’s behind me,” said Merlos. “I just focus on going ahead and try to score.” Seventeen-year-old Julio Gracida added four goals for Crab Orchard (1-0) while Memo Gracida and patron George Rawlings did not score. Guille Aguero led Airstream (0-1) with six goals while Lucas Monteverde added three goals and Naco Taverna scored twice. Orthwein did not score. Toccalino’s game-winning goal snapped the fifth tie and stopped Bendabout’s comeback. Ten-goaler Pite Merlos added four goals and patron Victor Vargas scored one for Lechuza Caracas (1-0). Gaston Urturi did not score. Alejandro Novillo Astrada led Bendabout (0-1) with four goals while Miguel Novillo Astrada added three goals and patron Gillian Johnston scored two goals. Toby Wayman did not score. Sixteen teams, the largest field of the season, have entered the 22-goal Ylvisaker Cup. Crab Orchard defeated Black Watch 13-8 in last year’s final. Charismatic 1993 French Open doubles champions Luke and Murphy Jensen, who will be competing in the upcoming Millennium International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, attended the contest and presented trophies to the teams in post-match ceremonies. Teams were split into four divisions and will play three qualifying games with the top two teams in each of the divisions advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13. The semifinals are set for Thursday, February 17 and the final is Sunday, February 20 at 3 p.m. The Ylvisaker Cup in named in honor of William T. “Bill” Ylvisaker, a polo pioneer who founded Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in the late 1970s and was elected into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1996. Ylvisaker has won numerous major polo tournaments, including the prestigious U.S. Open in 1972. Ylvisaker Cup Schedule & Results: Friday, Jan. 28 Results Millarville 11, Old Pueblo 7 Pony Express 15, Mokarow Farms 9 Saturday, Jan. 29
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Contact Info: For ticket information, call (561) 204-5687 Club website at www.internationalpoloclub.com. For information about the upcoming 2005 high-goal season, including the Stanford Financial Group U.S. Open, call the club at (561) 204-5687 International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road, in Wellington. |
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