Celebration Thursday for Polo Champs

BRISTOL, RI ­­— The men's polo team from Roger Williams University won the 2017 United States Polo Association Intercollegiate National Championship on Saturday. This is the school's second national championship, and the first for men's polo. On Thursday, the students and staff are invited to a celebration at 12:30 p.m. at the Hawk’s Nest in the Campus Recreation Center on the Bristol campus.

Here is how the Hawks won the title, per the school's press release:

"Coached by Ted Torrey, the Hawks were tested early in the championship match, trailing or tied throughout the first half. Both teams would go into the second period tied at four apiece. At the end of the first two periods of play, Roger Williams and SMU were knotted at six each.

"Roger Williams pulled away from Southern Methodist in the third chukker, outscoring the Mustangs 3-0 for a comfortable 10-7 lead going into the final period. However, SMU would make things interesting in the fourth.

"RWU added a goal early in the chukker, but SMU chipped away at the deficit, eventually pulling within one. SMU would notch the match-tying goal late in the chukker to force a shootout.

"Alternating by team, each player must take a shot on goal from a distance of 25 yards. In the shootout, SMU missed its first two opportunities before Pedro Cabrera (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican) notched the first goal to give RWU the lead. The Mustangs answered right back with the tying score, while the Hawks were unable to get the clinching goal, to force a second shootout.

"Daymar Rosser (Philadelphia, Pa.) buried the first shot of the shootout to put RWU back up. The two teams alternated missed shots before SMU logged a goal to tie things back up at 13. George Hempt (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) knocked in the go-ahead goal for RWU, forcing a must-have goal for the Mustangs. Unfortunately for SMU, the attempt trickled wide left, giving the Hawks the championship.

"Hempt, who was named a tournament All-Star, led Roger Williams with six goals, while Rosser added three goals and two for Cabral."

Courtesy Photo Credit: Juan Siliezar, Content Producer/Editor, Roger Williams University, Department of Marketing & Communications