Casablanca races to a10-7 win in the finals of the USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup
By Alex Webbe
Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Mike Azzaro andWes Finlayson) received one goal by handicap from the 13-goal ELG lineup(Melissa Ganzi, Kris Kampsen, Juan Bollini and Avery Chapman) and rode on toscore a 10-7 win in the finals of the 2013 USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup Sundaymorning at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Avery Chapman converted a penalty shot for the tying goal(Casablanca received one goal by handicap) less than three minutes into thegame. Mike Azzaro put Casablanca on topwith a goal from the field with just five seconds on the clock. Casablanca left the field with an early 2-1lead.
Kris Kampsen tied it up, 2-2, for ELG midway through thesecond chukker on a 40-yard penalty conversion. Azzaro responded with his second goal from the field just a minute laterfor the final goal of the period and a 3-2 advantage.
Grant Ganzi scored the first goal of the third chukker,converting a 40-yard penalty shot just 17 seconds into play to put Casablancaon top by two goals, 4-2. Kampsenanswered with a goal from the field three minutes later, 4-3. Juancito Bollini scored his first goal of theday at the three minute mark and Casablanca left the field at the end of thefirst half on top of a 5-3 score.
Juancito Bollini made it 6-3, Casablanca, as the second halfopened, but that would be the end of the Casablanca offense for the duration ofthe chukker. Kampsen got ELG right backinto the game, converting a 60-yard Safety and adding a goal from thefield. After four chukkers of play, ELGtrailed Casablanca by a single goal, 6-5.
The two teams battled up and down the field in the fifthperiod before Kampsen tied it up, 6-6, on a 60-yard penalty conversion halfwaythrough the chukker. An ELG foul in thegoal mouth allowed Azzaro to take the lead back for Casablanca, 7-6, with 1:37on the clock for the final goal of the chukker.
An ELG foul sent Azzaro to the penalty line once again justtwo minutes into the sixth chukker. Hisshot at goal was redirected through the goal posts by Grant Ganzi, 8-6. Kampsen answered back with a 40-yard penaltygoal, 8-7, less than a minute later. Azzaro extended the lead to 9-7 at the two minute mark and JuancitoBollini put the final nail in the coffin with a 200 yard run down the field fora goal with 49 seconds left in the game. Time expired before the ensuing throw-in and Casablanca celebrated the10-7 victory.
Kampsen led all scoring with six goals (four on penaltyconversions). Chapman added a penaltygoal in the loss. Azzaro scored three ofhis team-leading four goals from the field and was named MVP. Juancito Bollini was credited with threegoals and Grant Ganzi scored twice
Tampa Glitter (ownedby Halo Polo) received Best Playing Pony honors. The five-year-old chestnut TB mare was played by Melissa
Ganzi in the fifth chukker.
BELUGA EKES OUT WININ ROUND-ROBIN
Beluga (Misha Rodzianko, Leo Mandelbaum, Brandon Phillipsand Guille Aguero) scored a tie and a win in the consolation round-robin of theUSPA Kay Collee Memorial Cup Sunday afternoon.
In the opening three chukkers of play, Beluga managed a 3-3tie with Palm House (Marc Ganzi, Glen Straub, Nic Roldan and Carlitos Gracida).
Palm House received one goal by handicap from Beluga, andNic Roldan scored the first goal of the opening chukker from the field for a2-0 lead. A penalty conversion fromMisha Rodzianko for Beluga cut the lead to a single goal, 2-1.
Guille Aguero tied it up at 2-2 for Beluga with a secondchukker goal, but Roldan responded with his second goal of the game to put PalmHouse back in the lead, 3-2.
Rodzianko scored the only goal of the third chukker as theteams left the field at the end of the game in a 3-3 tie.
NEWPORT 7, PALM HOUSE5
A fresh Newport team (Gene Goldstein, Michel Dorignac, LuisEscobar and Kaisser Maakar) took the field for the next three chukker mini-gameand scored the first two goal of the contest. Kaisser Maakar converted a penalty shot for the opening goal followed bya goal from the field from 7-goaler Michel Dorignac. Marc Ganzi scored the only goal of the periodfor Palm House. The chukker ended withNewport ahead, 2-1.
Palm House stormed back in the second period with threeunanswered goals. Marc Ganzi added twomore goals from the field and Carlitos Gracida scored his first of theday. Palm House was set to defend a 4-2lead going into the final chukker.
A determined Newport foursome took control of the third,scoring consecutive goals from Gene Goldstein, Luis Escobar and Michel Dorignac(penalty conversion), 5-4, before Palm House could respond. Carlitos Gracida tied it at 5-5 with a goalfrom the field, but Goals from Goldstein and Escobar closed out the match in a7-5 Newport victory.
BELUGA 8, NEWPORT 5
Beluga returned to the field for the final three chukkersagainst a Newport team that had handily defeated a talented Palm House lineup,but Beluga was confident.
Five first chukker goals staggered the Newport lineup asBrandon Phillips and Misha Rodzianko scored two goals apiece and Guille Agueroadded a single goal before Newport could get on the scoreboard. The first period ended with Beluga in controlof a 5-1 game (Newport received one goal by handicap) as Newport tried toregroup.
Luis Escobar and Kaisser Maakar each scored a goal from thefield in the second chukker and Michel Dorignac converted a penalty goal forNewport, but Beluga wasn’t ready to roll over. Goals from Phillips and Aguero ended the period with Beluga in control ofa 7-4 game.
Kaisser Maakar and Misha Rodzianko scored the final goals ofthe game with Beluga celebrating the 8-5 win.