Twenty three men’s teams and 33 women’s teams put in their bid and entered the 2013-2014 I/I season, all with the hopes of a trip down victory lane. But only one men’s and one women’s team would come out the victors eight months later. After hundreds of hours of practice, traveling thousands of miles to regular season games, it was Westmont College on the men’s side and the University of Virginia on the women’s side that took home the coveted trophies for the second and third year in a row, respectively.

The 2014 USPA National Intercollegiate Championship was held at ERG Arena in Brookshire, Texas from April 9-12.

Women’s NIC

Day 1 action included the women’s semifinal games, with returning champion the University of Virginia taking on Southern Methodist University, taking the national stage for the first time. Vicky Friedrichs of UVA was the only returning player from last year’s championship team, and she did not waste any time getting UVA up on the scoreboard. Julia Smith, a recent inductee onto Team USPA, added two goals and Friedrichs another, all while holding SMU scoreless the first chukker.

The second chukker saw SMU on its own horses, and Chloe Carabasi was quick to put SMU up on the scoreboard. Carabasi sunk a penalty shot and teammate Zara Walsh added a field goal, but another goal by Friedrichs, a pair of Penalty 2s by Smith and a pony goal kept UVA on top 8-3 going into the second half.

Chukker No. 3 had Mary Collins of UVA adding three to the board, and Carabasi nailing a Penalty 3, but repeat fouling on SMU’s end had Smith back to the penalty line for four more goals. The final chukker saw a combined six goals for UVA to SMU’s three, for a final score of 21-7, and sent UVA into the final.

The second semi-final game brought the Northeastern regional winner Cornell up against the Western regional winner Cal Poly.

Devin Cox got Cornell on the board first, only to be answered by Cal Poly’s Elizabeth Peck. Anna Winslow and Kailey Eldredge each added a point, Cox added yet another, and a Penalty 1 ended the first chukker with Cornell up 5-1. Eldredge started off the second chukker with a two-pointer off of a Penalty 5, Winslow added two penalty shots and Kailey’s sister Emma Eldredge—in her collegiate national debut—added a point.

After the half, Cornell scored a combined 14 goals, holding Cal Poly to 1, for a final score of 25-2. With Cornell advancing to the final, it would be a rematch of the 2013 NIC final, Cornell versus UVA, on Saturday.

Having matched up twice in regular season games this year, once at Cornell and once at UVA, these two teams were no strangers to each other. UVA returned as national champions after beating Cornell in a shootout the year before.

Tensions and excitement were high as the teams mounted up and took the field as the clock struck 9 a.m. Senior veteran Kailey Eldredge, in her 11th combined national appearance between collegiate and interscholastic, put the Big Red on the scoreboard first. Collins, a freshman but no stranger to the national stage after her years playing for the Maryland interscholastic girls’ team, answered back, getting UVA on the board. Smith’s penalty shooting skills shined when she knocked in back-to-back Penalty 2s. Kailey Eldredge finished off the first chukker with a second goal, ending the first chukker 3-2 in favor of UVA.

Winslow capitalized on a penalty shot to start the second chukker, tying the score at 3-all. Smith added three field goals for UVA but goals from Cox, Eldredge and a pony kept Cornell and UVA tied going into the half.

Firing off first in the second half, Smith jumped UVA into the lead by two. Winslow added a penalty shot, but the combo of Friedrichs and Collins added three more to UVA’s tally. Cox ended the chukker with a field goal for Cornell cutting UVA’s lead to three.

The final chukker of I/I polo was upon Friedrichs and Eldredge. Win, lose or draw, the game was going to be an emotional one. Eldredge came out quick with a goal, but Smith answered with two. Winslow came back, putting goals 10 and 11 up for Cornell, just two shy away from UVA. Friedrichs added the final goal for UVA, capping off at 14, while Winslow added one more penalty shot for a total of 12 before time ran out. Coach Lou Lopez, for the third year in a row, helped his team hoist the women’s collegiate trophy over their heads for UVA.

National All-Stars were Julia Smith of UVA, Kailey Eldredge of Cornell, Anna Winslow of Cornell and Chloe Carabasi of SMU. The Connie Upchurch National Sportsmanship award was awarded to Vicky Friedrichs of UVA. Sunshine, a member of Texas A&M’s Best Playing String, was awarded Best Playing Pony.

