Newport, Aspen Valley Play Sunday For Casablanca Spring Challenge Title

WELLINGTON, FL., May 10 , 2025---Defending champion Newport will play Aspen Valley Sunday in the championship final of the Casablanca Spring Challenge at Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

Both teams advanced in thrilling semifinal games decided in the final minute of play. Newport advanced with a thrilling 6-5 victory over 3 Graces Polo with Gene Goldstein scoring the winning goal. Aspen Valley advanced with a 9-8 win over SebiLion with Nic Roldan scoring the game-winner with 20 seconds remaining.

ASPEN VALLEY 9, SEBILION 8

In the second semifinal game, Aspen Valley (Meredith Lovegrove/Haley Schaufeld, 0, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Nic Roldan, 7, Matias Gonzalez, 4) rallied in the final seconds to defeat SebiLion (Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Fred Mannix, 7, Santi Toccalino, 7), 9-8.

Aspen Valley controlled the game early pulling away for a 4-1 lead early in the second chukker. SebiLion bounced back in the second chukker, tying the game at 4-4 with 4:23 left. The teams exchanged goals before the half which ended at 5-5.

SebiLion took control early in the fourth quarter for a 7-5 lead after Leo Mandelbaum scored with 4:24 left. The hotly contested battle continued in the fifth chukker with goals from Pieres and Roldan tying the game at 7-7. With a minute left, Toccalino converted a 60-yard penalty to give SebiLion an 8-7 lead going into the sixth chukker.

Roldan opened the sixth chukker getting past his defender for a quick goal and 8-8 tie. Then both teams went cold offensively. Both teams had scoring opportunities, particularly on penalty shots but couldn't capitalize. With 20 seconds left, SebiLion was called for a right of way violation and Roldan blasted a 60-yard conversion to win the game.

Aspen Valley got balanced scoring from its lineup. Roldan led with three goals. Pieres, Gonzalez each had two goals. Schaufeld and Lovegrove each had one. For SebiLion, Mannix had a game-high four goals. Toccalino had two goals and Leo Mandelbaum had one. The team picked up one goal on handicap.

Aspen Valley is making its first appearance in a final in the third of five spring tournaments.

NEWPORT 6, 3 GRACES POLO 5

In the opening game, Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Martin Jauregui, 6, Tommy Collingwood, 5) scored in the final minute of the game to defeat 3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, 0, Sugar Erskine, 6, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7), 6-5, to advance into the final for the second week in a row.

The lead changed hands five times in the defensive game. Both teams had scoring opportunities throughout the game but were unable to capitalize because of strong defensive efforts by both teams.

With a minute left in regulation, Goldstein scored his fourth goal of the game to clinch the win.

Newport opened with a 1-0 lead on handicap and quickly built a 2-1 advantage with a goal from Goldstein. The teams battled through two scoreless chukkers.

Early in the fourth chukker, Goldstein scored again for a 3-1 lead. Gracida scored back-to-back goals in two minutes to tie the game, 3-3. 3 Graces Polo moved into the lead for the first time with 2:38 left in the fifth chukker when Cohen scored through a crowd. Two minutes later, Collingwood scored to tie the game at 4-4.

3 Graces Polo regained the lead, 5-4, when Cohen scored early in the sixth chukker. Collingwood connected with Goldstein on a nice drop pass to tie the game at 5-5 with 3:55 left.

Goldstein scored a game-high four goals, including the game-winner. Collingwood added one. The 16-goal team picked up one goal on handicap. Cohen led Aspen Valley with three goals and Gracida had two.

In last year's Casablanca Spring Challenge, Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Pablo Spinacci, 6,  Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) clinched the round robin tournament win with an 11-8 victory over SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, -1, Sugar Erskine, 6, Leo Mandelbaum, 3, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7). Goldstein was MVP.

Newport is coming off last weekend's Sun Cup victory. Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat previously unbeaten SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Leo Mandelbaum, 2) in overtime, 15-14. Mannix was MVP.

In the spring opener, SebiLion won the Grand Champions Cup win. SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Fred Mannix, 7) defeated Kaia Polo (Larry Austin, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Santi Toccalino, 7, Juan Bollini, 3), 10-8, to capture the Grand Champions Cup. Sebastian Mandelbaum was MVP.

The spring season is one of the best in the club's 18-year history. The matches are every Friday and Sunday. Admission is free and the public is welcome along with dogs on leashes.

The remaining spring schedule (subject to change because of weather) is: May 16-18, Eastern Challenge; and May 23-26, The Memorial.

During the major polo season in winter, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation's largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world's winter equestrian capital, hosts a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 26-goal leagues, The Polo School Women's Polo League, WCT Finals, PTF youth tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride Music Fest and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.

Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and short work arena. The club has 10 well-manicured world-class fields at GCPC and Santa Rita.

The Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington January through May and September through November. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo at every economic and ability level. The Polo School has nurtured several junior, men and women polo players now playing in the pro and amateur ranks since its inception.

For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Polo School Director of Operations Juan Bollini at  561-346-1099 or Polo Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.