Nic
Roldan scores ten goals in tournament opener
By
Alex Webbe
Nic Roldan scored ten goals as Longfield (Hannah Buchan,
Matias Gonzalez, Nic Roldan and Tommy Collingwood) registered a 12-10 win over
Palm House (Glen Straub, Carlos Diaz, Tommy Biddle and Joey Casey) as The
Memorial by Piaget got underway Wednesday morning, bringing an end to the Grand
Champions Polo Club’s 2013 spring season.
Six 12-goal teams will be competing
in the club’s spring season ender
First chukker goals by Tommy Collingwood and Nic Roldan
were countered by a single goal from Palm House’s Tommy Biddle as both teams
struggled to find their pace and rhythm.
Longfield left the field at the end of the period with a 2-1 edge.
Palm House took control of the game in the second
chukker, shutting down the Longfield attack while picking up three goals of
their own. Biddle added two more to his
total while Carlos Diaz got on the scoreboard for the first time. After two chukkers of play Palm Hose took a
4-2 lead.
The two teams traded goals in the third with Biddle
converting a 60-yard penalty shot and Glen Straub adding a goal from the
field. Roldan accounted for both of
Longfield’s goals. Palm House continued
to lead by two goals, 6-4, at the end of the first half.
A re-grouped Longfield foursome took the field in the
second half, and wrested control of the game away from Palm House. Roldan scored the first goal of the chukker
at the 6:07 mark, cutting the Palm House lead to a single goal, 6-5. Less than a minute later Biddle unloaded on a
shot from 120-yard out that split the goalposts for a 7-5 advantage. Three consecutive goals from Longfield (two
from Roldan and one from Collingwood) ended the period with Longfield guarding
a one goal, 8-7 lead.
Three minutes into the fifth chukker Biddle tied it up at
8-8 on a shot from the field, but Roldan recaptured the lead with his seventh
goal of the game. With one chukker left
to play in regulation time, Longfield was ahead, 9-8.
Consecutive goals from Roldan opened the sixth chukker,
expanding the Longfield lead to three goals, 11-8. Biddle cut into it when he converted his
second 60-yard penalty shot of the game, 11-9.
Roldan and Biddle each scored single goals to end the match in a 12-10
Longfield victory.
Roldan led all scoring with ten goals on the day. Collingwood scored the other two goals for
the win. Biddle scored eight times (two
on penalty shots) for Palm House. Straub
and Diaz added single goals in the loss.
Tournament action continues on Thursday with ELG (Juan
Bollini, Jr., Martin Estrada, Kris Kampsen and Avery Chapman) facing Audi
(Grant Ganzi, Wes Finlayson, Lucas Lalor and J. J. Celis) at 3:30pm.
The four-day tournament will feature semifinals on Friday
followed by three Sunday matches, including the finals.