Wellington, FL – February 7, 2021 – The 2021 Ylvisaker Cup concluded at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on Sunday with the fourth meeting of the season between Beverly Polo and Palm Beach Equine. Under some rainy conditions on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1, Hilario Figueras and Tolito Ocampo scored five goals each to lead Beverly Polo to the 15-11 victory and capture the Ylvisaker Cup title.
Facing their third consecutive final, 16-goal Beverly Polo’s system finally paid off to capture their first title of the year. Maintaining their momentum from the semifinal victory against Tamera, Beverly Polo displayed a strong offense and defense, leaving Palm Beach Equine trailing throughout the entire game. Joaquin Panelo, who filled in for Peke Gonzalez, showcased an outstanding performance, displaying hit and run plays while adding two goals. Despite shooting 64% from the field, Palm Beach Equine committed 13 fouls that resulted in six penalty conversions for Beverly Polo. Along with the additional opportunities from the field, Beverly Polo overwhelmed Palm Beach Equine in one of their strongest games of the year to complete the four-goal victory.
Hilario Figueras was named the Most Valuable Player of the game thanks in part to his five goals. ©Alex Pacheco
With a two-goal advantage, Beverly Polo was able to maintain that lead, withstanding an early push from Palm Beach Equine. Costi Caset opened the scoring, but two missed penalty attempts allowed Beverly Polo to stay ahead by two after Ocampo’s first goal. Reorganizing, Palm Beach Equine began to take advantage of their opportunities, converting three of their four attempts from the field, while also adding a Penalty 3 conversion. The fast-paced second chukker saw a response from Beverly Polo with two goals from Ocampo and one from newcomer Panelo. The duo of Ocampo and Figueras took over in the final stages of the first half, scoring two goals each in the third chukker, while actively defending against the Palm Beach Equine attack. Conceding zero shot attempts, Beverly Polo allowed two penalty goals, but remained in the lead, holding the 10-7 advantage at halftime.
