Antelope Regroups to Win Fish Creek 12 Goal

The final game of the Fish Creek Cup 12 Goal Tournament was contested on Sunday February 26th - just two weeks after the Carlton and Keleen Beal Memorial wrap-up. In the Beal, Jenny Lutterel-Benardoni's Cotterel Farms foursome rode away with an impressive and a seemingly not to be forgotten 15 - 8 victory over Geoff Palmer and his Antelope Polo Team. However, any memory of that previous battle was quickly erased in the Fred Mannix sponsored Fish Creek finale as a regrouped Antelope was unflappable and lead most of the way in an 11 - 9 win.Antelope  jumped out early as Jared Sheldon eluded the opposition - as he is prone to do - and scored two very quick goals on perfect set ups by Santiago Trotz. Cotterel came back quickly to tie with counters from Matthew Fonseca and Juan Curbelo and it appeared - as it did two weeks previous - that this was going to be a close match as the first ended at two apiece.Cotterel started the second on a good note as Fonseca scored his second and it appeared that the Idaho farmhands might be ready to repeat their effort from the Beal final as they lead by one at 3 - 2. However, any such thoughts vanished as the Pronghorns then scored five times (Palmer a two, Trotz with a penalty four and one from the field, Sheldon from the field, and Remy Du Celliee Muller with a penalty four) during the remainder of the chukker to lead by a count of 7 - 3 going to the third.That third frame was played even with Sheldon grabbing another - the sixth in succession for Antelope - with a reply from Ruben Coscia for Cotterel. As a result, Palmer and Co. continued to lead by four, this time at 8 - 4 going to the Ruffino Prosecco Halftime Divot Stomp.As went the third, went the fourth as the scoring was once again even with a pair for each. Coscia with a number two conversion and a field goal and Trotz and Sheldon each counting a field goal for Antelope. The fourth was over with the Pronghorns ahead at 10 - 6.Sheldon scored the only goal of the fifth to increase the lead to five at 11 - 6.The Idahoans were able to get some traction in the final frame with Coscia converting a pair of penalty two opportunities and Fonseca scoring his third, but it wouldn't be enough as Antelope was able to thwart most opportunities with controlled defensive play and the Fish Creek Cup was over and in the hands of Antelope by a final count of 11 - 9.Trotz, based on his remarkable abilities at quarterback was selected as the MVP and Jemara Brisa, owned and played by Curbelo in the sixth was adorned with the Best Playing Pony blanket.Antelope (12) - Geoff Palmer, Santiago Trotz 5, Jared Sheldon 4, Remy Du Celliee Muller 3).Cotterel Farms (12) - Jenny Lutterel-Benardoni, Ruben Coscia 5, Juan Curbelo 5, Matthew Fonseca 2).Tony Gregg