USPA Arena Open Championship

Cornell Weill manhandles Black Watch in USPA Arena Open action

American 10-goaler Tommy Biddle captained his Weill Cornell polo team (Nick Steig, Rob Yackley and Tommy Biddle) to a resounding 18-7 win over Black Watch (Kareem Rosser, Nacho Figueras and Naco Taverna) in the opening game of the 2012 USPA Arena Open Championship Saturday night at Bob Ceparano’s Country Farms Polo Club in Medford, New York.

Weill Cornell took control from the opening throw-in, charging out to a 9-0 lead.  Nick Steig and Rob Yackley scored four goals apiece in the opening seven minutes of play.  Biddle added four goals while holding the Black Watch team scoreless.

“We just caught them a bit flat-footed in the opening chukker,” said Biddle, “and they just couldn’t make it up.  They played us pretty even for the balance of the game, but just got too far behind in the first.”

Black Watch finally got on the scoreboard in the second chukker, picking up a pair of goals, but four more Weill Cornell tallies had them trailing Biddle & Company, 13-2 at the end of the first half of play.

The pace continued to pick up in the third chukker, but Black Watch had found its defense, and matched Weill Cornell goal for goal.  Each team managed just two goals, and Weill Cornell continued to hold a commanding 15-4 advantage.

The teams continued to battle it out through the final chukker of play, matching one another goal for goal, but it was Weill Cornell who would ride off with the 18-7 victory.

Weill Cornell’s Steig and Yackley led all scoring with seven goals apiece.  Biddle added four goals for the win.

Rosser set the pace for Black Watch with four goals.  Figueras scored twice and Taverna accounted for a goal in the loss.

Play is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, July 11, at 7pm when Black Watch will face Land Rover (Johnny Redlich, Horton Schwartz and Nick Manifold).  On Friday, July 13, at 7pm, Weill Cornell will return to the arena to meet Land Rover.

The finals are slated to be played at 7pm on Saturday, July 14 with the top two teams facing off for the title.