Flight Options lands
USPA Fall Classic, 7-6
By Alex Webbe
Argentine 6-goaler Guille Aguero received MVP honors as he
led Flight Options (Gene Goldstein, Wes Finlayson, Guille Aguero and Juan
Bollini) to a 7-6 win over CT Energia (Carlitos Gracida, Alessandro Bazzoni,
Marc Ganzi and Kris Kampsen) Sunday afternoon in the final of the 2014 USPA
Fall Classic at the Grand Champions Polo Club.
CT Energia received two goals by handicap from the 14-goal
Flight Options side but couldn’t add to it until the 1:47 mark of the opening
chukker. The CT Energia defense shut out Flight Options in the opening seven
minutes of the match and moved in front, 3-0.
The defenses continued to dominate the action on the field
as the second period got underway.
Guille Aguero got Flight Options on the scoreboard with a goal from the field
just two-and-a-half minutes into the second chukker, 3-1.
A Penalty 1 was called against CT Energia resulting in an
automatic goal for Flight Options, 3-2.
Juan Bollini scored level the score at 3-3. With 33 seconds left in the period Gene
Goldstein scored to give Flight Options a4-3 advantage at the end of the first
half.
Goldstein’s second goal of the game came with two minutes
left in the fourth. CT Energia was
shutout for the third consecutive chukker and trailed 5-3.
A CT Energia rally in the fifth netted them goals from
Kampsen (penalty conversion) and Carlitos Gracida as Flight Options was unable
to score. With one chukker of regulation time left the
score was all even at 5-5.
Juan Bollini scored the go-ahead goal for Flight Options at
the 5:05 mark of the sixth period, 6-5.
Less than a minute later Aguero scored to extend the Flight Options lead
to two goals, 7-5. CT Energia fought to get
back into the game but had to settle for a final goal from Gracida in the 7-6
loss to Flight Options.
Goldstein, Bollini and Aguero scored two goals apiece. The
team received one goal on a Penalty. Gracida and Kampsen scored two goals each and
the team was given two goals by handicap in the loss.
Casablanca wins
consolation round-robin
In the closing competition of the day, Casablanca (Grant
Ganzi, Alejandro Gonzalez, Jesse Bray and Martin Pepa) won the Fall Classic
consolation competition as they beat Palm Beach Equine (Juancito Bollini, Leo
Mandelbaum, Nic Roldan and Scott Swerdlin) and Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle
Garret, Julio Gracida, Brandon Phillips and Roberto Gonzalez).
Postage Stamp Farm scored a 5-3 win over Casablanca in the opening
three chukkers of the round-robin.
Casablanca rebounded to defeat Palm Beach Equine, 8-3. Palm Beach Equine salvaged a win in the final
three chukkers of play by beating Postage Stamp Farm, 6-2.
With all three teams tied with 1-1 records, the decision was
made on the basis of net goals, with Casablanca taking top honors with 11. Palm Beach Equine finished second with nine
goals and Postage Stamp Farm came in third with seven net goals.
Halo Polo-owned Catina Mama was selected as Best Playing
Pony. The mare was played by Guille Aguero
in the sixth chukker.