Audi wins Hall of
Fame Cup on last second goal by Grant Ganzi
By Alex Webbe
In a back-and-forth game that saw the score tied on six occasions,
fifteen-year-old Grant Ganzi scored the winning goal for Audi (Grant Ganzi,
Gonzalo Del Tour, Gonzalito Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade) in the last second of
play Tuesday morning in the final of the 2014 Hall of Fame Cup at the International
Polo Club to defeat Flight Options (Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Eduardo Astrada and
Alejandro Astrada), 9-8.
Audi received one goal by handicap from the 26-goal Flight
Options team and quickly added to it. Grant
Ganzi scored the first goal from the field at 5:49 of the opening chukker as Audi
took the early 2-0 lead. Marc Ganzi kept
flight Options from getting shut out as he rifled the ball through the Audi
goalposts for the final goal of the chukker, 2-1.
Ten-goaler Gonzalito Pieres gave Audi the 3-2 lead with his
first score of the game, at 5:38. Two
minutes later Nic Roldan blasted a shot through the goal posts from over 100-yards
out, 3-3. Marc Ganzi’s second goal of
the match had Flight Options back on top, 4-3 with just over a minute to play
in the period. Grant Ganzi kept it all
even at 4-4 with a scoring shot with just seventeen seconds left in the
chukker. The second period ended in a
4-4 deadlock.
Goals from Gonzalo Del Tour and Grant Ganzi (penalty
conversion) had Audi on top, 6-4, but Flight Options fought their way back in
on the strength of a pair of goals from Alejandro Astrada and Marc Ganzi (penalty
shot), 6-6.
Goals were scarce in the fourth chukker with Roldan scoring
his second goal of the game at 6:04.
Audi was unable to break through the Flight Options defenses, and left
the field trailing, 7-6.
The defenses continued to shine in the fifth period, with Gonzalito
Peres and Grant Ganzi (penalty conversion) each scoring a goal to put Audi in
front, 8-7.
Alejandro Astrada tied the game once again in the sixth on a
well-executed goal with 6:51 left in the chukker. The two teams struggled for control of the
ball late in the game with each team getting scoring opportunities, but no one
able to convert. In a final run down the
field Grant Ganzi carried the ball down to the Flight Options goal and scored the
game winner as the final horn sounded.
Grant Ganzi led all scoring with five goals (two on penalty
conversions). Pieres scored twice and
Del Tour added a goal in the third. Audi
also received one goal by handicap. Marc
Ganzi scored four times for Flight Options (0ne goal by penalty). Roldan and Alejandro Astrada each scored
twice in the loss.
Audi’s Gonzalo Del Tour was named MVP while Grant Ganzi’s
ATM received Best Playing Pony honors.