Phillips
scores goal in OT for Flat Out win
By Alex
Webbe
Brandon Phillips took control of the ball in the opening
minute of overtime and scored the winning goal as Flat Out (Paul Knapp, Brandon
Phillips, Jeff Hall and Sarah Knapp) celebrated its 9-8 win over a talented
Piaget foursome in the finals of the 2012 USPA Fall Plates at the Grand Champions
Polo Club in Wellington Thursday afternoon.
You knew from the opening throw-in that it was going to
be a very physical game, and following an opening chukker that produced a
single goal, and hotly contested as well.
Flat Out’s Jeff Hall scored the first and only goal of
the first chukker on a penalty conversion for the early 1-0 lead, but for the
next four chukkers it was all Piaget.
A stalwart Piaget defense held Flat Out scoreless in the
second period while picking up penalty goals from Juan Bollini and Mariano Gonzalez. At the end of the second chukker Piaget held
a narrow 2-1 advantage.
Gonzalez scored twice from the field in the third period
while Flat Out managed a single goal from Paul Knapp. At the end of the first half Piaget held a
two goal lead, 4-2.
Paul Knapp converted a penalty shot to open the scoring
in the second half, but that was where the offense fluttered. Two goals from Piaget’s Gonzalez ended the
period with Flat Out trailing by three goals, 6-3.
A rejuvenated Flat Out team took the field in the fifth
chukker and wasted little time attacking the Piaget goal. Penalty goals from Hall and Paul Knapp went
unanswered as Flat Out cut the Piaget lead to a single goal, 6-5.
Gonzalez opened the sixth chukker with a goal to put
Piaget on top, 7-5, but Flat Out stormed back.
Consecutive goals from Phillips and Paul Knapp (penalty conversion) tied
it at 7-7, with Hall scoring from the field to give Flat Out its first lead
since the first chukker, 8-7. With time
running out in regulation play, Gonzalez stuffed the ball through a crowd of
defenders to tie it up at 8-8 and force the sudden-death overtime period.
Flat Out took control of the ball from the opening
seconds of overtime and watched as Phillips stroked the ball through the Piaget
goal posts for the winning goal, 9-8.
Gonzalez led all scoring with seven goals. Bollini added a single goal in the loss.
Paul Knapp scored four goals for Flat Out (three on
penalty shots). Hall accounted for three
more and Phillips scored twice in the win, including the winner in overtime.
Piaget Ambassador Jeff Hall was named Casablanca Player
of the Week as well as receiving MVP honors in the 2012 USPA Fall Plates.
Halo Polo’s six-year-old Bay stallion, Qurzo, received Best Playing Pony
honors.