By Alex Webbe
It was Travieso (Tony Calle, Jesse Bray, Facundo Obregon and J.J. Celis) with the win in their last meeting with Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Brandon Phillips, Julio Arellano and Brad Blake) as they rolled on to capture the 20-goal USPA North American Cup, but it wasn’t easy. Travieso trailed early before rallying for an overtime win. It was a new day and a new tournament, but the same result. Facundo Obregon converted a penalty shot in overtime that earned Travieso their first win in this year’s USPA National Twenty-Goal tournament at the Grand Champions Polo Club Wednesday afternoon.
Play was tight in first chukker action with Facundo Obregon scoring the first goal of the game two-and-one-half minutes into the match. A second goal from Obregon three minutes later ended the period with Travieso on top, 2-0.
Both defenses were at their best in the second chukker. Shots were blocked, players were ridden-off and attacks were turned aside. Neither team was able to score and the second period ended with Travieso ahead by two goals, 2-0.
The pace was brisk and the action physical as play continued. Brad Blake finally got Postage Stamp Farm on the scoreboard with the opening goal of the third period, 2-1. Less than a minute later Brandon Phillips tied it at 2-2 with a 60-yard penalty conversion. Julio Arellano pushed Postage Stamp Farm into a 3-2 lead with his first goal of the game and a second goal from Phillips had an ineffective Travieso offense trailing by two, 4-2, at the end of the first half.
Travieso regrouped and returned to the field determined to take the game to Postage Stamp Farm. An early goal from Jesse Bray had Travieso within a goal of the lead, 4-3, at the 6:21 mark, but goals became harder to come by as time elapsed. A second goal from Bray came with 1:45 left in the period, leveling the score at 4-4. With time running out, Postage Stamp Farm attacked the Travieso goal were they were fouled in the goalmouth and awarded a goal on a Penalty 1. At the end of the fourth chukker it was Postage Stamp Farm with the narrow 5-4 edge.
Bray tied the score at 5-5 with a goal from the field in the opening 90 seconds of the fifth period. Brad Blake pushed the ball through the Travieso goalposts to retake the lead, 6-5. JJ Celis scored the tying goal, 6-6, with 31seconds on the clock, ending the sixth chukker in another deadlock, 6-6, and forcing the game into a sudden-death overtime period.
It had been six fast and furious chukkers and both Travieso and Postage Stamp Farm were looking to end t early. Both teams battled for control of the ball, and each got a good look at the opposing goalposts but scoring continued to be a problem. Obregon missed on a long shot at the Postage Stamp Farm goal, but it was a rush at the goal by Celis that resulted in a foul that send Obregon to the penalty line. With just over two minutes off of the clock, Obregon converted the 30-yard penalty shot for the 7-6 win.
Obregon and Bray scored three goals apiece for Travieso, with teammate Celis adding a goal for the win. Postage Stamp Farm had Phillips and Blake scoring two goals each. Arellano added a goal and the team received one goal on a Penalty 1.
FlexJet 13, Barbarossa Leather 10
Earlier in the day FlexJet (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan and Juan Bollini) finally managed to shake loose of a determined Barbarossa Leather team (Leo Mandelbaum, Julio Ezcurra, Tommy Biddle and Martin Estrada) and earn their first win of the USPA National Twenty-Goal Championship with a 13-10 victory.
Barbarossa Leather received two goals by handicap from the 19-goal FlexJet lineup and watched American 8-goaler Nic Roldan put the first goal from the field on the scoreboard cutting the lead back to a single goal, 2-1. Both teams struggled to score in the remaining minutes of the first chukker, with Barbarossa Leather leaving the field with a delicate 2-1 advantage.
Roldan added two more goals in the second while the FlexJet defense held Barbarossa Leather to a single goal from Martin Estrada as both sides raced up and down the field in attack mode. After two periods of play the score was all even at 3-3.
The scoring floodgates broke open in the third chukker. Two goals from Jason Crowder and a goal from team captain Melissa Ganzi were countered by goals from Leo Mandelbaum and Tommy Biddle (a 40-yard penalty conversion). At the end of the first half it was FlexJet with the lead, 6-5.
Roldan opened the second half with a goal for FlexJet that extended their lead to two goals, 7-5. Barbarossa Leather countered with a pair of goals from Biddle (one on a 30-yard penalty shot) for a 7-7 tie. Bollini scored the final goal of the chukker with 42 seconds on the clock and FlexJet rode off the field with an 8-7 edge.
Biddle’s fourth goal of the day came on a 40-yard penalty conversion that tied the game at 8-8. Bollini answered back with a goal from the field that put FlexJet ahead, 9-8. Julio Ezcurra scored on a well-executed nearside-neckshot for a 9-9 tie. Ganzi put FlexJet back in the lead on an impressive cut hot for a goal and Roldan added is fifth goal of the game with 1:43 left in the chukker to make it 11-9, FlexJet.
Mandelbaum struck first for Barbarossa Leather, notching his second goal of the game and cutting the FlexJet lead back to a single goal, 11-0, but that was when the Barbarossa Leather attack fizzled. Both Crowder and Roldan seemed energized in the final period. Crowder scored first, stretching the FlexJet lead to two goals, 12-10 as the Barbarossa Leather attacks continued to fall short. With 1:34 left in regulation play, Roldan added his sixth goal of the day for the 13-10 win.
Roldan scored a team high six goals for FlexJet. Crowder added three goals and Ganzi and Bollini each scored twice in the win. Biddle scored three of his four goals on penalty conversions. Mandelbaum was credited with two goals and Ezcurra and Estrada each scored once.
Competition will continue in the USPA National Twenty-Goal Championship on Friday at the Grand Champions Polo Club with a 10am contest between Travieso and Audi (Marc Ganzi, Jeff Blake, Sugar Erskine and Carlucho Arellano). At 3pm FlexJet will square off against Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Jeff Hall and Guille Aguero), with the semifinals slated to take place on Sunday afternoon, November 22nd.
The Grand Champions Polo Club is located at 13444 Southfields Road, on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington, 33414. The matches are free of charge and the public is invited to attend. The Grand Champions Polo Hotline is 561-373-0073.
(Photo by Alex Pacheco)