By Alex Webbe
Audi/Mt. Brilliant received two goals by handicap and quickly ran off with a 5-0 lead over Flat Out in the first round of the 2010 US Trust Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club before taking a hard-fought 11-9 win.
First chukker goals from Lucas Lalor and Marc Ganzi had Audi/Mt. Brilliant up, 4-0 after the first seven minutes of play, and led 5-0 in the second, on another Ganzi goal, before Flat Out finally got on the scoreboard. Two goals from J. J. Celis cut the Audi/Mt. Brilliant lead to three goals, 5-2, at the end of the first period.
Two-goaler Paul Knapp scored his first goal of the game for Flat Out, but Ganzi answered with a goal for Audi/Mt. Brilliant. Brandon Phillips tacked on another Flat Out goal to end the chukker, and Audi/Mt. Brilliant left the field at the end of the first half with a 6-4 advantage.
Knapp’s second goal of the game opened the fourth chukker, and cut the Audi/Mt. Brilliant lead to a single goal, 6-5. Audi/Mt. Brilliant revved it up, and got two more goals from the field from Ganzi, ending the period with a three goal lead, 8-5.
The scoring went back and forth in the fifth, with Ganzi opening with a goal from the field. Flat Out responded with another goal from Knapp. Ganzi scored his seventh goal of the game, before Celis converted a penalty shot to end the chukker. Audi/Mt. Brilliant took a 10-7 lead to the sidelines with them.
Sugar Erskine put Audi/Mt. Brilliant up 11-7 in the final chukker of the game, but goals from Knapp and Phillips brought Flat Out to within a couple goals of the lead when time expired.
The win boosts Audi/Mt. Brilliant into Sunday’s finals, while Flat Out will appear in the consolation match.
Ganzi led all scoring with seven goals. Erskine and Lalor scored single goals in the win, and Audi/Mt. Brilliant got two goals by handicap.
Knapp set the pace for Flat Out with four goals. Celis scored three times and Phillips added two goals in the loss.
NEWPORT/BARBAROSSA LEATHER 13, PIAGET 10
Earlier in the day, Gene Goldstein scored nine goals on the day as Newport/Barbarossa Leather took a 13-10 game from a talented Piaget foursome.
Piaget got two goals by handicap from the 16-goal Newport/Barbarossa Leather team, and ran it up to 3-0 on a goal from Melissa Ganzi before Newport/Barbarossa Leather responded. Hector Galindo answered first followed by three goals from Goldstein. The chukker ended with Newport/Barbarossa Leather holding on to a narrow 4-3 lead.
Ganzi scored two more goals in the second while the Piaget defense held Newport/Barbarossa Leather to a single goal from Goldstein. At the end of the second chukker it was all even, 5-5.
Piaget struggled with its offense in the third period while Newport/Barbarossa leather put up three unanswered goals. Leo Mandelbaum scored twice and Goldstein added another goal. Newport/Barbarossa Leather sat on top of an 8-5 lead at the end of the first half.
Goldstein’s sixth goal of the game had Newport/Barbarossa Leather up by four goals, 9-5 in the fourth before Piaget got its offense on track. Three unanswered goals from Melissa Ganzi got Piaget right back into it, and the chukker ended with Piaget trailing by a single goal, 9-8.
Goldstein stretched the Newport/Barbarossa Leather lead to three goals, 11-8, by scoring the first two goals of the fifth chukker. Ganzi responded for Piaget with her seventh goal of the game, but Piaget continued to trail, 11-9. Julio Ezcurra converted a penalty shot for Newport/Barbarossa Leather. Piaget’s Kris Kampsen scored his first goal of the game to end the chukker with Newport/Barbarossa Leather on the winning side of a 12-10 score.
Piaget continued to press its attack, but it was Goldstein who scored the final goal of the game in the 13-10 victory.
Goldstein led all scoring with nine goals. Mandelbaum added two goals for the win while Ezcurra and Galindo scored single goals.
Melissa Ganzi’s seven goals led her Piaget team. Kampsen added a goal and Piaget received two goals by handicap.
The win pits Newport/Barbarossa Leather against Audi/Mt. Brilliant in Sunday’s 1 pm finals of the 2010 US Trust Cup, while Flat Out will meet Piaget in the 10 am consolation match.