Cotterel Controls Antelope to Win Beal 12 Goal

On an almost perfect Sunday aternoon - 78 degrees and sunny - Jenny Luttrel-Benardoni's Cotterel Farms polo team was in control, most of the way, of Geoff Palmer's Antelope group as they rode to an impressive 15 - 8 win and in doing so won the 12 Goal Carlton and Keleen Beal Cup.Antelope started quickly to lead early, as Jared Sheldon jumped out front to score easily . Ruben Coscia got that back in short order and it appeared that the tussle was going to be close - at least in the early going. Juan Curbelo then scored for Cotterel to lead by one, but Remy Du Celliee Muller replied with his first of the day and the first ended in a tie at  two apiece.The Idaho farmhands led again in the early second with a counter from Matthew Fonseca but a Geoff Palmer penalty two conversion for the Pronghorns brought the count to even once again to end the frame (3 - 3).Cotterel continued to flex their muscle in the third period with Fonseca getting his second and Coscia counting on a penalty four strike to lead by two. Du Celliee Muller got one back for Antelope but Coscia, with his third of the day, got the two goal advantage back.  Sheldon's second goal of the game brought Antelope to within one at the half (6 - 5).Antelope saw some light in the early fourth as Sheldon grabbed his third to tie the count at six. The tie score didn't last long however, as Coscia and then Curbelo scored to get back the two goal lead for the farmhands going to the fifth (8 - 6).Fonseca with his third, on an absolutely brilliant set up from Coscia to the center of the goal from 45 yards to the right and two yards off the line (the announcer's shot of the day), gave Cotterel its biggest lead of the game at three. A safety conversion from 65 yards for Santiago Trotz and a penalty two strike from Palmer brought the Pronghorns within one but that would end their scoring for the day. Coscia, with a penalty two and one from the field, regained the Cotterel three goal advantage to end the fifth at 11 - 8.Coming out in the final frame, the Idahoans did not simply try to protect the lead but played like the winners they were about to be, as they applied relentless pressure to score four unanswered counters - Lutterel-Benardoni with one, Curbelo with two, and Coscia notching his second penalty four effort. Antelope was unable to recover and it was over and Luttrel-Benardoni and her Cotterel cohorts clinched the victory and the Carlton and Keleen Beal 12 Goal Cup.Coscia, with his very steady and impacting play was the obvious choice for MVP, and Curbelo's  fifth chukker gray mare Reliquia, owned by Cotterel Farms, wore the Best Playing Pony cooler back to the barn.COTTEREL FARMS (12) - Jenny Luttrel-Benardoni, Ruben Coscia 5, Juan Curbelo 5, Matthew Fonseca 2.ANTELOPE (12) - Geoff Palmer, Santiago Trotz 5, Jared Sheldon 4, Remy Du Celliee Muller 3.Tony Gregg