Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond wins Champagne Cup

Rocky Mountain High qualifies for Lions Cup finals

Gypsy/Tritech takes third place in Champions Cup

By Alex Webbe

Gypsy/Tritech (Suzanne Figi, Ruben Coscia, Gaston Von Wernich and Chris Maloney)
scored a 10-7 win over Empire 10 (Eric Hammon, Craig Steinke, Ashton Wolf and
Mariano Fassetta) to capture third place in the 8-10 goal Champions Cup Saturday
afternoon at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Wolf scored two goals for Empire in the opening chukker while Gypsy/Tritech was held
to a single penalty goal from Coscia. Empire took the early lead, 2-1.

Fassetta scored his first goal of the game in the second chukker for Empire, but two
more goals from Coscia tied it up at 3-3.

Coscia opened the third period with his fourth goal of the game. Empire got goals from
Steinke and Wolf (penalty conversion) and rode off the field at the end of the first half
with a 5-4 lead.

Both defenses tightened up in the fourth chukker. The Empire attack was completely
shut down while Gypsy/Tritech managed just a single goal from the field from Coscia.
After four chukkers the score was all even at 5-5.

Coscia and Von Wernich scored single goals in the fifth for a 7-5 advantage, but Empire
fired back. A single goal from the field from Fassetta cut the Gypsy/Tritech lead down
to a single goal, 7-6 as the chukker ended.

Coscia exploded in the final chukker, scoring three times before Empire could connect.
Two goals from the field and a penalty goal had Gypsy/Tritech on top of a 10-6 score.
Steinke finally managed to break through for an Empire goal, but the die was cast and it
was Gypsy/Tritech who finished in the third place Champions Cup money.

Coscia led all scoring with nine goals (two on penalties). Von Wernich scored the other
Gypsy/Tritech goal in the win.

Wolf set the pace for Empire with three goals. Steinke and Fassetta scored two goals
each in a losing effort.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH 9, PARKLANE 8

Rocky Mountain High (Noah Sprung, Roxy Keyfauver, Kimo Huddleston and Cybele

Jordan) needed a fifth chukker rally to beat Parklane (Bill Garlock, Remy Muller, Champ
Roth and Doug Blumenthal) Saturday afternoon and earn a berth in the Lions Cup 4-
goal finals at noon on Sunday.

Parklane got into foul trouble early, and after spotting Rocky Mountain High one goal by
handicap, watched Huddleston convert three penalty shots for a 4-0 lead.

Parklane bounced back in the second, scoring four unanswered goals to tie it up at 4-4.
Muller scored three consecutive goals followed up by a goal from the field from Roth.

Muller’s fourth goal of the game had Parklane ahead, 5-4, when Rocky Mountain High
responded. Penalty conversions from Huddleston and Sprung had Rocky Mountain
High in front, 6-5, at the end of the third chukker.

Huddleston opened the fourth period with a goal from the field for a 7-5 advantage, but
Parklane was ready. Three straight goals (Muller, Blumenthal and Garlock) ended the
chukker with Parklane on top of an 8-7 score.

When the teams returned to the field for the final chukker it was clear that Parklane had
spent all of its field currency in the fourth. Jordan scored once and Huddleston added
two more goals (one by penalty) with Parklane unable to score a goal. Rocky Mountain
High had staged a last chukker rally to score three unanswered goals for the 9-8 victory.

Huddleston was high scorer with seven goals (five on penalties). Sprung and Jordan
added single goals in the win.

Muller was credited with five goals for Parklane. Blumenthal, Garlock and Roth added
single goals in the loss.

CELEBRITY RANCH/BLACK DIAMOND 6, EMPIRE 4

Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond (Scott Walker, Stephen Cobb, Santos Arriola and
Miguel Gutierrez) captured the 4-goal Champagne Cup with a 6-4 win over Empire (Lee
Pettigrew, Rob Scapa, Charlie Peterson and Lolo Payan) Saturday morning.

Pettigrew scored the opening goal for Empire but Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond
responded with a pair of goals. Gutierrez scored first followed by a goal from Stephen
Cobb. Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond took a 2-1 lead after the first chukker of play.

Arriola scored his first goal of the game and the only goal of the second period as both
sides had their difficulties finding the range around the goal. Celebrity Ranch/Black
Diamond was holding a 3-1 lead going into the third chukker.

Two more Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond goals went unanswered as Cobb and Arriola
added single goals from the field. Empire had dug themselves into a hole, and after

three chukkers of play Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond was leading by four goals, 5-1.

Arriola’s third goal of the game had Empire trailing 6-1 before they showed up with any
kind of offense. Peterson scored on a goal from the field and the other on a penalty
shot. The Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond lead was cut to three goals, 6-3, with one
chukker left to play.

Lee Pettigrew scored the final goal of the game as the Celebrity Ranch/Black Diamond
players coasted to the 6-4 win.

Arriola, Cobb and Gutierrez scored two goals apiece in the victory for Celebrity Ranch/
Black Diamond.

Pettigrew and Peterson each scored a pair of goals for Empire.