Patagones Beats Audi 8-6 for Cup Win
By Alex Webbe
J. J. Celis scored the final goal of the game as Patagones survived an Audi rally to capture the championship, 8-6 in Tato’s Custom Mallet Cup on a hot Sunday afternoon at the Grand Champions Polo club in Wellington.
Melissa Ganzi opened the scoring for Audi with a first chukker goal that was followed by goals from Patagones team captain Gonzalo Avendano and teammate Joey Casey;
Leo Mandelbaum put Patagones up 3-1 with a goal from the field in the second chukker before Marianno Gracida answered with a goal for Audi to cut the lead to a single goal, 3-2.
A scoreless third chukker had Patagones holding on to a precarious one goal lead at the half, but the team exploded in the fourth chukker with goals from Avendano, Casey and Mandelbaum for a commanding 6-2 edge.
Goals from Charlie Muldoon and Juan Bollini in the fifth chukker were coupled with shutout defense as Audi got back into the game, trailing 6-4.
Muldoon added another goal to open the sixth chukker, making it a one goal game, but Avendano came back with a goal for Patagones. In spite of a penalty goal from Mariano Gracida, J. J. Celis sealed the deal with his only goal of the game in the final seconds of play for the Patagones win.
Muldoon and Gracida scored two goals apiece for Audi. Teammates Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini added single goals.
Leo Mandelbaum led the Patagones attack with three goals. Gonzalo Avendano and Joey Casey scored two goals each. J. J. Celis added a single goal in the win.
GTP POLO 15, QUANTEK 11
Marc Ganzi scored seven times to pace GTP Polo to a 15-11 win over Quantek in an earlier consolation match.
Quantek received three goals by handicap as Javier Guerra, Jr. and Weston Gracida were filling in for their fathers in the Sunday morning contest.
Stevie Orthwein scored the opening goal of the match followed by a goal from Guerra with Ganzi finishing the scoring in the opening chukker.
Kris Kampsen and Peter Rizzo each scored a goal for Quantek in the second period with Ganzi responding with three goals from the field for GTP, trailing 6-5.
Goals from Orthwein and Ganzi were answered by a single goal from Quantek’s Gracida as the first half ended in a 7-7 tie.
The GTP defense tightened in the fourth, shutting out the Quantek attack while getting three goals from Trevor Allen and a single goal from Luis Escobar. GTP carried an 11-7 lead into the fifth chukker.
Allen scored the opening goal of the fifth period to give GTP a commanding 12-7 lead. Guerra and Rizzo responded with single goals later in the chukker to cut the lead to 12-9.
Allen scored again in the final chukker with Ganzi adding two more. Kris Kampsen scored once from the field and converted a penalty shot for the final score of 15-11, GTP.
Ganzi led all scoring with seven goals. Allen scored five times. Orthwein added two goals and Escobar chipped in a goal in the win.
Kampsen led Quantek with three goals. Guerra and Rizzo added two goals apiece and Weston Gracida added a goal. Quantek received three goals by handicap.