Merlos powers Travieso’s win over SD Farms

WELLINGTON — After two games, Travieso already has worked its way into one of the tournament favorite roles of the Joe Barry Cup.

The foursome of ninegoaler Sebastian Merlos, seven-goaler Tomas Garcia Del Rio, and father and son Teo and Tony Calle defeated SD Farms 12-6 Sunday at windswept International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The Ecuador-based team that got its start at Grand Champions Polo Club at medium-goal level before making its U.S. Open debut last season at IPC, remains undefeated (2-0) and has scored 25 goals in two games. Against SD Farms, Merlos scored a team-high eight goals.

“Five years ago, my dad and I came with the aspiration of playing together in the 20-goal and it finally came true,” said Tony Calle, a senior at Lynn University. “Words can’t describe how happy I am playing with, and against, the top players of the sport.”

Travieso, one of the winningest teams at Grand Champions, won the Sterling Cup and Molina Cup, both 20-goal tournaments, before playing its first U.S. Open at IPC last season. Travieso made it to the semifinals before losing to eventual U.S. Open champion Valiente.

In the featured stadium game, La Indiana, led by Most Valuable Player Toro Ruiz who scored four goals, held off Grand Champions Polo Club, 9-8, to remain unbeaten (2-0). Grand Champions dropped to 1-2. Ruiz’ horse Don Ercole Mentira was Best Playing Pony.

Eight-goaler Nico Pieres scored seven of Grand Champions’ goals on six penalty-two and one penalty-three conversions. Former 10-goaler Mike Azzaro scored his team’s only goal from the field with 3:02 left in the sixth chukker.

For the second game in a row, Grand Champions rallied from a four-goal deficit, coming within one goal on Azzaro’s score. Against Tonkawa on Thursday, Grand Champions rallied from a seven-goal deficit only to lose 9-8.

In the other Sunday game, Tonkawa (2-0), led by 10-goaler Sapo Caset, remained undefeated with a 13-9 victory over Coca-Cola (0-2). Caset scored seven goals and Julian de Lussaretta added four. Julio Arellano had five for Coca-Cola. Caset has 13 goals in two games.

Rain and wet fields played havoc with the second 20-goal tournament of the season this past week, forcing the rescheduling of several games. Today, Modere plays Postage Stamp Farm at 11 a.m. at Isla Carroll East and Colorado faces Goose Creek on Field 4 at 2 p.m. Five games are scheduled for next Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Snow Polo: Grand Champions Polo Club’s Melissa Ganzi of Wellington and Bendura Bank teammates Alejandro Novillo Astrada and Tito Gaudenzi of Miami Beach won the Kitzbuhel World Snow Polo Cup 2018 with a 10-7.5 victory over Engel & Volkers on Sunday. Ganzi is the first woman to win the title in the event’s 16-year history. Astrada was MVP.