Men's Polo Knocks Off UConn, 23-13
11/15/2009 10:25:53 AM
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's polo team scored 12 unanswered second chukker goals and cruised to a 23-13 victory over Connecticut on Friday evening at the Oxley Equestrian Center. The Big Red improved to 5-1 on the season with its second victory of the year over the Huskies.
The Big Red were out to defend its home turf against the toughest competition in the Northeast Region, UConn, and it was a battle throughout the first chukker. The Huskies came out tough and put the first goal on the board. Cornell, but the riding crew of Dan Grew, Max Constant, and Branden Van Loon responded and then proceeded to make numerous fouls to keep the game from smoothing out. With alternating goals, the Big Red came out of the first on top 3-2. That's where the game changed.
The foul situation was addressed in between chukkers and the team responded by scoring the next 12 goals, with Constant tallying two 2-point shots to blank the Huskies in the second and take a commanding 15-2 halftime lead.
The teams traded goals for most of the third with the Huskies, who cut the lead to 19-7 after three. The Huskies jumped out in the fourth, scoring six consecutive to pull to within 19-13, but Cornell finally responded with the last five unanswered goals to bring home the win.
Constant led all scorers with 12 goals, Van Loon had seven, Grew tallied three and Cornell was also awarded a penalty goal.
The Bog Red will be back in action at the Bill Field Invitational beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Oxley.