By Alex Webbe
Nacho Badiola and Diego Cossio scored four goals apiece Sunday afternoon in leading Ruby Q to a 9-8 win over Endeavor/Audi in the 2012 USPA Spring Classic at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Marc Ganzi opened the scoring with a first chukker goal from the field for Endeavor/Audi. Diego Cossio responded with a goal for Ruby Q for a 1-1 tie.
The two teams exchanged goals in the second period with Cossio scoring his second goal of the game while teammate Nacho Badiola converted a penalty shot for a goal. