Audi captures USPA Fall Classic witha 12-11 win over Newport
By Alex Webbe
Audi (Marc Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Brandon Phillips andJuan Bollini) scored a 12-11 win over Newport (Gene Goldstein, Guille Aguero, Luis Escobar and Kaisser Maakar) Sunday morning at the GrandChampions Polo Club in the finals of the USPA Fall Classic.
Audi took an early 3-2 lead on single goals from Marc Ganzi,Juancito Bollini and Juan Bollini. GuilleAguero accounted for both of Newport’s first chukker goals.
Newport team captain Gene Goldstein converted a 40-yardpenalty shot to open the second chukker, with Ganzi responding with a likepenalty conversion, 4-3. Aguero closedout the scoring in the period with a well-placed 90-yard shot from the field fora 4-4 deadlock.
Juan Bollini and Aguero exchanged goals to open the third,5-5, when the Audi attack took control of the field. Brandon Phillips and Ganzi added single goalsto end the first half on the winning end of a 7-5 score.
The Audi charge continued into the second half, with fourthchukker goals from Juancito Bollini and Phillips extending the lead to fourgoals, 9-5 before Newport responded. Escobarconverted a penalty shot to close out the period, trailing Audi 9-6.
Ganzi opened the fifth chukker with a goal from the field inthe first 15 seconds of play. Juancito Bolliniscored to extend the Audi led to five goals, 11-6. Escobar scored the final two goals of the chukker(one from the field and one on a penalty conversion), but Audi continued tolead, 11-8.
Aguero and Phillips traded goals in the opening minutes ofthe sixth chukker. Audi was still ontop, 12-9. Goldstein added another with just over aminute left in regulation time, and Escobar tapped the ball through for thefinal goal of the match, but Audi never gave up the lead and held on for the12-11 win.
Aguero led all scoring with five goals and was named MVP forhis efforts. Escobar scored four timesand Goldstein added two in the loss. Ganzi’s four goals led a balanced Audi attack. Juancito Bollini and Phillips accounted forthree goals apiece with Juan Bollini adding two goals.
Yahoo, 6-year-old gray mare owned by Halo Polo and played byGuille Aguero received Best Playing Pony honors.
BELUGA 10, CASABLANCA7
In the afternoon’s consolation round of play, Beluga (MishaRodzianko, Leo Mandelbaum, Carlitos Gracida and Joey Casey) registered a 10-7victory over Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Matt Coppola, Kris Kampsen and WesFinlayson) behind a five goal performance by Leo Mandelbaum.
Carlitos Gracida opened up the game with a 40-yard penaltyconversion less than 30 seconds into play and Leo Mandelbaum added a goal for a2-1 score (Casablanca received one goal by handicap from the 12-goal Belugateam).
Second chukker goals from Gracida and Misha Rodzianko wentunanswered and had Beluga on top of a 4-1 score as Casablanca struggled to findany rhythm.
Mandelbaum’s second goal of the game had Beluga up, 5-1before Casablanca finally responded. Single goals from Kris Kampsen and Matt Coppola cut the margin to twogoals as Beluga rode off the field at the end of the first half with a 5-3advantage.
Casablanca seemed to have found themselves as they matchedBeluga goal for goal in the fourth. Mandelbaum and Gracida registered single goals for Beluga with Coppolaand Kampsen responding for Casablanca. Atthe end of four chukkers of play, Beluga continued to lead by two goals, 7-5.
Mandelbaum put Beluga on top, 8-5 with the opening goal ofthe fifth chukker. Grant Ganzi converteda pair of penalty shots for goals, however, and Casablanca was within a goal ofthe lead, 8-7.
Beluga added two goals in the final chukker on scoringefforts from Rodzianko and Mandelbaum while Casablanca was unable to rally anyeffective offense as they fell, 10-7.
Mandelbaum set the scoring pace for Beluga with fivegoals. Gracida scored three times andRodzianko was credited with two goals in the win. Coppola scored three times for Casablanca. Ganzi and Kampsen each added two goals in alosing effort.