Men’s NIC

The men’s tournament proved to be just as intense and exciting as the women’s. The first semi-final was similar to the women’s, with Southern Methodist versus the University of Virginia. These two teams played twice earlier in the year at UVA, with UVA coming out the victors by three in the first game and by a one-goal difference in the second. The semifinal promised to be a close one, and it was.

Santi Marulanda of UVA came to the board first, followed by Maxi Langlois for SMU. Eddie Lopez and Todd Thurston of UVA each added a goal, ending the first chukker 3-1 in favor of UVA. The second chukker saw Lopez with an early goal, but SMU’s Trystan Smyth and August Scherer combined for three to UVA’s one, heading into the second half tied at 4-all.

The third chukker saw some quick scoring starting with Scherer, answered by Thurston for two, Scherer again, and then Thurston drilling in a two-pointer. Marulanda would add No. 9 for UVA, and a Penalty 1 gave SMU its seventh. Thurston and Scherer traded goals before Thurston ended the chukker with a penalty, his sixth goal of the chukker, ending the third UVA 11, SMU 8.

UVA’s Marulanda widened the gap early in the fourth chukker with a field goal, followed by a Penalty 1. Scherer responded with a field goal and a penalty shot, bringing SMU back to within three. Marulanda added another to the tally, with Thurston knocking in the last goal, UVA’s 15th, giving the team a five-goal lead. Scherer kept fighting, launching a two-pointer and bringing SMU within reach. Scherer added another field goal, followed by a penalty conversion to bring SMU within one, but time was not on his side and ran out with UVA advancing to the final with a final score of 15-14.

In the second men’s semi-final game, returning champ Westmont College, with the same line-up from 2013, was set to take on Cornell. Westmont’s Patrick Uretz came out with the first score of the game but Ignacio Masias and Nik Feldman brought Cornell in the lead with a field goal and penalty shot. Uretz followed with two more, and Feldman another, ending the first chukker tied at three apiece. Uretz added two more in the second, with Masias on his heels. Feldman and Nick Stieg finished out the scoring for Cornell, while Patrick’s brother Tony Uretz got on the board for the first time to knot the score once again, this time at 7-7 to end the half.

A pony goal for Westmont was the first to go up after the half but Masias answered for Cornell. The Uretz brothers then went on a five-goal shopping spree, putting Westmont up 13- 8. Masias and Feldman chipped away at Cornell’s deficit, but a penalty shot by Patrick Uretz ended the third chukker with Westmont on top 14-10. Feldman and Cornell rallied back with a penalty shot, a two-pointer and a field goal to knot the score at 14-14 but it was not enough. With time winding down, Patrick Uretz converted a penalty shot to secure the 15-14 win and a bid in the final game.

The men’s final saw a rematch of the 2013 semi-final between Westmont and UVA and it was sure to be a battle to the end. Thurston was first to find the goal, but Patrick Uretz soon followed suit. Thurston knocked in a second goal for UVA but Patrick Uretz responded with two, and his teammate and defensive star David Samaniego got on the board for the first time in the tournament, giving Westmont a two-goal lead.

The second chukker was a battle between Patrick Uretz and Thurston, each matching the other’s four goals to keep Westmont holding on to the twogoal lead.

UVA got on the board twice in the third, once off of a Penalty 1 and the second a Penalty 2. But a trio of goals by Patrick Uretz and a pair by Samaniego sent Westmont into the final chukker holding a comfortable five-goal lead.

UVA came back in the fourth with guns blazing as Lopez and Marulanda began finding the goal. Marulanda was first to score, but was quickly answered by Samaniego. Thurston added his only goal of the chukker, while Patrick Uretz sank a penalty shot. Lopez connected with back-to-back goals, which were followed up by Marulanda, bringing UVA within two of Westmont with just minutes left.

Patrick Uretz added his last goal of his collegiate career to bring Westmont to 16. Marulanda tallied one more for UVA, but the team trailed by two when the clock ran out. Westmont coach John Westley was unable to make the final game and trophy presentation in 2013, but this special men’s team gave him another opportunity. This time, wearing his signature purple pants, he helped the team accept the Townsend Trophy.

National All-Stars were Patrick Uretz of Westmont, Todd Thurston of UVA, August Scherer of SMU and Nik Feldman of Cornell. The Connie Upchurch Sportsmanship award went to David Samaniego of Westmont College. Best Playing pony was Fortunata, a member of Texas A&M’s Best Playing String.

Not able to make it to Houston? Check out all the 2014 NIC action OnDemand! Go to www.uspolo.org/watch.