The much-anticipated conclusion to the 18-goal season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) is set for Sunday, February 6 at 3:00pm ET on U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1 with La Fe battling CK Polo for the Ylvisaker Cup. The disparity between teams has never been smaller with all four teams holding three victories, setting the scene for an evenly matched final that is sure to treat spectators to exceptional polo ahead of the upcoming Gauntlet of Polo®.
Suffering a hard-fought overtime loss in the final of the Iglehart Cup to open the season, La Fe returns to their second final determined to raise the prestigious trophy. A diverse line-up features young, rising American Lucas Escobar alongside 9-goaler Francisco Elizalde, 5-goaler Robi Bilbao and newcomer Louis Devaleix. La Fe’s two victories can be attributed to their strong defensive effort, conceding the fewest goals in the tournament at 24, four less than the next closest team. The effective play of Devaleix in the #4 position, along with Elizalde and Bilbao effectively transitioning from offense to defense have been crucial in their success throughout the Ylvisaker Cup. Offensively, Elizalde and Escobar have provided a formidable duo in open play, ranking in the top 4 in both field goals and assists. However, they enter the final against a CK Polo team leading the offensive charge.
Few teams make a final when needing to use seven players over a three-game stretch, but CK Polo has persevered through injuries due to the play of Keko Magrini, whose impressive stretch places him at the top of the scoring leaderboard with 21 goals. The other constant in the line-up has been 6-goaler Joaquin Panelo, who has quickly asserted himself as an effective back that has collected seven assists to tie with Tomas Garcia del Rio for the tournament lead. Producing a quick attack, CK Polo has scored more goals than any other team by generating constant shot opportunities and a willingness to not wait for the perfect opportunity to shoot at goal. After missing most of the first two games, Martin Valent and Santino Magrini returned to play to restore CK Polo’s original formation. Santino Magrini joined brother Keko at the forefront of CK Polo’s attack, adding three goals in their last game to provide another scoring option entering the final.
Playing each other in their last match of the group stage, La Fe claimed the narrow 8-7 victory, instilling their defensive might on CK Polo, the tournament’s highest scoring team. Entering that game averaging 13.0 goals per game, CK Polo were held to just seven goals in the defeat, but it provided an opportunity for their original line-up to regain chemistry ahead of Sunday’s rematch. The contrasting styles of La Fe’s organized defense against the electric offense of CK Polo should treat spectators to another close final, with both the Iglehart Cup and Joe Barry Memorial finals needing overtime to determine a champion. It would provide a fitting conclusion to an 18-goal season that has resulted in all four teams challenging for a tournament title.
