2023 Solomon Trophy Venice, Florida | November 7-12
Team USA Finishes Strong to Claim 2023 Solomon Trophy By Todd B. Natenberg When players from the U.S. and Great Britain first created the Solomon Trophy nearly 40 years ago, the teams did so to give the Americans the opportunity to compete against one of the most experienced international teams in the world. “It began as a friendly exchange, to serve as a development event for the less experienced U.S. players,” Damon Bidenscope, USCA president, says. “But the recent success is an indication of how the U.S. has developed in skill and knowledge of the game, while still maintaining the camaraderie and friendships.” That development has been ongoing, but Team USA took another step forward this past November, claiming a 14-7 victory in the 2023 edition of the test series held at the Sarasota County Croquet Club in Venice, Fla. The win represented just their third since the competition began in 1985 and the first since 2011. Notably, it was the youngest U.S. team to notch a victory in the series, which points toward a bright future for U.S. AC play on the international stage. “I’m very excited for all of our guys that competed and all of the Croquet USA supporters that were rooting us on,” Matthew Essick, captain of the American team, says. “We had the right team, at the right time, and everyone gave it their all. I think I can speak for the whole team saying it was a very meaningful win for every one of us and the country we represent.” Over the first two days, the test was surprisingly close as day two ended with a 5-5 score. As the favored team on home soil, the deadlock was a bit of a surprise, but the Americans came out strong on day three to win all five matches for a commanding 10-5 lead. That set up a final day with Team USA needing just one match win to claim the test. Team USA went to work with Tom Balding claiming a 2-0 victory over Alain Giraud, Ben Rothman went 2-0 versus Debbie Lines and Stephen Morgan defeated Mark van Loon 2-1 to push the U.S. win total to 14. For Great Britain, Aston Wade defeated Kyle Maloof 2-0 and Stephen Mulliner took a 2-1 win over Essick.
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