Orchard Hill Edges Isla Carroll 12-11; Pony Express Tops San Saba 10-9
 in Stanford U.S. Open Action Tuesday at International Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL (April 4, 2006) – Nine-goaler Paco de Narvaez scored eight goals, including a tap-in with one second remaining, to lift Orchard Hill over two-time champion Isla Carroll 12-11 in a 2006 Stanford U.S. Open polo match Tuesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In other Stanford U.S. Open action, 8-goaler Pancho Bensadon scored on a 60-yard penalty shot with 2:07 remaining as Pony Express edged San Saba 10-9.
The win was Orchard Hill’s second in a row after losing its previous 14 in U.S. Open action.

“We’ve got to keep winning,” said Orchard Hill patron Steve Van Andel. “We’ve got two monkeys off our backs and two more to go. It’s a heck of a lot better going into the third game with two wins.”

After four first-round games, the top eight teams advance to the quarterfinals.
De Narvaez started the play that led to the winning goal. His forehand pass went to Jeff Hall who passed it forward to de Narvaez, who tapped it through the posts right before time ran out.

“I knew had time to make one play,” said de Narvaez. “It’s a play you develop without talking. It’s just a polo play.”

De Narvaez tied the game at 11-11 on a 30-yard penalty shot with 3:47 remaining. He missed a 60-yard penalty shot wide right with 3:02 left and teammate Hector Galindo missed a scoring opportunity with 2:12 remaining. Eduardo Heguy of Isla Carroll missed a near side after a long run with 1:18 left.

The game featured major momentum swings by both teams.

Trailing 4-3 early in the third chukker, Orchard Hill scored six unanswered goals, three by de Narvaez, to take a 9-4 lead. Isla Carroll responded with four consecutive goals to cut the margin to 9-8 on Eduardo Heguy’s 60-yard penalty shot with 4:08 left in the fourth chukker.

De Narvaez scored on a tap-in with 24 seconds remaining in the chukker to give Orchard Hill a 10-8 lead. Isla Carroll scored three goals, two by Sugar Erskine, to take an 11-10 with 37 seconds left in the fifth chukker. 
 
“Momentum comes and goes,” said de Narvaez. “Normally it’s better to have momentum later in the game. I think we relaxed in the fourth chukker. Usually all the games are decided by one goal.”

Van Andel said Orchard Hill made a concerted effort to come out strong in the first half.

“We almost forgot about the second half,” said Van Andel. “They’re a tough team. Look at Isla Carroll. They come out really hot and carry it through to the end. We didn’t want that to happen to us.”

Orchard Hill made just 5-of-9 penalty shots while Isla Carroll converted 5-of-7.

The game was delayed nine minutes late in the fourth chukker when Pepe Heguy was hit on his right hand by an opponent’s mallet but was able to continue.

Pony Express took a 9-8 lead into the sixth chukker but 10-goaler Javier Novillo Astrada tied it with 5:14 remaining. After Bensadon put Pony Express back on top, 7-goaler Toto Collardin of San Saba missed a 30-yard penalty shot wide left with 1:13 remaining that would have tied the game. Collardin also missed a 70-yard forehand to the left with 28 seconds left.

The game was delayed for 25 minutes in the fifth chukker when San Saba’s Dawn Jones injured her right wrist after she was thrown from her horse when it tripped and fell. Jones was substituting for her husband, Tommy Lee Jones, who did not play because of illness. Dawn Jones was replaced by Alina Carta.

Bensadon finished with a team-high five goals while Piki Alberdi added four goals for Pony Express (2-0) and patron Bob Daniels scored one goal. Bautista Heguy did not score. Astrada led San Saba (0-2) with seven goals while Dawn Jones and Toto Collardin added one goal each. Silvestre Donovan did not score.

The Stanford U.S. Open continues today (Wednesday) with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. when defending champion White Birch (0-1) plays Black Watch

(0-1) followed by 2005 semifinalist Bendabout (1-0) against ERG (0-1) at 3 p.m.

The quarterfinals of the Stanford U.S. Open presented by Bombardier are scheduled for Sunday, April 16 with the semifinals set for Wednesday, April 19. The final, on Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club, expects to draw more than 8,000 spectators. 

Historically, the U.S. Open has always been the grand prize of polo in North America. It is one of only four tournaments played at the 26-goal echelon, the highest-rated tournament in the United States. The others are the Hall of Fame Cup and the C.V. Whitney Cup, both also played at International Polo Club Palm Beach in 2006, and the USPA Gold Cup, being played in Aiken, South Carolina later this year.

The first U.S. Open title game was played in 1904 at Van Cortland Park in New York City where the Wanderers defeated the Freebooters 4 ?-3, the lowest scoring final in the history of the tournament.

The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $15 for adults and reserved lawn tickets are $40. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
 
Stanford U.S. Open Schedule
                                   
Wednesday, April 5            1 p.m.                   White Birch vs. Black Watch
                                          3 p.m.                   ERG vs. Bendabout
Thursday, April 6                1 p.m.                   Skeeterville vs. Lechuza Caracas
                                          3 p.m.                   Mokarow Farms vs. BTA
Saturday, April 8                11 a.m.                 San Saba vs. Bendabout
                                          1 p.m.                   ERG vs. Black Watch
                                          3 p.m.                   White Birch vs. Orchard Hill
Sunday, April 9                  10 a.m.                 Skeeterville vs. BTA
                                          Noon                    Las Monjitas vs. Lechuza Caracas
                                          3 p.m.                   Isla Carroll vs. Pony Express
Wednesday, April 12          11 a.m.                 Isla Carroll vs. Bendabout
                                          1 p.m.                   San Saba vs. Black Watch
                                          3 p.m.                   ERG vs. Orchard Hill    
Thursday, April 13              11 a.m.                 BTA vs. Lechuza Caracas
                                          1 p.m.                   White Birch vs. Pony Express
                                          3 p.m.                  Mokarow Farms vs. Las Monjitas

International Polo Club
Palm Beach