Pony
Express runs off with 2013 USPA Sun Cup
By
Alex Webbe
Pony Express (Bob Daniels, Wes Finlayson, Pancho Eddy and
Tomas Goti) received one goal by handicap and added another three goals to it
in the opening chukker for an early 4-1 lead that they never relinquished in a
13-9 win over Longfield (Hannah Buchan, Grant Ganzi, Brandon Phillips and Nic
Roldan) Sunday afternoon in the finals of the 2013 USPA Sun Cup at the Grand
Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Hannah Buchan scored the first goal of the day from the
field in the opening minute of play (Pony Express received one goal by
handicap) to tie it up at 1-1, but that would be as close as they would come
for the balance of the day as Pony Express rode out to 9-5 halftime advantage
in a game in which they dominated from start to finish.
Following Buchan’s first chukker goal, Pony Express got a
single goal from Tomas Goti and two more from Pancho Eddy for a 4-1 first
chukker lead.
Nic Roldan scored first for Longfield in the second
period, but once again, Pony Express reeled off three straight goals on two
scores from Goti and Wes Finlayson’s first goal of the match. With 1:42 left in the second chukker, Pony
Express was on top of a five goal, 7-2 score.
Roldan opened the third with a goal in the opening 30
seconds of play, and Grant Ganzi scored on a beautifully executed neck shot at
5:31 to cut the Pony Express lead to three goals, 7-4. Goals by Eddy and Goti, however, restored the
five goal lead, 9-4. A Pony Express
penalty sent Grant Ganzi to the penalty line in the final two minutes of the
period where he converted the shot for his second goal of the chukker. At the end of the first half it was all Pony
Express, 9-5.
Eddy and Roldan exchanged goals in the opening minutes of
the second half, 10-6, with Finlayson scoring on a sharp angle shot for the
final goal of the period. Pony Express
was leading 11-6 as they left the field at the end of the fourth chukker.
Lucas Lalor took Roldan’s place in the fifth (sore ribs),
and for the first time all day long Longfield shutout the Pony Express
offense. Grant Ganzi scored the only two
goals of the period, cutting the Pony Express lead to three goals, 11-8.
Goals from Goti and Eddy put Pony Express back on top by
five, 13-8, in the final period. Lalor
scored the final goal of the game for Longfield in the 13-9 Pony Express
victory.
Goti led all scoring with five goals. Finlayson added four goals and Eddy was
credited with three goals in the win.
The team received one goal by handicap.
Grant Ganzi and Roldan set the pace for Longfield with four goals
apiece. Buchan added one in the loss.
Pancho Eddy was named MVP while X-Box, ridden by Grant
Ganzi, received Best Playing Pony honors.
ELG
WINS CONSOLATION ROUND-ROBIN
Avery Chapman’s ELG lineup (Lucas Lalor, Juancito
Bollini, Carlucho Arellano and Avery Chapman) scored wins over KIG and Palm
House to take the consolation round-robin earlier in the day at Grand Champions
Polo Club.
KIG (Bash Kazi, Marc Ganzi, Kris Kampsen and Juan
Bollini) opened the day with a 3-3 tie in the opening three chukkers of the
three team round-robin.
After a scoreless first chukker, KIG took a 2-1 lead on
goals from Marc Ganzi and Juan Bollini.
Palm House managed a single goal from Tommy Biddle.
Marc Ganzi converted a penalty shot to put KIG up, 3-1 in
the third, but consecutive goals from Biddle ended the mini-match in a 3-3
deadlock.
KIG held the field for the second three-chukker
mini-match, and quickly went up, 1-0, on a penalty conversion for a goal from
Ganzi. Juancito Bollini and Lucas Lalor
responded with single goals. At the end
of the first chukker ELG led, 2-1.
Neither team got on the scoreboard in the second period,
but single goals were exchanged in the third as Kampsen tied it at 2-2 at the
five minute mark. Lalor scored the
winning goal with just 1:15 on the clock in the final chukker for the 3-2
victory.
ELG made short work of Palm House in the final three
chukkers of the round-robin, picking up single goals from Carlucho Arellano and
Juancito Bollini in the first chukker while shutting out the Palm House offense
for a 2-0 lead.
Penalty conversions from Arellano and Lalor in the second
had ELG ahead, 4-0 when Martin Estrada took off on a 90-yard run for a
goal. With one chukker left to play, ELG
was in front, 4-1.
Juancito Bollini’s second goal of match was answered by a
pair of goals from Palm House’s Glen Straub (one on a penalty shot) for the
final 5-3 ELG win.