A second consecutive game to begin the 2021 Justerini & Brooks Prince of Wales Trophy required overtime as Park Place battled White Crane into an extra chukka, but wasted little time, winning the first throw-in to score and capture the 12-11 victory at Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.
Scoring a stretch of seven unanswered goals over the third, fourth and fifth chukkas, Park Place was led by the impressive performance of Facundo Pieres, who finished with 10 goals including the golden goal in overtime. Juan Britos provided a proficient duo for Park Place, adding two goals and three assists for a Park Place offense that produced more chances throughout the game. Beginning with two goals on handicap, White Crane’s offense slowed in the middle of the game, held to just one field goal through four chukkas, but used a balanced offense to race back into the game and force overtime in the hard-fought defeat.
A quick start from King Power was driven by Ulloa, who scored two goals in quick succession to push his team to an early 3-2 lead. The pace slowed as the umpire’s whistle affected the momentum of the game, but Emlor took advantage of their opportunities from the penalty line with Merlos a perfect 3 for 3 in the first half. Held to just one goal over the third and fourth chukkas, King Power conceded their lead when Emlor’s consistent offense pushed them in front. Merlos accounted for all six of his team’s goals during the stretch that resulted in a three-goal advantage with two chukkas remaining.
Unwilling to concede defeat, King Power scored back-to-back goals from Elizalde and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, but Emlor maintained their lead as Max Charlton made his impact felt with two crucial goals late in the game. Still facing a three-goal difference entering the final chukka, King Power pressured Emlor across the field, resulting in four fouls, but still inched closer despite conceding possession. Ulloa scored three goals in the final chukka to pull within one, but the last goal came inside the final 40 seconds leaving little time for a game-tying goal as time expired and Emlor claimed the 11-10 victory.