Audi
and Piaget in USPA North America Cup
By
Alex Webbe
Every polo player knows how untrustworthy travel
arrangements can be, and with Carlos Gracida and Carlitos Gracida delayed at
the airport, Audi (Marc Ganzi, Carlos Gracida, Nic Roldan and Carlitos Gracida)
was forced to take the field against KIG (Bash Kazi, Hector Galindo, Sugar
Erskine and Kris Kampsen) with Tommy Collingwood and Jason Crowder filling in
for the missing Gracidas for the first three chukkers.
Audi received one goal by handicap from the 19-goal KIG
team and charged out to an early 5-1 lead before registering a 10-6 win and an
appointment with Piaget in the finals of the 2012 USPA North America Cup.
Audi team captain Marc Ganzi scored the first goal of the
game countered by a goal from KIG 7-goaler Sugar Erskine. Ganzi responded with two more goals (one from
the field and one on a penalty shot.
Jason Crowder scored the final goal of the chukker for Audi who left the
field with a 5-1 advantage at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
The pace escalated in the second period, but as it did,
the defense tightened. Kris Kampsen
converted a penalty goal for KIG for the only score of the chukker. KIG continued to trail, but the lead was cut
to three goals, 5-2.
Kampsen converted a second penalty shot for a goal in the
third, but Ganzi’s fourth goal of the game ended the chukker with Audi riding
off the field with a 6-3 halftime lead.
With the two Gracidas safely back in the lineup, Audi
wasted little time getting their attack going in the second half. Nic Roldan
scored his first goal of the game followed by a goal from Carlos Gracida. After four chukkers Audi was on top of an 8-3
score.
Carlitos Gracida got on the scoreboard with a goal in the
fifth period with a goal from the field, but Kampsen replied with a pair of
goals for KIG (one from the field and one on a penalty conversion). With one chukker left in regulation play,
Audi led KIG by four goals 9-5.
Audi continued to press its attack in the sixth
chukker. Ganzi scored his fifth goal of
the game for a 10-5 lead. KIG continued
to have trouble coordinating any effective offense and settled for a single
penalty goal from Kampsen in the final chukker in a 10-6 loss.
Marc Ganzi led the Audi team with five goals (four from
the field). Jason Crowder, Carlitos
Gracida, Nic Roldan and Carlos Gracida scored single goals in the victory, and
the team received one goal by handicap.
Kampsen’s four goals (all on penalty shots) set the pace
for KIG. Sugar Erskine and Hector
Galindo each scored a goal in a losing effort.
The victory boosts Audi into Sunday’s 3PM finals against
Piaget.