Port Mayaca Takes Grand Champions Spring Finale, 13-8
By Alex Webbe
Audi received three goals by handicap from a powerful Port Mayaca polo team Friday afternoon on the grounds of the old Royal Palm Polo Club in
Rains and wet fields compelled the four teams in competition to retreat to the old Royal Palm Polo Club for the last tournament of the season.
Port Mayaca started out in the hole but got single goals from Stevie Orthwein, Brad Blake and Leo Mandelbaum while shutting out the Audi offense in the opening chukker.
Juan Bollini and Melissa Ganzi scored goals in the second chukker, holding Port Mayaca to a single goal from Brandon Phillips.
Audi’s 5-4 lead would disappear forever in the third period with two goals from Phillips and a goal from Mandelbaum. Despite several near goals, Audi left the field at the end of the first half trailing 7-5.
Kris Kampsen scored two penalty shots for Audi in the fourth chukker but they were countered by penalty conversions from Blake and Mandelbaum for a
Bollini scored the first goal of the fifth chukker before Orthwein responded with a goal to end the chukker with Port Mayaca on top of a 10-8 score.
The final period of play belonged to Port Mayaca. Missed goals from Isabella Wolf, Kampsen and Ganzi were compounded by two penalty shot misses from Kampsen, and it would seem that the dye had been cast.
Orthwein added two more goals in the final chukker with Mandelbaum scoring his fourth goal of the match for the 13-8 win.
Mandelbaum and Orthwein scored four goals apiece for Port Mayaca. Phillips added three goals for the win and Brad Blake converted two penalty shots.
Bollini and Kampsen scored two goals each. Melissa Ganzi scored once and Audi received three goals by handicap.
Leo Mandelbaum was named MVP while Melissa Ganzi’s six-year-old Argentine chestnut mare, Tina, received Best Playing Pony honors.
In earlier play, Joey Casey scored the winning goal in the final chukker as
Grand Champions received two goals by handicap and quickly added to it in the opening chukker. Goals from Charlie Muldoon and Trevor Allen had Grand Champions up 4-0, as
Casey accounted for the only goal of the second chukker as both teams checked their defenses. Grand Champions held a 4-1 edge after the first two periods.
A concentrated offensive effort by
Rizzo opened the fourth period with a go-ahead goal, but Facundo Obregon came back with a tying mark and the chukker ended in a 5-5 deadlock.
Trevor Allen’s second goal of the day put Grand Champions on top 6-5, as it was the only score of the fifth chukker.
A crucial penalty by Grand Champions allowed Ganzi to tie it at 6-6. Casey’s third goal of the match proved to be the winner, as time expired with