Intercollegiate/Interscholastic

Across the pond

USA defends Intercollegiate Challenge Cup title

Photos by emmpix

USA’s Elly Schwingel, Fritz Felhaber, Shariah Harris and Molly Agee visited the Warwick Castle.

The eighth annual USA vs. Britain Intercollegiate Challenge Cup took place on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Rugby Polo Club on Onley Grounds Farm in the United Kingdom. This year’s team, comprised of Elly Schwingel (Michigan State University), Shariah Harris (Cornell University), Molly Agee (Point Loma Nazarene University) and Fritz Felhaber (Texas A&M University), was donning official apparel sponsor U.S. Polo Assn. whites and jerseys. Heading into this year’s competition, the U.S. led 5-2 in the series.

The Schools & Universities Polo Association, which promotes and develops interscholastic and intercollegiate polo across the United Kingdom, received two goals on handicap at the onset of the game. Within a minute of play, the starting trio of Agee, Harris and Schwingel made up the difference. SUPA scored a field goal, bringing the lead to one that

Harris countered to tie the score again. USA fouling trouble earned SUPA an automatic Penalty 1 goal, giving it a slight advantage. A field goal from Agee leveled the score at 4-all, however a Penalty 2 conversion from SUPA ended the chukker, 5-4, in favor of the Brits. Playing a four-man rotation, Felhaber entered the arena in the second chukker, substituting for Agee.

USA struggled to find its groove in the second, with several bad luck shots. It was not detered, however, as the team dug deep each chukker to fight its way back. SUPA scored early in the chukker with a two pointer, and before the USA could clear the ball, SUPA added another to the tally to double up the U.S., 8-4. USA was able to add two more field goals from Felhaber and Harris to end the half trailing by two, 8-6.

Starting the third chukker, Agee was back in and Harris sat out. Agee wasted no time, sinking a Penalty 2, which was answered by three SUPA field goals. USA failed to reach the goal again in the chukker, sending the Americans into the final chukker trailing by four goals, 11-7.

Harris came back in for the fourth chukker with Schwingel taking her turn to rotate out. A calm USA took the field and began to slowly chip away at the deficit. Agee scored on the first play, right out of the throw-in. USA was then awarded a spot hit, which proved to be the turning point of the game. Agee controlled the ball, taking it to the right wall with a defender on her hip. With one powerful neck shot she sunk a two pointer, putting USA within one.

USA conceded a Penalty 1, increasing SUPA’s lead to two. Felhaber ticked away one more, but SUPA retaliated immediately with a field goal of its own to maintain the two-goal lead, 13-11.

Still digging, Agee found the goal once from the field and once from the penalty line, tying the game, 13-all, with 2:20 left in regulation time. On fire, the U.S. took the lead for the first time off a Penalty 1 followed by a field goal from Agee with just under a minute and a half to play. Big, clear shots and solid defensive strategy kept SUPA from scoring further

USA’s Shariah Harris powers past an opponent.

Fritz Felhaber sets up just before necking the ball into the goal.

as the USA intercollegiate team was crowned champion once again, 15-13.

Molly Agee was awarded Most Valuable Player honors, contributing nine of her team’s 15 goals.

“I am extremely proud of this team,” said Amy Fraser, director of Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo. “It is not an easy task to play with a completely new team, on new horses, in the environment of international competition. Add to that, a four-man rotation, which involves playing with a different makeup of players in each chukker. Never once did the spirit of the team drop or their determination to win waiver when they were down. Win or loss, the biggest accomplishment this team achieved was the recognition by the horse providers in how beautifully each player rode and played their horses, showcasing the horsemanship and sportsmanship we instill in the I/I program.”

With the U.S. team now leading the series 6-2, the SUPA contingent will be looking for revenge in 2021 when the International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup returns to U.S. soil.

A huge thank you goes to SUPA organizers Nigel Mercer and Charles Betz for their terrific hospitality and the Druids Lodge Polo Club for supplying the U.S. team with an amazing string! •