Lucchese and Piocho Ranch 2-0 in America Cup Play
By Alex Webbe
For the second straight game, Audi failed to show up for the first two chukkers before rebounding to outplay its opponent in the final four chukkers, falling just short in the final chukker in the second round of the 2010 USPA Lucchese America Cup at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, falling to Grants Farm 12-11
In its last two games, Audi has been outscored in the first two chukkers by a total of 11-1 while coming back to outscore its opponents by a total margin of 19-12.
“I think we did a poor job of marking our men in the first two chukkers,†offered Audi team captain Marc Ganzi. “We got off to a slow start and took the field with another lineup change.â€
Taking the Number 2 position for Audi on Sunday was 3-goaler Ulysses Escapite, who played his first chukkers with his teammates in the afternoon game.
Grants Farm wasted little time in finding its offense, with Sugar Erskine scorching the Audi goal for three first chukker goals. Jeff Blake tallied a single goal for an opening 4-0 lead.
The second chukker was no better for the listless Audi foursome as Erskine added two more goals and Cachi Garcia-Velez scored his first goal of the game. Just fifteen minutes into the game, Grants Farm was up 7-0, and it was beginning to look like a long afternoon for Audi.
“â€Cachi (Garcia-Velez) scored from about 140 yards out,†offered Ganzi, “and Sugar (Erskine) put one through from about 150 yards. They were making everything they took,†he added.
The shoe was on the other foot in the third chukker, however. Audi seemed to find its defense and cook up some offense of its own. Single goals from Escapite, Juan Bollini and Lolo Castagnola cut the Grants Farm lead to four goals, while disciplined defense held Grants Farm scoreless. However, Grants Farm held on to a 7-3 lead, as the first half ended.
Garcia-Velez and Erskine added single goals to move ahead 9-3 in the fourth, but a goal from Ganzi cut it to 9-4 as the chukker ended.
“I was starting to feel real good about our team play in the fourth chukker,†said Ganzi, “I was just hoping we had enough to finish strongly enough for the win.â€
Erskine scored three more goals in the fifth chukker, but goals from Bollini and Castagnola kept Audi’s dimming hopes alive. Grants Farm entered the final chukker with a 12-6 advantage.
Striking with the accuracy and speed of Grants Farm’s opening chukker, Audi outplayed its opponent in every aspect of the game in the final chukker.
Castagnola started it off with a goal from the field, followed by two penalty conversions from Bollini. Ganzi added two more goals from the field, with time running out. Audi outscored Grants Farm 5-0 in the final chukker of play but ended up falling just short once again.
Erskine led all scorers with nine goals. Garcia-Velez added two goals in the win, and Blake accounted for one goal on the day.
Audi got four goals from Bollini; three goals apiece from Ganzi and Castagnola and a single goal from Escapite.
PIOCHO RANCH 16, ZACARA 12
Showing flashes of brilliance that carried the Gracidas to a record number of US Open wins, brothers Carlos and Memo Gracida combined for thirteen of the team’s sixteen goals to race past a talented Zacara team 16-12 in the second round of action in the USPA Lucchese America Cup.
With young Geronimo Obregon filling in for the absent Tom Barrack, Piocho Ranch ran up a 4-1 lead after the first chukker of play while holding the Zacara team to a single penalty goal from Jeff Hall.
Single goals from Carlos and Memo Gracida in the second were coupled with shutout defense, and the Piocho Ranch lead was extended to 6-1.
“They tried to run past us,†said Carlos Gracida, “but that wasn’t going to happen.â€
And it appeared that Carlos was right. Zacara got single goals from Lyndon Lea, Hilario Ulloa and Hall in the third, but a pair of goals from Carlos Gracida and another goal from Memo Gracida left Zacara trailing at the half, 9-4.
Carlos Gracida scored the first goal of the second half before Hall answered with a pair of goals for Zacara. Zacara had cut the Piocho Ranch lead to four goals, but continued to trail, 10-6.
Ulloa converted two penalty shots for Zacara in the fifth, but the Gracidas responded with single goals, taking a 12-8 lead into the final chukker of play.
“There were a lot of penalties in the game,†said Carlos, “and it interrupted our rhythm,†he said, “but we were in control for all six chukkers.â€
Zacara tried to stage a last chukker rally, getting three penalty goals from Hall and a goal from the field from Ulloa, but Piocho Ranch was up for the challenge.
Single goals from Carlos and Memo Gracida and a pair of goals from Matias Zavaleta kept the team record perfect in the 16-12 victory.
Carlos Gracida led the field with eight goals. Memo Gracida scored five times. Zavaleta scored twice and Obregon scored once.
Hall led the Zacara team with seven goals. Ulloa scored four times and team captain Lyndon Lea scored once.
LUCCHESE 14, ERG 11
Scott Wood’s ERG lineup played Adolfo Cambiaso and the Lucchese team tight in the first half, trailing by a single goal, 6-5, after the first three chukkers, but have to learn that Cambiaso doesn’t let a little matter of the score bother him anywhere in the first five chukkers of the game.
Lucchese stormed back onto the field in the fourth chukker to outscore ERG 4-1 and take a 10-6 lead.
Cambiaso scored the first two goals of the chukker, followed by Andre Weisz’s fourth goal f the game. A third goal from Cambiaso was answered by a single ERG goal, with Pack De Narvaez scoring from the field. Lucchese sat on a 10-6 lead going into the fifth period of play.
Cambiaso scored his seventh and eighth goals of the game in the fifth chukker, while De Narvaez scored once from the field on once from the penalty line. Lucchese continued to hold the lead, 12-8.
ERG never gave up, getting another two goals from De Narvaez in the sixth and a single goal from Silvestre Donovan, but goals from Lucchese’s Jason Crowder and Weisz were more than enough as Lucchese rode off with the 14-11 win.
De Narvaez led the scoring with fine goals. Teammates Santiago Torres and Donovan scored single goals in the loss.
Cambiaso saw his scoring average drop, scoring a mere eight goals in the contest (Cambiaso had been averaging nine goals a game and scored ten times in the team’s last match). Weisz connected for five goals and Crowder added one in the win.
VALIENTE 13, MANSOUR 6
In the second morning game of the day, Valiente bounced back from Friday’s one goal loss to Lucchese with a sound 13-6 beating of Mansour.
Valiente’s nacho Astrada provided the bulk of the offense in the game, scoring ten times over a disorganized and out-horsed Mansour squad.
Valiente led 7-3 at the half and 9-4 after four chukkers as they toyed with the Mansour team for the balance of the game.
Luis Escobar provided he only bright spot for Ben Soleimani’s team, scoring four times and providing enough saves to keep the score respectable.
USPA Lucchese America Cup competition will continue with four games on Friday, August 6th. The day is scheduled to begin with a 10 am contest between Audi (0-2) and Zacara (1-1). At noon, Piocho Ranch (2-0) will face Grants Farm (1-1), followed by a 2 pm showdown between Lucchese (2-0) and Mansour (0-2). ERG (1-1) and Valiente (1-1) will play in the 4 pm game.