It was a spirited homecoming for the three former Cornellians on the Greenwich polo club, as the visitors edged the Red riders 14-12.
The closely contested match was the first regular season defeat for the men’s polo club dating back to the middle of last season. However, the result will bear no effect on the standings, as the squad remains atop the national rankings after a strong fall campaigns.
Despite an eight-goal performance from senior captain Jeff Embow, the club could not stave off a fourth chukker rally.
Still On His Game
Andrew Flint, who led the Red to a national championship game appearence in his days on East Hill, scored five goals in the final stanza to cap off the come from behind victory for Greenwich. It was all part of his eleven-goal effort.
With senior Ben McClintic nursing a nagging illness, the Red quickly found themsleves on the wrong end of a 3-1 score.
After dominating their collegiate competition, Cornell’s defense was put to the test against the talented Greenwich squad.
“We weren’t coasting through. We really had to work and we had some defensive lapses,” observed head coach David Eldredge ’81.
Tallies by Embow and senior Renato Periera drew the home team by the close of the first chukker.
Embow lit the lamp three times in the second chukker to open a 7-5 advantage for Cornell at the intermission.
Flint matched Embow’s 2nd chukker goal total, notching three of his own in the opening chukker of the second half but markers from Periera and Embow pereserved a tenuous one goal lead for Cornell.
The Red would rue their defensive miscues as the final chukker began with three unaswered goals for Greenwich, two courtesy of Flint and the other being credited to Dorn Cox.
Embow scored twice to tie the match at 11. The Red fell behind once more as Flint took control and scored once again. After Periera had evened the score at 12, Flint put the contest out of reach with two scores.
Despite the loss, the Red was able to capitalize along the end walls, a facet of play which has plagued them periodically this season. But what doomed Cornell was its tendency to take low percentage shots from far out.
“Shooting accuracy is something we hope to improve in practice,” affirmed Eldredge.
Defensive let downs, particularly along the left side was the Achielles’ heel for the club and will be something that must be attended to before next Friday’s home date with Purdue at 7:30pm.
Archived article by Gary Schueller