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March
30, 2006
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 Jedi
rallies to defeat Lechuza Caracas
8-6 in C.V. Whitney Cup Final
Final
- Jedi defeated Lechuza Caracas 8-6
- 2-1, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 5-5, 8-6
- Sebastian Merlos scored 5 goals (3 penalties, 2 field)
- Pablo MacDonough scored 3 goals penalty goals
- MVP Cristian "Magoo" LaPrida
- BPP Pablo MacDonough's "Moss"
WELLINGTON, FL (March 30, 2006) - Jedi scored three goals in a span of
1:39 late in the sixth chukker to rally past Lechuza Caracas 8-6 to capture
the 2006 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup Thursday on Stanford Field at International
Polo Club Palm Beach. It was Jedi sixth consecutive victory and its first
high-goal title at International Polo Club.
Trailing 6-5, 9-goaler Pablo MacDonough of Jedi converted a 30-yard penalty
shot to tie the game with 2:14 remaining in the game. Juan Martin Nero
knocked down a clearing attempt and dribbled in for the tie-breaking goal,
knocking over the right goal post, to give Jedi a 7-6 lead with 1:09 left.
Jedi patron Torsten Koch clinched the victory, taking a loss pass from
the ensuing throw-in and tapping home his second goal of the game with
35 seconds left.
We didnt play well the whole game, said veteran 8-goaler Alex Agote of
Jedi. We made two or three good plays that ended in a goal in the sixth
chukker. Its more important to win than to play good. It happens sometimes
in polo.
MacDonough finished with a team-high three goals while Koch and Nero added
two goals and Agote scored one goal.
This feels excellent, said the 22-year-old Koch, the youngest patron in
the tournament. Its (Jedi) a wonderful organization. All we wanted was
to win.
Lechuza Caracas, which defeated ERG 15-13 in the semifinals, also reached
the final of the 22-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup in January. They won the
C.V. Whitney Cup in 2002 and 1999.
Ten-goaler Sebastian Merlos led Lechuza Caracas (4-2) with five goals
to finish as the tournaments leading scorer with 40 goals. Eight-goaler
Sapo Caset scored one goal while Magoo Laprida and patron Victor Vargas
did not score.
Laprida was named the MVP and MacDonoughs horse, Moss, was named Best
Playing Pony. Agote said the team made a slight change in the third chukker,
letting MacDonough take the knock-ins.
In the last three chukkers, we had more control of the ball, said Agote.
Before, we lost the ball. Lechuza Caracas, behind three goals from Merlos,
led 4-3 at halftime.
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