By Alex Webbe
Pony Express opened the afternoon’s round-robin with a 5-4½ win over Audi in the first three chukkers of the 2008 Polo Gear Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington Friday afternoon.
Audi followed with a 5-3 loss to Newport in the subsequent three chukkers, compiling a 0-2 record.
Newport continued its winning ways in the final three chukkers as it snuck past Pony Express 6½ to 5 to capture a berth in Sunday’s finals.
The teamwork of Hector Galindo and Gonzalo Del Tour proved to be the difference as both Audi and Pony Express failed to get past the potent combination.
Newport’s Del Tour and Audi’s Tommy Biddle led the pack with six goals apiece, but it would be Newport who would be facing Black Watch in Sunday’s finals.
“The close scores are a testament as to the level of play and the parity of the teams,” said Audi 7-goaler Juan Bollini. “They played us tough,” he said, “and just took advantage of more breaks than we did.” Audi team captain Melissa Ganzi scored three times in a losing effort.
BLACK WATCH 10, POWER HORSE 9
In earlier action, three first half goals from Brad Blake paced Black Watch to a 5-3 halftime lead over Power Horse on its way to a 10-9 win and a spot in Sunday’s finals.
Black Watch received one goal by handicap, and relied on three goals from Blake and another from Martin Pepa to ride off to a 5-3 halftime lead in the tournament’s opening match on Friday.
Brandon Phillips scored twice for Power Horse and Sunny Hale added a goal, but that was all the team could muster through the first three chukkers of play.
Austria’s Walter Scherb opened the scoring in the fourth chukker for Power Horse, but was promptly countered by a goal from Pepa.
Phillips scored his third goal of the match followed by another score from Hale and Scherb’s second goal of the game. Power Horse had rallied to a 7-6 lead.
Pepa tied it at 7-7 in the fifth period but Kris Kampsen converted a penalty shot for a go-ahead goal for Power Horse, 8-7. J. J. Celis got the last word in for Black Watch, however, and knotted it up at 8-8 after five chukkers of play.
Pepa scored his fourth goal on a penalty shot followed by another goal from the field by Celis. Kampsen converted his second penalty shot of the match, but it would be Black Watch that would ride off the field with a 10-9 win.
Pepa led all scoring with four goals. Brad Blake scored three times and J. J. Celis scored twice in the win.
Brandon Phillips led Power Horse with three goals. Walter Scherb, Kris Kampsen and Sunny Hale scored two goals apiece.
Play continues on Sunday with a round-robin consolation contest featuring Audi, Pony Express and Power Horse while Black Watch will meet Newport in the tournament finals.