The very mention of the Gardnertown Polo club brings up bitter memories for the Cornell men’s polo team. In the last game before break, Cornell had the game against Gardnertown practically won. Up a goal with 29 seconds left on the clock, Gardnertown tied the match, and then scored a two pointer as time ran out, giving it a 16-14 victory over the Red.
“It left a really bad taste in their mouths to lose that game,” said head coach David Eldredge ’81. “They were just dying at that point because they knew they let it get away.”
Now, Cornell has a chance to erase those memories, as Gardnertown returns to the Oxley Equestrian Center for a match at 8:15 tonight.
Cornell comes home after a difficult road trip to New Haven. The Red came away with a 21-14 victory over Yale, yet played at a level far below its normal caliber.
Commenting on the Red’s chances this weekend Eldredge said, “They need to figure out how to put away teams, quality teams. They tend to get into a lull and go on cruise control instead of going for the kill.”
Senior Senter Johnson will be called upon to provide the Red’s offensive threat against Gardnertown, while Cornell will look to senior Jeff Markle to create opportunities for Johnson while creating havoc for the opposition. In the back, junior Nick Grew will provide the defensive presence for the Red
The Gardnertown match should provide the Red with a valuable tuneup before it hosts a revitalized Virginia team next weekend.
“They’re going to be a tougher team then they were in the fall,” said Eldredge of Virginia, who will have several key players returning to its lineup this spring.
The Virginia match is scheduled for 8:15 next Saturday at Oxley Equestrian Center.
Archived article by Paul Testa