Skeeterville Defeats White Birch 15-14 Sunday
in 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup on Stanford Field at International Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL (March 12, 2006) – Seven-goaler Ignacio “Cubi” Toccalino scored with 38 seconds left to lift Skeeterville over White Birch 15-14 in the second round of the 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup Sunday on Stanford Field at International Polo Club Palm Beach in front of 4,252 spectators.

In other action, 9-goaler Facundo Pieres scored seven goals as Black Watch held off San Saba 10-8; 8-goaler Sapo Caset scored the game-winner in overtime to life Lechuza Caracas over Orchard Hill 14-13 and 10-goaler Carlos Gracida scored five goals to lead Mokarow Farms past Bendabout 9-4.

Skeeterville’s victory partially avenged a pair of one-goal losses to White Birch last season – in the finals of both the Stanford U.S. Open and the Hall of Fame Cup.

“It’s a good day when we can get past these guys (White Birch),” said Skeeterville patron Skeeter Johnston.

Toccalino’s goal capped a furious sixth chukker in which the teams scored seven goals.

Eight-goaler Julio Arellano converted a 60-yard penalty shot to give Skeeterville a 13-10 lead. White Birch responded with four consecutive goals, three by 9-goaler Lucas Criado, to take a 14-13 lead with 2:18 left in the game. It was White Birch’s first and only lead of the game.

Arellano converted a 30-yard penalty shot to tie the game at 14-14 with 1:37 remaining, setting up Toccalino’s heroics.

“When we were three goals up, we knew it wasn’t over,” said the 25-year-old Toccalino, in his first season with Skeeterville.

“He fits right in with us,” said Johnston. “He complements our style and he’s a great guy. We had a different lineup in our first practice but we changed it to this and thought, “Yeah, this is going to work.’”

Toccalino scored a team-high five goals while Arellano and Owen Rinehart added four goals apiece and Johnston had one goal.

Criado led White Birch (1-1) with 10 goals while 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre added two goals and patron Peter Brant and Ulysses Escapite scored one goal apiece.

Black Watch trailed 8-7 entering the final before Pieres took control, scoring three goals to give them the victory. His 60-yard penalty shot gave Black Watch a 9-8 lead with 3:10 left and Pieres clinched the win by finishing off a breakaway with 1:05 remaining.

Nacho Figueras added three goals for Black Watch (2-0) while Gonzalito Pieres and patron Neil Hirsch did not score. Toto Collardin and Silvestre Donovan led San Saba (0-2) with three goals each while Javier Novillo Astrada added two goals. Patron Tommy Lee Jones did not score.

Orchard Hill missed a 60-yard penalty shot in overtime which would have given them the win. On the ensuing knock-in, Sebastian Merlos passed to Caset, who dribbled in for the game-winning goal.

Merlos led Lechuza Caracas (1-1) with seven goals while Case finished with five goals. Magoo Laprida scored two goals while patron Victor Vargas did not score. Nine-goaler Paco de Narvaez led Orchard Hill (0-2) with nine goals while Jeff Hall added three goals. Hector Galindo and patron Steve Van Andel did not score.

Mokarow Farms held Bendabout scoreless over the last two chukkers en route to victory. Mokarow Farms (1-1) played with an all-pro team as patron Kevin Mokarow missed his second consecutive game with an injury. Sunny Hale scored three goals for Mokarow Farms and Chris Nevins added one goal for the winners while Memo Gracida did not score. Miguel Novillo Astrada scored all four goals for Bendabout (0-2).

Action in the 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup continues with three games on Monday.
Jedi (1-0) plays ERG (1-0) at 11 a.m. followed by BTA (0-1) against Pony Express (0-1) at 1 p.m. and concluding with Isla Carroll (1-0) against Las Monjitas (1-0) at 3 p.m.

Fourteen teams, the largest field of the 2006 winter season, have entered the tournament. Seven 10-goalers – Mariano Aguerre (White Birch), Javier Novillo Astrada (San Saba), Miguel Novillo Astrada (Bendabout), Mike Azzaro (BTA), Carlos Gracida (Mokarow Farms), Agustin Merlos (ERG) and Sebastian Merlos (Lechuza Caracas) – are competing in the event.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Sunday with the semifinals set for Thursday, March 23 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The final is Sunday, March 26 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.

The tournament is named in memory of Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney, who along with his cousin John Hay Whitney, were important polo patrons in the 1930's. The son of Hall of Fame patron Harry Payne Whitney, C.V. won the U.S. Open three times (twice against his brother), and was a renowned owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.

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 $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.
 
C.V. Whitney Schedule
 
Monday, March 13                  11 AM             Jedi v. ERG
                                                1 PM               BTA v. Pony Express
                                                3 PM               Isla Carroll v. Las Monjitas
 
Wednesday, March 15 11 AM             Black Watch v. White Birch
                                                1 PM               Skeeterville v. Lechuza
                                                3 PM               Orchard Hill v. San Saba
 
Thursday 16                             10 AM             BTA v. Las Monjitas
                                                11 AM             Jedi v. Bendabout
                                                1 PM               Isla Carroll v Pony Express
                                                3 PM               Mokarow Farms v. ERG
 
 
Sunday 19                    TBA                 Quarterfinal      Game I: 1st v 8th
                                    TBA                 Quarterfinal      Game II: 2nd v. 7th
                                    TBA                 Quarterfinal      Game III: 3rd v. 6th
                                    TBA                 Quarterfinal      Game IV: 4th v. 5th
 
Thursday 23                 1 PM   Semifinal           Winner of Quarterfinal Game I v.
                                                                                    Winner of Quarterfinal Game IV
 
Thursday 23                 3 PM   Semifinal           Winner of Quarterfinal Game II v.
                                                                                    Winner of Quarterfinal Game III
 
Sunday 26                    3 PM   Final

International Polo Club
Palm Beach