Paladin wins Prisa Invitational finals, 11–8

Roldan leads Paladin
to win in Prisa Invitational finals

By Alex Webbe

Nic Roldan scored five goals to carry Paladin to an 11-8 win
in the Prisa Invitational, his last competition in the United States before
boarding a plane bound for China where he will compete with the US team in the 24-goal
Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup.

One of the top players in the country today Roldan led
Paladin (David Krantz, Leo Mandelbaum, Nic Roldan and Juan Bollini) against his
former USA teammate, Marc Ganzi and the Newport lineup (Gene Goldstein, Guille
Aguero, Luis Escobar and Marc Ganzi) in the 16-goal tournament that kicks off
the fall season for the Grand Champions Polo Club.

Newport received one goal by handicap from Paladin in a slow
starting opening chukker that witnessed a single goal being scored by Nic
Roldan.  The chukker ended with the teams
all even at 1-1.

Paladin flexed their muscles in the second chukker as they
put up four unanswered goals while Newport fought to establish an effective
offensive threat.  Roldan opened the
chukker with a goal from the field followed by goals from Leo Mandelbaum and
Juan Bollini, 4-1.  A second goal from Mandelbaum
ended the chukker with Paladin in front by four goals, 5-1.

Newport finally got on track in the third with each member
of the team scoring a goal to knot it up at 5-5, while a disciplined defense
kept Paladin off of the scoreboard for the first time on the day.  Marc Ganzi opened the scoring by converting a
40-yard penalty shot followed by single goals from teammates Luis Escobar,
Guille Aguero and Gene Goldstein.  The
first half ended in a 5-5 tie.

Paladin returned to form in the fourth chukker.  Mandelbaum scored his third goal of the game
while Roldan scored one goal from the field and the other on a penalty
conversion.  Newport was unable to get on
the scoreboard, and fell behind 8-5.

Roldan and Escobar exchanged goals to open the fifth
chukker, 9-6.  Mandelbaum scored his
fourth goal on the day and David Krantz converted a penalty shot to give
Paladin a commanding five goal, 11-5 lead with one chukker left to play.

Newport attempted to stage a rally while Paladin was content
to slow down the pace of the game and turn aside any offensive thrusts.  Ganzi scored Newport’s only goals in the
sixth with a goal from the field and a penalty conversion for a score.  The final horn sounded, however, with Paladin
taking the 11-8 win.

Roldan’s registered five goals for Paladin.  Mandelbaum scored four times and Krantz and
Bollini added single goals.  Ganzi’s
three goals set the pace for Newport. 
Escobar was credited with two goals. 
Goldstein and Aguero each scored a goal in a losing effort.