Paladin controls Beluga in a 12–9 Prisa Invitational win

Paladin
controls Beluga in a 12-9 Prisa Invitational win

By Alex Webbe

Paladin (David Krantz, Leo Mandelbaum, Nic Roldan and Juan
Bollini) ran up an 8-4 halftime lead over Beluga (Misha Rodzianko, Carlitos
Gracida, Brandon Phillips and Joey Casey) before holding on for a 12-9 win in
the opening round of play in the Grand Champions Polo Club’s 2013 Prisa
Invitational.

Played on the grounds of the Palm City Polo Club in Boca
Raton, Beluga received one goal by handicap from the 15-goal Paladin lineup and
watched helplessly as Paladin scored three consecutive goals n them for a 3-1
lead.  Leo Mandelbaum led the scoring
parade followed by single goals from Nic Roldan and David Krantz.  Carlitos Gracida stopped the slide with a
chukker closing goal for Beluga.  After
the first chukker Paladin had the lead, 3-2.

Three more Paladin goals opened the second period with
Krantz, Roldan and Mandelbaum each scoring their second goal of the match.  Misha Rodzianko got Beluga on the scoreboard,
but Paladin was ahead by three, 6-3.

Goals by Krantz and Mandelbaum extended the Paladin lead to
five goals in the third, 8-3.  Gracida
ended the chukker with his second goal on the day.  Paladin rode off the field at the end of the
first half on the winning end of an 8-4 score.

Goals were scarce in the fourth as both teams doubled down
on their defensive efforts.  Rodzianko
scored the only goal of the period, cutting the Paladin lead to three goals,
8-5.

Rodzianko scored two more goals in the fifth and teammate
Joey Casey scored his first goal of the day to draw Beluga within a goal of the
lead.  Mandelbaum scored Paladin’s only
goal of the chukker to maintain a narrow 9-8 edge.

Paladin took the field with a sense of authority in the
sixth chukker.  Once again Paladin racked
up three consecutive goals from three different players.  Mandelbaum opened the chukker with his fifth
goal of the game.  Roldan and Krantz
followed up with goals and Paladin found themselves in possession of a four
goal lead, 12-8.  Brandon Phillips scored
the final goal of the game in the closing seconds of play, but it was Paladin
with the win, 12-9. 

Mandelbaum led all scoring with five goals.  Krantz added four goals and Roldan scored
three times for the victory.  Rodzianko’s
four goals led the Beluga attack.  Gracida
scored twice with Phillips and Casey adding single goals in a losing effort.

The victory places Paladin in Sunday’s 10:30 AM tournament
finals against Newport (Gene Goldstein, Guille Aguero, Luis Escobar and Marc
Ganzi) on the grounds of the Palm City Polo Club in Boca Raton.