Navigating through a deep field of 17 teams over four weeks of elite competition, Murus Sanctus and La Magdeleine went head-to-head on the historic Queen’s Ground to crown a new Cartier Queen’s Cup champion. Posting an early penalty conversion off the mallet of La Magdeleine’s Santiago Laborde to open the scoring, Murus Sanctus was then on the attack, hitting three in the first chukka, including a Penalty 2 from Alejandro Muzzio to take a 3-1 lead. Taking advantage of Murus Sanctus’s foul troubles in the second, three penalties from La Magdeleine’s Pablo MacDonough were answered by two goals in open play from a driving Polito Pieres to maintain Murus Sanctus’ narrow one-goal advantage. With a combined five field shots between the two teams in the third, the accuracy of these evenly matched opponents was on full display before the half-time bell. MacDonough and Facundo Fernandez Llorente found the goal in the third chukka, as Marcos Araya and Pieres delivered for Murus Sanctus. These deadlocked teams made their way into the tents tied 7-7 at the break.
Emerging with a charge, Murus Sanctus generated some much-needed air in the score to open the second half of play. Pieres and Muzzio worked beautifully in tandem from the field to combine for three goals and give Murus Sanctus a 10-7 lead. Generating only two shots with no opportunities to score from penalties, La Magdeleine was forced to make a late push in the sixth chukka. Rebounding on back-to-back goals from MacDonough and Santiago Laborde, La Magdeleine managed to cut their deficit down to one. Stifling La Magdeleine’s sudden momentum, a brilliant drive from Pieres was all Murus Sanctus needed to hold off MacDonough’s final effort and ensure Murus Sanctus held on for an electrifying 11-10 victory to capture their first Cartier Queen’s Cup title.
Murus Sanctus’s Corinne Ricard received Queen’s Cup from Cartier’s Managing Director Laurent Feniou. Not surprisingly, thanks to an impressive, seven-goal performance, including six in open play, Polito Pieres was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player. Meanwhile, the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize was awarded to Irenita La Kiosquera, played by Pablo MacDonough.
Earlier in the day, Vikings defeated Twelve Oaks 10-9 in the sub final for the Cartier Trophy on The Duke’s Ground. This was a stop/start game full of penalties, highlighting the tension and determination from both teams to secure a win on the last day of such a magnificent competition. A Cartier Most Valuable Player prize was awarded to Juan Martin Zubia of the Vikings team.
