Piaget Wins USPA Kay Colee Memorial in OT
By Alex Webbe
Piaget received one goal by handicap, and led 5-3 at halftime, but needed an overtime goal to defeat Barbarossa Leather and capture the 2010 USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup (10-14 goals) at the Grand Champions Polo Club Sunday afternoon at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida Sunday afternoon.
“We were going to take it easy on them in the first couple of chukkers,†said Barbarossa Leather team captain Leo Mandelbaum, thinking that we were that much stronger, but it kind of got away from us.â€
Piaget picked up first chukker goal from David Krantz while shutting out the Barbarossa Leather attack for an early 2-0 lead.
Barbarossa Leather fought its way back into the game with a pair of goals from Carlucho Arellano, including a beautifully executed neck shot on a difficult angle from over seventy-five yards out. Defense was at a premium, with Piaget being held scoreless. The second chukker ended in a 2-2 tie.
Goals from Juan Bollini and Juan Badiola gave Piaget a 4-2 lead halfway through the third period before Barbarossa Leather responded with a goal from Matias Sosa. Bollini’s second goal of the chukker closed out the scoring in the first half with Piaget holding a 5-3 advantage.
“We tried to take control of the game in the second half,†offered Mandelbaum, “but they (Piaget) had the momentum, and we couldn’t wrestle it away from them.â€
Carlucho Arellano scored his third goal of the game in the fourth, but two goals from Krantz and another from Melissa Ganzi had Piaget comfortably on top of an 8-4 score. Piaget was rolling and Barbarossa Leather was having difficulty getting any sort of offense going.
Barbarossa Leather got it going again in the fifth, adding goals from Mandelbaum and Matias Sosa while keeping Piaget off of the scoreboard. The gap had closed to a couple of goals, with Barbarossa Leather trailing 8-6 with a chukker left to play.
Barbarossa Leather continued to press the Piaget defenses, but Melissa Ganzi scored the first goal of the chukker, three goals from Barbarossa Leather, however, tied the game at 9-9 as time expired, forcing the game into a sudden-death overtime period of play.
Following a ten minute intermission while players got fresh horses, play was tentative. Piaget pressed its attack, and was fouled in the first two minutes of the overtime period. Bollini went to the line for the ensuing penalty shot and rocketed the ball over the goals posts for the win.
Juan Badiola was named MVP for his efforts with Juan Bollini’s five-year-old grey mare, Enemy Waters, taking Best Playing Pony honors.
AUDI/PATAGONES 10, ELANGANI RANCH 9
Lucas Lalor scored a game high five goals in leading Audi/Patagones to a 10-9 win over Elangani Ranch in the consolation round of the USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup Sunday morning.
Elangani Ranch got off to a 2-1 start on goals from team captain Brian Street and Steven Scott. Diego Arellano scored the only goal for Audi/Patagones in the opening chukker.
A pair of goals from Lalor in the second and a single goal from Sugar Erskine had Audi/Patagones taking a narrow 4-3 lead after two chukkers of play, with Joey Casey scoring once for Elangani Ranch.
Two goals from Erskine were accompanied with shutout defense by Audi/Patagones, as the team left the field at halftime with a 6-3 lead.
Two more goals from Lalor were countered by single goals from Scott (penalty shot) and another goal from Casey. The Audi/Patagones team maintained its three goal lead after four chukkers of play, 8-5.
Goals from Lalor and Arellano kept Audi/Patagones in front after five, but Elangani Ranch got goals from Scott, Diego Coscio Casey, cutting the lead to two goals, 10-8.
Elangani Ranch battled its way back into the game, getting a goal from Scott, but that was where it ended. Audi held on to win the match, 10-9.