By Alex Webbe
Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Brandon Phillips, Nick Manifold and Joao Paolo Ganon) received three goals by handicap from a powerful 20-goal Northwood polo team (Louis Bacon, Gonzalo Garcia Del Rio, Tomas Garcia Del Rio and Mariano Gonzalez) Wednesday afternoon in USPA Butler Handicap play but fell behind at halftime on their way to a 14-12 loss.
Postage Stamp Farm team captain Annabelle Gundlach scored the first goal of the day for an early 4-0 lead. Northwood patron Louis Bacon countered with a goal of his own, 4-1. Brazilian 7-goaler Joao Ganon converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal with Mariano Gonzalez scoring the final goal of the chukker to trail by three goals, 5-2.
Tomas Garcia del Rio and Mariano scored consecutive goals in the second period that cut the Postage Stamp Farm lead down to one goal, 5-4. Ganon converted a 30-yard penalty shot for a 6-4 edge. Gonzalez closed out the chukker with a penalty goal, bringing the Postage Stamp Farm lead down to a single goal, 6-5.
The Northwood got into rhythm in third period play. Mariano Gonzalez and Gonzalo Garcia del Rio scored consecutive goals that tied the game, 6-6, and then took the lead, 7-6. Tomas Garcia del Rio stretched the lead out to two goals, 8-6, with Gonzalez scoring the fourth straight Northwood goal of the chukker for a 9-6 first half advantage.
Ganon brought Postage Stamp Farm back with a pair of goals that opened the fourth chukker. A 40-yad penalty conversion was followed up with a goal from the field as Postage Stamp Farm came within a goal of the lead, 9-8. Gonzalez scored the final goal of the chukker, keeping Northwood on top by two goals, 10-8.
Another goal from Ganon in the fifth brought Postage Stamp Farm to within a goal of the lead once again, but that was when Tomas Garcia del Rio erupted for three goals that ended the chukker with Northwood on top of a 13-9 lead. Tomas Garcia del Rio added another goal to open the sixth period with a five goals lead, 14-9. Ganon scored the last three goals of the game but the win went to Northwood, 14-12.
Mariano Gonzalez and Tomas Garcia del Rio each scored six goals on the day. Gonzalo Garcia del Rio and Louis Bacon added single goals for the win. Ganon’s eight goals (three on penalty conversions) were a game high. Gundlach scored once and the team received three goals by handicap.
Butler Handicap action continues on Thursday with a 4pm game between Tupungato (Luis Rinaldini, Juan Martin Zubia, Naco Taverna and Tommy Biddle) and Airstream (Benjamin Avendano, Matias Magrini, Kris Kampsen and Guille Aguero).