Aspen Valley and CT
Energia in USPA Fall Plates final
By Alex Webbe
In a three-way tie, CT Energia (Marc Ganzi, Alessandro
Bazzoni, Felipe Viana and Kris Kampsen) scored a 4-2 win over Palm Beach Polo
(Glenn Straub, Alejandro Gonzalez, Piki Alberdi and Juancito Bollini) in the
final three chukkers of Friday afternoon’s USPA Fall Plates round-robin at the
Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Palm Beach Polo opened the day with a 3-2 win over Palm
Beach Equine (Leo Mandelbaum, Carlitos Gracida, Guille Aguero and Scott
Swerdlin) in the first three chukkers of the competition. Palm Beach Equine took the early 2-1 lead on
first chukker goals from Carlitos Gracida and Guille Aguero. Alejandro Gonzalez responded with a goal from
the field for Palm Beach Polo.
Palm Beach Polo’s defense held Palm Beach Equine scoreless
for the remaining two chukkers while picking up single goals in both the second
and third periods on penalty conversions from Piki Alberdi for the 3-2 win.
Palm Beach Equine 3, CT Energia 2
Palm Beach Equine remained on the field for the next three
chukkers with CT Energia riding out to meet them.
CT Energia’s Kris Kampsen scored the first goal of the game
in the opening minute of play and added a penalty goal. Palm Beach Equine was held scoreless and
trailed 2-0 after the first seven minutes of play.
Both defenses stiffened in the second period as neither team
was able to mount a successful attack.
The second period ended with CT Energia holding the lead, 2-0.
Carlitos Gracida finally got Palm Beach Equine on the
scoreboard in the third chukker on an impressive end-to-end run with the ball
for a goal, 2-1. Leo Mandelbaum tried it
up with a penalty goal and added another goal from the field minutes
later. CT Energia was unable to respond
and fell, 3-2.
CT Energia 4, Palm Beach Polo 2
Both Palm Beach Polo and Palm Beach Equine had recorded wins
in the day’s round-robin play, and CT Energia would need a convincing win if
they had any hopes for a berth in Sunday’s final.
Alejandro Gonzalez scored the first goal of the final three
chukker mini-match, 1-0. Kris Kampsen
answered back with a goal for CT Energia to end the period all even at 1-1.
Goals were hard to come by in the second period of the final
mini-match of the day. With four minutes
left in the chukker Kampsen finally managed to break through the Palm Beach
Polo defense for the go-ahead score, 2-1.
CT Energia rode off the field with a fragile 2-1 advantage with seven
minutes left in regulation play.
Kampsen added two more goals to the CT Energia total with a
goal from the field and a penalty conversion.
Palm Beach Polo missed several clear scoring opportunities, settling for
a final goal from Alberdi on a penalty shot.
The final horn sounded with CT Energia celebrating the 4-2 win and a
position in Sunday’s final against Aspen Valley Polo (Gene Goldstein, Wes
Finlayson, Brandon Phillips and Roberto Gonzalez).
Sunday’s play will begin with a consolation match at noon
followed by a 1:30PM subsidiary final.
The final of the 2014 USPA Fall Plates will feature CT Energia and Aspen
Valley Polo Club.
The Grand Champions Polo Club is located on the corner of
Lake Worth Avenue and South Shore Boulevard in Wellington, Florida, and
everyone is welcome to watch the games.