Grand Champions wins 2013 Presidents Cup

Grand Champions wins
2013 Presidents Cup at IPC

By Alex Webbe

Grand
Champions trailed for much of the day, but came together when they needed to as
they scored an exciting 10-9 win over Equine Law Group Saturday afternoon at
the International Polo Club in Wellington to capture the 2013 USPA President’s
Cup 8-goal.

Grant
Ganzi scored the first goal of the game two minutes into playas Grand Champions
took the early lead, but the Equine Law Group was prepared.  Marcos Onetto converted a 60-yard penalty
shot for a goal and teammate Matias Gonzalez converted a 40-yard penalty
shot.  At the end of the first chukker
Equine Law Group led, 2-1.

Onetto
added two more goals in the second chukker and teammate Avery Chapman scored a
goal to extend the Equine Law Group lead to two goals, 5-3.  Grand Champions picked up single goals from
Ganzi (penalty goals) and Wes Finlayson.

Finlayson
scored on a 40-yard penalty shot at the 5:16 mark when Del Walton carried the
ball two-thirds the length of the field for a goal.  Equine Law Group led, 6-4.  Finlayson kept Grand Champions close as he
scored the final goal of the chukker with seconds on the clock.  At the end of the first half Equine Law Group
was ahead by a single goal, 6-5.

The
fifth chukker belonged to Finlayson and Grand Champions.  Finlayson scored twice on penalty shots and
added a third goal on a shot from the field, 
The Grand Champions defense kept Equine Law Group off of the scoreboard
for the first six minutes, posting their first lead of the day, 7-6, and then 8-6.   Equine Law Group charged right back into the
fray, with a penalty goal from Gonzalez and, 8-7, and a tying goal from Onetto,
who took the ensuing throw-in 150 yards down the field for the score, 8-8.

Defense
was the byword of the fifth period. 
Juancito Bollini finally broke the ice with a goal from the field at the
2:31 mark.  The fifth chukker ended with
Grand Champions holding on to a 9-8 advantage.

The
sixth chukker saw Finlayson scoring his seventh goal of the game with 4:51 left
in regulation time.   Grand Champions was
in front by two goals, 10-8.  As Equine
Law Group pressed the attack, Grand Champions responded with a lights-out
defense that shut them out for the remainder of the game in a 10-9 victory.

Finlayson
led all players with seven goals on the day (four on penalty shots), and was
named MVP.  Ganzi scored twice and
Gonzalez added a goal in the win.  Onetto
scored three of his team high six goals on penalty shots.  Walton, Chapman and Gonzalez were each
credited with a goal in the loss.