Skeeterville Beats Bendabout 11-9; Advances to Semifinals of
26-Goal Hall of Fame Cup @ IPC, FL

            
WELLINGTON, FL (February 26, 2006) – Gritty Skeeterville proved it can take a punch and survive, holding on for an 11-9 victory against Bendabout in the quarterfinals of the single-elimination 26-goal Hall of Fame Cup Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In other games, New Bridge La Dolfina held off Jedi 11-10 and Pony Express topped Mokarow Farms 10-9.

Skeeterville jumped out to a 5-2 halftime lead but Bendabout came out strong in the fourth chukker.

“They tried to knock us out,” said 8-goaler Owen Rinehart of Skeeterville. “They punched us pretty hard three times but we didn’t go down. I feel very happy and fortunate to beat them.”   

Skeeterville patron Skeeter Johnston was proud of his team.
“They (Bendabout) had all the momentum (in the fourth chukker),” Johnston said. “They got us against the ropes and we rose up to the challenge. It was a good moment in time.”

Ten-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada of Bendabout scored three unanswered goals to tie the game at 5-5 with 2:47 left in the fourth chukker. Bendabout could never get the go-ahead goal, managing two more ties, the last at 8-8 on Julio Gracida’s breakaway 59 seconds into the final chukker.

Skeeterville responded with two goals 48 seconds apart, one each by Rinehart and Ignacio Toccalino, to give them a 10-8 advantage with 4:11 remaining in the game. Astrada converted a 60-yard penalty shot with 1:50 left to cut the margin to 10-9. But Astrada missed a 60-yard penalty shot with 52.6 seconds left that would have tied the game. On the ensuing possession, Skeeterville controlled the ball and Toccalino scored with three seconds left for the final margin.

The game featured brother (Skeeter Johnston of Skeeterville) against sister (Gillian Johnston of Bendabout).

“She whipped up on us last time (in the 26-goal USPA Gold Cup in Aiken in September),” said Skeeter Johnston. “It’s justice that we came back. I also have a few more years on her so she’s got a lot more games ahead of her than I do.”

Skeeterville eliminated Bendabout in the 2005 Stanford U.S. Open semifinals at International Polo Club Palm Beach. 

Julio Arellano led Skeeterville with four goals while Rinehart and Toccalino added three goals apiece. Astrada led Bendabout with seven goals and Gracida added two.

New Bridge La Dolfina jumped out to a 10-4 halftime lead and held on for the victory. Matias Magrini led the winners with five goals while Adolfo Cambiaso and Nicolas Roldan added three goals each. Patron Russ McCall did not score.

Santiago Chavanne led Jedi with four goals while Pablo MacDonough and Alex Agote scored three goals each. Patron Torsten Koch did not score.

Gonzalo Von Wernich led Pony Express with three goasls while Pancho Bensadon and patron Bob Daniels scored two goals apiece and Piki Alberdi had one goal. Carlos Gracida led Mokarow Farms with five goals while Memo Gracida and Michel Dorignac added two goals each. Patron Kevin Mokarow did not score.

The 26-goal Hall of Fame Cup continues Tuesday at 3 p.m. with the last quarterfinal match featuring Isla Carroll, which had a first-round bye, against Orchard Hill, which defeated Lechuza Caracas 13-12 in an opening round game.

Skeeterville plays New Bridge La Dolfina Thursday at 1 p.m. in a semifinal match followed by Pony Express against the winner of Isla Carroll-Orchard Hill game at 3 p.m. The final is scheduled for Sunday, March 5 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.

The tournament is named in honor of the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation of the history and tradition of the sport of polo. The Museum houses an extensive collection of historic documents and treasures that include important trophies, artifacts, books, works of art and other memorabilia. The Hall of Fame, located in Lake Worth, Florida, was created to honor the heroes of the sport.

The polo matches are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. 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.

International Polo Club
Palm Beach