WELLINGTON, Florida – Ten-goaler Mike Azzaro scored seven goals as Catamount won its seventh consecutive 26-goal game, a 9-5 victory over Everglades Thursday in the first round of the Stanford Financial Group – 100th U.S. Open Polo Championship at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In other first-round action, 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre scored 10 goals, including the game-winner with 40 seconds remaining as White Birch edged Lechuza 10-9 and Bendabout topped San Saba 12-8 behind four goals by 10-goaler Adam Snow.

Everglades took a 5-3 lead on 8-goaler Lucas Monteverde’s 60-yard penalty shot with five seconds remaining in the second chukker but did not score the rest of the game despite numerous opportunities.

Catamount (1-0) tied the game at 5-5 on Azzaro’s breakaway with 2:37 left in the third chukker. Two goals by Azzaro in the fifth chukker broke the tie and neither team scored in the fifth chukker.

Nine-goaler Carlos Gracida, playing with a sore knee, scored two goals for Catamount, including a 70-yard forehand with 58 seconds remaining in the game to stretch the margin to 8-5. Azzaro rounded out the scoring with an 80-yard forehand with 12 seconds left. Pelon Escapite and Catamount patron Scott Devon did not score.

Monteverde scored all five of Everglades’ goals while patron Skeeter Johnston, Owen Rinehart and Tomas Llorente were held scoreless.

Aguerre’s winning goal, a 10-yard tail shot, broke the sixth tie of the game. Aguerre had tied the game at 9-9 on a 40-yard penalty shot with 1:35 remaining.

Lechuza, runner-up last year and considered one of the top contenders for the 2004 title, had a chance to tie the game but 10-goaler Sebastian Merlos missed a shot with eight seconds remaining.

Lechuza led 8-4 on patron Victor Vargas’ goal early in the fifth chukker before White Birch mounted a comeback behind Aguerre. He made four penalty shots in the final two chukkers and had seven in the game.

Merlos led Lechuza (0-1) with seven goals, six on penalty shots, while 10-goaler Pite Merlos and Vargas scored one goal each. Gaston Urturi did not score.

After an even first chukker, Bendabout scored five of the next six goals to take a 7-3 halftime lead and coasted to victory. San Saba never got closer than three goals the rest of the game – 11-8 with 4:42 left in the game.

Ten-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada and 5-goaler Alejandro Novillo Astrada scored three goals each while patron Gillian Johnston added one goal for Bendabout

(1-0).

Nine-goaler Agustin Merlos led San Saba (0-1) with four goals while 8-goaler Hector Galindo scored three goals and Toto Collardin added one goal. Patron Tommy Lee Jones did not score.

High-goal polo action continues Sunday at noon when Pony Express (1-0) plays Millarville (0-1) and continues at 3 p.m. when Las Monjitas (1-0) plays Texas Polo (0-0).

Thirteen teams, featuring nine 10-goalers, have entered the Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open Polo Championship, the most prestigious polo tournament in North America, highlighting the historic inaugural polo season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The 26-goal tournament culminates with the championship match on Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m. Fifteen teams, in 2002, is the record for teams in a U.S. Open.

The Stanford Financial Group – U.S. Open will be played on the International Polo Club Palm Beach’s five world-class Bermuda-grass playing fields and teams will also take advantage of the many private fields in Wellington.

The Houston-based Stanford Financial Group, a privately-held global network of affiliated companies, has signed on as the title sponsor of the 100th U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2004. Stanford’s family of companies provides international private banking, trust and brokerage services and real estate development. Currently, the Stanford organization manages in excess of $17 billion in deposits and assets, serving clients on six continents. The success of the group is the result of entrepreneurial spirit and drive spearheaded by third generation Chairman and CEO R. Allen Stanford.

Like the high-goal teams on the field, the International Polo Club Palm Beach has amassed a lineup of prestigious sponsors for the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open tournament will feature a different presenting sponsor every Sunday, including Bombardier Aerospace, Cunard Ltd. and HUMMER.

As always, there will be a delicious Sunday brunch, catered by The Breakers, open to the public preceding the featured stadium match, along with the now traditional and very popular champagne divot stomp and an post-match awards presentation.

Individual tickets for the U.S. Open tournament Sunday games range from $15 for general admission to $120 for tailgating spots and are available in advance. For ticket information for the U.S. Open, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit online at www.internationalpoloclub.com. Tickets are also available at the gate.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road, in Wellington.

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