Under sunny skies, a light breeze and the sparkling emerald green of Anini Field, the 2002 Kauai Polo Club season opened on Sunday with Coldwell Banker/Bali Hai Realty topping Hanalei Bay 7-6 in a four chukker match.
The season was launched with Mayor Maryanne Kusaka bowling in the first ball.
The action was underway.
Max Secunda cleared the ball, but Stuart Mackenzie snaked it away and fired off an impressive backhand drive. Ronnie Tongg neatly backed it with a pass to back to Secunda, who proceeded to make the first score of the season.
Moments later, Tongg cleared the toss-in with a long drive to Krista Hawley, who slithered through traffic and headed to the goal for another score.
Tongg owned the second chukker.
Mackenzie cleared the toss-in with a shot picked up by Peter Cameron which was backed by Tongg. After some back-and-forth play, Cameron, in a fast move, gained control and made a run on goal with Secunda sticking to him like Velcro. But a determined Cameron blasted the ball between the pylons to put one up for Hanalei Bay.
Following the ensuing toss-in, Mackenzie scorched the field with slick stick work, which not only cleared the ball but resulted in a downfield blaze for another score. At this point, Tongg went into overdrive. In rapid succession, he posted three goals for Bali Hai, the second of which was a spectacular high looping shot over and between the goal posts.
The third chukker was alive with hard defensive play by both teams, with no give-or-take from either side. It was impressive to watch the skillful maneuvers by all players blocking numerous attempts to score as play moved up and down the field. However, twice Mackenzie, with his fine horsemanship and disciplined finesse, scored for Hanalei Bay.
In the final chukker, both teams pushed players and mounts hard, executing plays that left spectators breathless. Tongg and Mackenzie dueled incessantly, with Secunda and Bonaguidi enlisting in the fray.
First Mackenzie blasted a forehand shot between the pylons. Then Secunda, clearing the ball from a bowl in, drove through a sea of mallets and thundered across the goal line. After the toss in, Tongg and Mackenzie proceeded to move the ball in front of the goal mouth where everyone bunched over the ball, but Hawley got the steal and expertly moved it across the goal line.
The toss in was followed by fast and furious play. But the play of the day that brought the spectators to their feet cheering was made by Bonaguidi, who managed to gain control of the ball near the opponents goal, get out in front of the pack, and go “coast to coast” to put up the last score of the match.
When the final bell rang it was Bali Hai 7, Hanalei Bay 6.
