- Alyssa Daniels is a student athlete
playing a sport new to the University of Wisconsin.
- I came to UW and I was like, "Okay, this is awesome.
Like it's a really beautiful campus and everything."
- It got even better when horses entered the picture.
- A friend of mine on Facebook posted a status:
"I am so excited to join the polo team.
I was like, "Oh my gosh, what?"
I literally sent her this message on Facebook like,
"Oh my gosh. There's a polo team."
I called my mom.
I was like, "Mom, you won't believe this!"
- This is Alyssa in action when she played polo
on a national championship high school team.
And soon she would be prepping ponies at the college level.
- We'll wrap their legs with the polo wraps.
We'll put the other boots on top.
Just more protection.
They get whacked in the leg sometimes
and it's just to keep them safe.
Then we'll put the tack on, which is a lot.
Lots of tack.
Then we have to get ourselves ready.
- Put boots on and just try and stay calm.
All right.
- Today's test will come
against the University of Kentucky.
- Before big games I'm always like butterflies in my stomach.
I definitely feel the nerves sometimes.
We had played them a year before and we honestly weren't sure
which players were going to come up and play.
- With fans watching from bleachers made of hay bales...
- Play!
- the game gets off to a fast start.
- There's a lot of times where
you either get the ball and you score right away
or the other team does the exact same thing.
- In this case the other team scores first.
[applause]
- I think the speed.
The high level of contact that people don't necessarily expect.
I think that's probably what amazes them most.
The first thing you learn in polo:
The ball creates an imaginary line.
If you cross the line, that's a foul.
[whistle]
- A foul that results in a penalty shot.
- Play!
[ball hits wall, applause]
- And just like that Wisconsin is down by two.
To beat Kentucky they'd need to mount a strong comeback
in a sport where the horses can be unpredictable.
- They're the ones stopping, turning, going, galloping.
And so they're just a huge part of the sport.
There's one horse that we have that.
She's just all over the place.
You just have to be like,
"Okay, I'm going to ignore what's down here
"and I'm just going to focus on playing
and communicating with my teammates."
[whistle]
Being able to ride the horse that you're on is, is huge.
- Once she settles her bucking bronco,
Alyssa swings into action
and is off to the races on a horse named Breeze.
- People are normally shocked.
Like I did not know
you're so fast and so fierce and everything.
- As the captain and wearing number one, Alyssa takes charge.
- If you know your teammates and know them inside and out,
that's going to be the best way to succeed.
- On this play she does it all
connecting her mallet to the ball,
not once, but twice...
[fans cheering]
and scores.
[cheering]
Wisconsin is on the move.
[ball hits wall, crowd cheers]
[horn sounds, cheering]
- That's the end of the first chucker or quarter.
The Badgers jump out to a 5-3 lead.
The horses take a break and so do the players.
- It's a workout.
- And between polo practice, classes and homework,
Alyssa escapes to a farm south of Madison
tending to her own horse named Owen.
[horse snorts]
- He's a lot of fun.
He is, obviously a cranky old man.
He brings me a lot of joy,
especially when I'm like stressed out with school.
I just come out here, just brush him.
- The cadence here is a lot slower paced.
[clop, clop of horse hooves]
- It's really nice to come out here
and just be able go ride
and just forget other things.
[clop, clop of horse hooves]
I'm studying animal science and hoping to go to vet school.
I'm doing everything I can
to set myself up for the life that I want.
I have to keep telling myself that
when I'm up at four in the morning studying
and just-- it's going to be worth it.
- And things seem to be working out for the UW Polo Club
which started in 2014.
- Everyone's been really shocked
at how fast we've grown as a program.
It's been really amazing I think.
I mean we've only been a team for three years
and every year we've gone straight to regionals.
[whistle]
It's definitely more contact than I think people realize.
- Nice! - Get outta there.
Concussions are common.
The helmets that we use are pretty protective
and all the protective stuff we wear is helpful.
[crowd gasping]
- After this tumble both horse and player are okay.
And on this day, Alyssa goes on to lead Wisconsin over Kentucky
28 to 7.
- We definitely were not expecting to win by that margin.
It was a little shocking but it wasn't an usual score.
We've scored that before.
A sport that I love so much at a school that I love so much.
It's really made everything come together
for my college experience.
[horn sounds, whistle]