Max Sponer scored 10 goals as Cornell men's polo beat Texas A&M 14-5 Thursday to open the Virginia Polo Fall Tournament in Charlottesville.
The Big Red improved to 3-0 and will face Virginia in Saturday's championship final for the second straight year, according to Cornell Athletics.
Sponer supplies the early offense
Sponer scored all five Cornell goals in the opening chukker as the Big Red built a 5-0 lead. He added four more in the second, sending Cornell into halftime ahead 9-3.
Malachi Light scored Cornell's only goal in the third chukker, which ended with the Big Red leading 10-4.
Cornell finished with four goals in the fourth, getting one each from Dylan Tung, Light and Sponer, along with a pony goal. Texas A&M added one for the final margin.
Light finished with two goals and Tung had one. All three Cornell scorers are juniors.
Big Red prepares for rival Virginia
Coach Anthony Condo Jr. pointed to Cornell's open-field play and the developing chemistry among its junior trio after the win.
“Our open field play really stood out to me in this game,” Condo said.
He also credited Sponer's improvement early in the season as Cornell prepares for another championship matchup with Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 31.
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