Piaget to face Audi in USPA Spring Challenge finals

By Alex Webbe

Heavy rains and damp fields delayed the first round of play in the 2013 USPA Spring Challenge at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, but all five teams were on board as the competition moved ahead in Saturday afternoon games with Audi (Grant Ganzi, Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan and Lucas Lalor) and Piaget (emerging as tournament finalists.

The Palm House (Glen Straub, Carlitos Gracida, Tommy Biddle and J. J. Celis) received two goals by handicap but sat idly by as Piaget tied it up 2-2 in the first chukker on single goals from Gene Goldstein and Brandon Phillips.

A scoreless second period left the teams deadlocked at 2-2 with players jockeying for position and shots at goal throughout the second chukker of the game.

Palm House’s J. J. Celis and Glen Straub each scored a goal in the third period as they rode out to a 4-2 halftime lead.

Phillips cut the Palm House lead to a single goal, 4-3 with his second goal of the day in the first 18 seconds of the fourth chukker, and Martin Estrada had it all even at 4-4 at the 4:19 mark of the period. Tommy Biddle put Palm House back on top, 5-4, with his first goal of the chukker but ensuing scores from Gene Goldstein and Estrada ended the chukker with Piaget holding a fragile 6-5 advantage with two chukkers left in regulation play.

Estrada stretched the Piaget lead to two goals, 7-5 just three minutes into the fifth when Palm House seemed to get their second breath. Goals from Straub and Biddle ended the period all even at 7-7.

Defense was the keynote of the sixth chukker, with Phillips scoring the go-ahead goal for Piaget on a penalty shot four minutes into the period. Biddle tied it up at 8-8 with less than a minute left in the game for an 8-8 tie, forcing sudden-death overtime.

Both teams had early opportunities, but less than two minutes into the overtime, Phillips scored his fourth goal of the game for the 9-8 victory.

Phillips led all scoring with four goals on the day. Estrada was credited with three goals and Goldstein scored twice for the win. Biddle scored three times for Palm House. Straub added two goals and Celis scored once. Palm House received two goals by handicap.

AUDI EMERGES VICTORIOUS FROM ROUND-ROBIN

The Audi Polo Team (Grant Ganzi, Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan and Lucas Lalor) beat Pony Express (Bob Daniels, Justin Daniels, Tomas Goti and Pancho Eddy) 8-6 and tied ELG (Susan Gengras, Juancito Bollini, Carlucho Arellano and Kris Kampsen) to take top honors in the three team round-robin Saturday afternoon to earn a berth in the finals of the 2013 USPA Spring Challenge against Audi.

Fourteen-year-old Grant Ganzi opened the action with the first goal of the opening game for Audi and Marc Ganzi added another to tie it up at 2-2. Pony Express received two goals by handicap from Audi but was unable to get on the scoreboard in the first chukker.

A pair of second chukker goals from Nic Roldan and another goal from Marc Ganzi had Audi on top 5-3 as the second period came to an end. Pony Express managed just a single goal from Pancho Eddy in the period.

Single goals from Grant Ganzi, Marc Ganzi and Nic Roldan were countered by three goals from Tomas Goti with Audi driving away with an 8-6 win.

Pony Express held the field for the next three chukkers of the round-robin and managed to ride past ELG on the strength of a four goal final chukker for the 6-3 victory.

A missed flight had Susan Gengras substituting for ELG team captain Avery Chapman, but a pair of goals from Juancito Bollini (one on a penalty conversion) offset the one goal handicap Pony Express received and the single goal from Tomas Goti in a 2-2 first chukker.

ELG moved ahead, 3-2, on a single goal from Kris Kampsen while Pony Express was held scoreless.

Pony Express rallied for four chukkers to close out the game in a 6-4 win. A pair of goals from Justin Daniels and single goals from bob Daniels and Goti sealed the deal. ELG was held to a single goal from Arellano in the loss.

Audi needed no more than a tie with ELG to win the round-robin, and that’s what they came up with. A pair of goals from Marc Ganzi and single goals from Grant Ganzi (a penalty conversion) and Nic Roldan were answered by two goals from Arellano (one on a penalty shot) and a single goal from Kampsen. ELG also received one goal by handicap in the 4-4 deadlock.

On the strength of a win and a tie, Audi earned the right to face Piaget in Sunday’s 5pm finals. ELG, the Palm House and Pony Express will face one another in a 3:30pm consolation round-robin.