By Alex Webbe
LUCCHESE 11, AUDI 9
After charging out to an 8-4 halftime lead, Audi collapsed under the second half efforts of Lucchese, falling 11-9 in a game they seemed to control for the first five chukkers.
“I think we had a few bad breaks in the first half,†said Lucchese 9-goaler Mike Azzaro. “In the second half we got some breaks and were able to take advantage of them.â€
Audi began with goals from Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini before Lucchese responded with goals from Azzaro and Andres Weisz. The chukker ended in a 2-2 tie, but Audi was settling into a game plan.
Five unanswered goals in the second chukker had Audi ahead 7-2 as a talented defensive effort kept Lucchese off of the scoreboard.
Weisz and Azzaro each managed single goals in the third chukker while limiting Audi to a single Gonzalito Pieres goal, but Audi maintained an 8-4, four goal advantage.
Lucchese picked up an unanswered goal in the fourth chukker and two more in the fifth period. Pieres managed to put the ball through the goal posts, but led by only two goals, 9-7.
Audi had no answers for Lucchese in the final chukker. Two goals from Weisz and two more from Azzaro spelled the end, as an impotent Audi attack was held scoreless.
Azzaro and Weisz scored five goals apiece in the win. Teammate Craig Duke added a single goal.
Gonzalito Pieres led the Audi attack with four goals. Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini scored two goals apiece and Brandon Phillips added a single goal.
Lucchese will go on to appear in the semifinals of the subsidiary George Haas Cup on Wednesday at 1pm while Audi has been eliminated from play.