Bensoleimani.com- Tomy Alberdi, Tavi Usandizaga, Remy Du Celliee Muller & Ben Soleimani

The final game of the 12 Goal Fish Creek Constitution Tournament was played on the finest day of 2020 and in front of another huge crowd. To compliment the perfect weather, the afternoon was presented by Bulleit Bourbon.

The game displayed bensoleiman.com (Ben Soleimani, Gustavo Usandizaga 5, Tomas Alberdi 4, Remy Du Celiee Muller 3) up against Antelope (Grant Palmer, Santiago Trotz 4, Marcos Alberdi 4, Jim Wright 3) in what turned out to be a very entertaining contest.

With Antelope starting with a handicap award of one, the first chukker started quickly as Usandizaga scored to tie the early count. Palmer got that back right away to get the lead back for Antelope. Wright with a strong penalty four strike upped the pronghorn lead to two goals at 3 – 1. Usandizaga then scored his second of the game to bring the Soleimani group to within one. Soleimani, on a long run, scored to tie the game at three. Marcos Alberdi then gave Antelope another lead with a field goal but Tomas Alberdi counted a penalty two to tie the count at four after one.

While goals in the first period were plentiful – like the samples of Bulleit Bourbon - the second saw only two. Tomas Aberdi slammed a 60 yard free shot to get the lead back for bensoleimani.com. Marcos Alberdi then scored his second field goal for Antelope and it was 5 – 5 after the second.

Bensoleimani.com applied early and constant pressure in the third frame that produced two counters by Tomas Alberdi – a penalty two and a penalty four to lead by two at 7 – 5. Marcos Alberdi replied for Antelope but Du Celiee Muller scored to give the lead to bensoleimani.com at 8 – 6 going to the Sofia halftime divot stomp.

In the fourth chukker, Grant Palmer counted his second of the game – the only goal in the frame – to bring Antelope within one at 8 – 7 going to the penultimate stanza.

A Marcos Alberdi field goal brought Antelope back to tie in the early fifth but brother Tomas scored another penalty two offering to again give the lead to the Soleimani group. Wright then scored his second sixty yarder and followed that up with a pair from the field and the pronghorns went to the final of regulation leading at 11 – 9.

Tomas Alberdi and Usandizaga – on a bold run with 20 seconds left on the clock - each counted from the field in the sixth to send the game to overtime tied at eleven.

If ever there was a need to prove how important it is to win the throw-in, Tomas Alberdi showed why in overtime as he grabbed the ball at center and sent a screamer to within 50 yards. He then got the winner by backing up Du Celliee Muller and Usandizaga to score and it was quickly over. bensoleimani.com had won the Fish Creek Constitution 12 Goal by a final count of 12 – 11.

With Fred Mannix on hand to present the awards, the winners also received bottles of Bulleit Bourbon.

Usandazaga, with quick, strong, and accurate play was awarded the title of MVP and Sorpressa, owned and played by Trotz in the sixth and overtime went back to the barn wearing the Best Playing Pony blanket.

Tony Gregg

BPP Sorpressa, owned & played by Santi Trotz