The prestigious 40-Goal Lucchese concluded on 16th February and saw the team of the defending champions Airstream take on the formidable team of Pilot Catastrophe Services in an intense 4 chukker match up. The exhibition match is held annually at the IPC Palm Beach and serves as the primary fundraiser for the Polo Players Support Group (PPSG), an NPO that provides financial aid to fallen polo players and grooms.
| Airstream | Pilot Catastrophe Services |
|---|---|
| Nacho Novillo Astrada | Agustin Merlos |
| Sapo Caset | Mariano Aguerre |
| Polito Pieres | Hilario Ulloa |
| Miguel Novillo Astrada | Facundo Pieres |
A tight game for start to finish, Airstream managed to hold a slight advantage in goals from the second chukker which they were able to maintain for the rest of the game and cap off the game with an 8-6 victory to retain their title.
Match Description
The game began with superb long shot executed flawlessly by Polito Pieres within seconds into the game. Aggressive shots by Polito Pieres made the intentions of Airstream very clear as they moved up in the lead with quick goals in the initial part of the very first chukker. However, Pilot’s Mariano Aguerre rallied his team’s offense and registered the first goal for his team. This was followed by another field goal by Agustin Merlos to level the field of play in the conclusion of the chukker.
The action-packed polo in the first chukker was followed by another interesting chukker during which Airstream came out with lead due to 2 goals by Miguel Novillo Astrada. Leading by a single goal in the initial half of the game, Airstream started off the latter half with the same energy. Sapo Caset scored 2 successive goals to secure a two-point lead for his team in the starting minutes of the 3rd.
Hilario Ulloa then responded with a goal of his own, the very first of the game. When asked about the game in an interview later, Ulloa commented: “I like playing the 40-Goal Challenge because it’s a way to help people that need our support. It’s a great way to raise funds for people that need some help.” t
Despite several goal attempts by 10- Goalers Aguerre and Pieres, Airstream managed to hold the lead for the remainder of the 3rd and 4th Chukker. Airstream pulled off another victory in the high-level tournament with 8-6.
Match Proceedings in the 4th chukker.
“Playing in the 40-Goal Challenge is a great opportunity to help others and I think that anybody in our situation would do the same thing to help out”, noted former 10-goal player Mariano Aguerre, who has played in the 40-Goal Challenge nine times.
