Polo Teams Sweep Opponents Handily

How can thoroughbreds find themselves on the losing end of a game featuring horses? Easily, when the horses in question are the Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College, who had the misfortune of facing a dominant men’s polo team on Saturday evening in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Senior Rich Weidel capitalized on his best game of the season to propel the visiting Red to an impressive victory, while senior Tim Scott and sophomore Max Constant also played key roles in the squad’s third win of the young season. [img_assist|nid=33270|title=Ride on|desc=Sophomore Max Constant lines up a hit during the Red’s win against Harvard on Oct. 24. Constant is the team’s leading scorer, and notched ten points against Skidmore on Saturday.|link=node|align=left|width=|height=0]The women’s team upped its mark to 6-0 this season with a 22-8 win over archrival UConn, completing the Red’s sweep of the weekend’s matches.
“They’re a very young and inexperienced team. We went into the game knowing that,” Constant said. “We used the game as a way to get Tim some experience playing and to work on teamwork between Rich and me.”
After jumping out to a 14-0 lead, the Red surrendered one goal before the first half came to a close. The second half featured a similar result, and the Red and White won by a final tally of 30-2. Weidel knocked in 11 goals and Scott added seven. Two pony goals were also recorded. Constant, the team’s leading scorer, who registered 10 points, was impressed and proud of his teammates.
“It was a good game for Rich (Weidel) to practice his back shots, because if he didn’t hit them properly,” he said. “It was unlikely that Skidmore would capitalize on our mistakes. Tim (Scott’s) really coming along. We’re bringing him up to speed, and he did a great job. We’re looking for some good contribution from him this year.”
Constant’s role is similar to that of a point guard’s in basketball — he controls the pace of the game and the direction of the ball.
“I hung out in the back and dictated where Rich and Tim should be,” he said. “It was a good game to work on placement.”
Weidel agreed with his younger teammate.
“It was a good game to practice our fundamentals,” he said. “Max (Constant) and I got to work on some things we’ve been doing in practice, like opening up the field.”.
On the women’s side, the opposing Huskies were as rough and aggressive as their namesake would imply in the first half but tapered off as the game progressed. By outscoring their Northeast division foes 14-2 in the second half, the Red continued its flawless 2008-2009 campaign.
Red rookie, sophomore Lizzie Wisner, a transfer from UConn, collected nine goals while seniors Ariana Constant, Emily Bold and Erin Bold also scored. A 22nd marker was also awarded to the Red in the form of a penalty point.