2009 La Martina Cup
By Alex Webbe
With the teams and players returning to Grand Champions after a weekend at the beach, the club kicked off the La Martina Cup with two fast-paced contests that had all of
In the opening match, Los Algarrobos took advantage of seven goals from Juan Bollini to capture an 11-6 gave at the expense of Grand Champions Black.
GC Black got off to an early lead on the strength of goals from J. J. Celis and Trevor Allen, but Los Algarrobos rebounded in the second period with goals from Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini to knot it up at 2-2. Juan Martin Obregon broke the tie to end the chukker with Grand Champions Black holding on to a narrow 3-2 advantage.
The two teams exchanged goals in the third chukker with Ruben Gracida scoring to stretch the GC Black lead to 4-2 before Kris Kampsen answered for Los Algarrobos, cutting the lead down to a single goal once again.
The fourth chukker was all Bollini as the talented 6-goaler scored all three of the goals for Los Algarrobos. A disciplined defense kept Grand Champions Black off of the scoreboard as Los Algarrobos ended the fourth chukker with a 6-4 lead.
“Three times,” shouted John Benitz after a handful of his shots went wide of the goal by inches, “Three times”, he smiled in frustration, forgetting that his world travel has kept him from the playing fields for months at a time.
“He played great,” said Kris Kampsen of Benitz. “We just need to get him out here more often and allow him to get his rhythm back.”
By the end of the fifth chukker Grand Champions Black had cut the lead to a single goal, once again, 7-6, but Los Algarrobos wasn’t anywhere near finished.
Finishing the game with a flourish, Bollini knocked in his sixth and seventh goals, including a beautifully placed, angled neck shot with Kampsen adding two more for the 11-6 final.
Bollini led all scoring with seven goals. Kampsen scored three times and Melissa Ganzi added a goal in the win.
Obregon and Celis scored two goals apiece for Grand champions Black. Allen and Gracida added single goals.
AUDI 12, GRAND CHAMPIONS WHITE 9
Audi set up a showdown with Los Algarrobos on Sunday with a 12-9 win over Grand Champions White.
Grand Champions White took advantage of three goals by handicap to keep it close in the early goings, but Audi proved to have just too much firepower in the end.
A balanced attack that included Marc Ganzi, Julio Gracida, Brandon Phillips and Brad Blake had each member of the team in the first chukker to tie it at 4-4 after the opening period of play. Leo Mandelbaum accounted for the only offense from the field for Grand Champions White in the first chukker.
Scattered scoring from the Audi team had every member of the team contributing to a 9-7 halftime lead before a three chukker final chukker delivered the 12-9 victory.
Julio Gracida scored four times for Audi while Brandon Phillips and Marc Ganzi added three goals apiece. Brad Blake added two goals in the win.
Grand Champions White took advantage of three goals by handicap and three goals apiece from Joey Casey and Leo Mandelbaum for its final nine goal total.
On Sunday Grand Champions White and Black will face off in a consolation contest at 9:30 am while Audi and Los Algarrobos will meet in the championship match at 11 am.
The La Martina Cup is one of a series of tournaments that will keep the Grand Champions Polo Club buzzing through May.
Audi Grand Champions White
Marc Ganzi Leo Mandelbaum
Brad Blake Charlie Muldoon
Brandon Phillips Joey Casey
Julio Gracida Peter Rizzo
Grand Champions White Los Algarrobos
Ruben Gracida Melissa Ganzi
Trevor Allen Kris Kampsen
Juan Martin Obregon Juan Bollini
J. J. Celis John Benitz