BTA and ML Bar Ranch met in the finals of the Carlton & Keleen Beal Cup on October 24, at Houston Polo Club. Meeting in the first game of match play, BTA emerged as the overtime victors 10-9. The final would materialize as a mirror of their first showdown. A close game from the onset, the two evenly matched teams battled through regulation and once again required an overtime shootout to determine the winner. After coming out strong BTA would relinquish the lead late in the match but a strong push in the sixth set up Steve Krueger to score the winning goal in the shootout as BTA preserved 10-9 victors and seizing the Carlton & Keleen Beal Cup title.
Striking first for BTA, Krueger scored the opening goal of the final, followed by another from Nicolai Galindo. Cody Ellis answered for ML Bar Ranch, but BTA would enter the second chukker with a two advantage on another goal from Krueger to end the first. After Kreuger began the second with his third goal of the half, ML Bar Ranch’s Drew Lupow and Joe Wayne Barry responded with a goal each. BTA’s Kreuger found the goal twice in the third chukker, including one on a successful penalty conversion, while KC Kreuger contributed another from the field. Despite Ellis finding the goal once more, ML Bar Ranch would take a 4-7 deficit into the break.
Emerging from the half, ML Bar Ranch would begin the comeback scoring the only goals in the chukker, one from Ellis and another on a successful penalty shot from Abby Benton. Keeping BTA off the scoreboard in the fourth, ML Bar Ranch repeated their defensive success in the fifth as Ellis and Barry each added another goal to lift ML Bar Ranch into the lead. Attempting to seal the victory, Ellis hit the goal from the field but an unwavering Krueger came through for BTA to score two consecutive goals and send the game into overtime. Scoring seven goals in regulation, Kreueger once again came through for BTA in the shootout, hitting the goal and capturing the Carlton & Keleen Beal Championship 10-9.