Grand Champions and Quantek Win
By Alex Webbe
Grand Champions scored a decisive 16-11 win over Audi in the opening round of play in the Fall 2009 Polo Gear Cup on the grounds of the Palm city Polo Club in Boca Raton Friday afternoon.
Paced by four first half goals from Marc Ganzi, grand champions charged out to a comfortable 8-3 halftime lead over a struggling Audi attack.
Kris Kampsen opened up the scoring in the second half with two goals for Audi with teammate Cachi Garcia adding another in the fourth chukker. Grand Champions was up to the task, however, getting two goals apiece from Carlos Gracida and Marc Ganzi.
Audi drove back into the game in the fifth period getting two goals from Melissa Ganzi and a single goal from Garcia while shutting out the Grand Champions attack for the first time all afternoon to trail 12-9.
Grand Champions took back control of the match in the final seven minutes getting two goals from Greg Keough and two more from Marc Ganzi in the 16-11 win. Kampsen and Melissa Ganzi scored single goals in the final chukker in the Audi loss.
Marc Ganzi led all scoring with eight goals. Greg Keough scored five times and Carlos Gracida added three goals in the Grand Champions win.
Cachi Garcia and Melissa Ganzi scored four goals apiece for Audi. Kris Kampsen added three goals.
Quantek 10, Patagones 9
In the second match of the tournament, Quantek rallied to score a 10-9 win over Patagones to secure a berth in Sunday’s finals against Grand Champions.
It was a balanced Quantek attack that overcame a 5-1 deficit after the second chukker to secure the civtory.
Patagones received one goal by handicap from the 15-goal Quantek foursome and made it 2-0 late in the first chukker on a goal from Patagones’ captain, Gonzalo Avendano.
Leo Mandelbaum scored in the second and teammate Ruben Gracida added a pair of goals to give Patagones a 5-1 edge after the first two chukkers with Quantek’s sole goal coming from Charlie Muldoon.
A miserly defense held Patagones scoreless in the third chukker as Quantek chipped away at the Patagones lead. Single goals from Javier Guerra, Muldoon and Stevie Orthwein cut the Patagones advantage to a single goal, 5-4 , at the end of the first half.
Quantek came out in the fourth chukker with guns blazing with single goals from Guerra, Muldoon, Orthwein and J. J. Celis while holding Patagones to a single goal from Mandelbaum.
Quantek held an 8-6 lead after the fourth chukker and would hold on to capture the game, 10-9.
Mandelbaum led all scoring with five goals. Teammate Gracida added two goals to the total and Avendano added a single goal. Patagones received one goal by handicap.
Quantek presented a more balanced attack, with Muldoon and Orthwein scoring three goals each. Guerra and Celis each added two goals in the 10-9, one-goal win.
Action will continue Sunday, October 4th in the Polo Gear Cup, with Audi playing Patagones at 10 am and Grand Champions meeting Quantek at noon.