Freebooters Classic finals

Tonkawa takes 2013 Freebooters Classic

By Alex Webbe

Jeff Hildebrand’s Tonkawa polo team made it two in a row this season by winning
both the Wanderers Classic and the Freebooters Classic 14-goal tournaments at the
International Polo Club in Wellington, but it was a little tougher the second time around.

Tonkawa sailed through the season opening Wanderers Classic undefeated, but didn’t
have quite as easy a time of it in the Freebooters Classic. An opening win over Mt.
Brilliant/ELG was followed by the team’s first loss of the season, a 12-11 overtime loss
to La Casa Hermosa (Tom Sikes, Julio Gracida, Jeff Blake and Brad Blake).

A subsequent 11-9 win over Villa Del Lago set up the finals, a re-match with La Casa
Hermosa, Tonkawa’s only loss of the season.

Fast but cautious play set the tone for the opening chukker, with Tonkawa’s Nic Roldan
scoring the first goal of the game less than two minutes into the game. Jeff Blake
responded for La Casa Hermosa’s only goal of the chukker and the period ended in a 1-
1 tie.

Julio Gracida put La Casa Hermosa back on top with a goal from the field halfway
through the second chukker. Roldan tied it up again with a goal in the final minute of
the period. After two it was all even at 2-2.

Brandon Phillips was fouled in the goal mouth in the opening minutes of the third
chukker resulting in Tonkawa being awarded a goal under Penalty 1. Tonkawa was
leading, 3-2. Phillips made it 4-2 with a goal from the field, but a final goal from Brad
Blake ended the first half with Tonkawa holding on to a precarious one goal lead, 4-3.

Roldan extended the Tonkawa lead to two goals, 5-3, in the fourth with a 60-yard
penalty conversion. Julio Gracida cut the Tonkawa lead back to a single goal with a
shot from the field, but a 170 yard run by Agustin Arellano at the end of the chukker
resulted in a goal that had La Casa Hermosa trailing 6-4.

Jeff Blake opened the fifth chukker with a goal from the field followed by a penalty
conversion from his brother Brad, tying it up at 6-6. Roldan added another goal from
the field to the Tonkawa total for a 7-6 edge. A penalty in the final seconds of the
chukker sent Brad Blake to the penalty line where he converted the shot for a 7-7 tie.

Both teams struggled with their offenses in the sixth chukker until Gracida managed to
break through for a score. With time running out, Nic Roldan executed a nearside neck
shot to deadlock it at 8-8 and force sudden death overtime.

The first run at goal came from Tonkawa, who were turned aside by an alert La Casa
Hermosa defense. La Casa Hermosa turned it around and attacked the Tonkawa goal,
with a shot missing by inches. In an effort to shut down a Tonkawa attack on their goal,
La Casa Hermosa fouled, sending Roldan to the penalty line where he converted the
short shot for the score and the win.

Nic Roldan led all scoring with six goals on the day, winning MVP honors along the
way. Teammates Brandon Phillips and Agustin Arellano added single goals. Tonkawa
also received one goal on a Penalty 1. Julio Gracida and Jeff Blake scored three goals
apiece. Brad Blake scored twice in the game.

Jeff Blake’s 12-year-old Bay mare earned Best Playing Pony honors.

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