By Alex Webbe
KIG capitalized on seven second half goals Wednesday afternoon to register a 12-10
win over Audi in the opening round of play in the 2011 National Twenty Goal
Championship at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Audi received one goal by handicap from the 18-goal KIG alignment, but Jeff Blake
tied it up at 1-1 with his first goal of the game. Kris Kampsen responded with a goal from the field for Audi before Tommy Biddle converted a penalty shot to knot it up at
2-2. Audi closed out the chukker with the final goal, from Kampsen, for a 3-2 advantage.
Blake opened the scoring in the second with a tying goal from the field. Jason Crowder broke the tie with his first goal of the game and teammate Kampsen scored on a penalty shot to give Audi a 5-3 edge. Blake converted a penalty shot
to end the chukker with Audi ahead, 5-4.
For the third consecutive chukker Blake put the first goal on the scoreboard. Hector Galindo added another KIG goal on a perfectly executed backhander from an extreme angle and close to the end line. Shutout defense kept Audi from scoring and at the end of the first half KIG experienced its first lead of the game, 6-5.
Crowder tied it at 6-6 on a penalty shot in the fourth chukker, but KIG was quick to
respond. A goal from the field from KIG team captain Bash Kazi was followed by a pair of goals from Biddle (one from the field and one on a penalty shot), and KIG ended the period with a 9-6 lead.
For the fourth time in the game, Blake scored the first goal of the chukker followed by
a near 300 yard run by Galindo for a score and an 11-6 lead. Crowder scored the final goal of the chukker. With one period left to play, KIG boasted an 11-7 four goal lead.
KIG committed a foul in the opening minute of the sixth chukker, and Crowder cut into the lead by converting it for a goal, 11-8. Biddle responded in kind, keeping KIG ahead, 12-8. Audi team captain Melissa Ganzi broke through the KIG defense for her first goal of the game and Crowder converted a final penalty shot for a goal, but it was KIG that left the field with the 12-10 victory.
Blake led the KIG attack with five goals. Biddle accounted for four; Galindo for two and Kazi for one, for the win.
Crowder scored five times for Audi. Kampsen added three goals and Ganzi chipped in a goal. Audi also received one goal by handicap.
Action will continue in the USPA National Twenty goal on Thursday, November 10 with a 3:30 PM game between the Wanderers (1-0) and Piaget (0-0) scheduled to be played on the Isla Carroll Field, West.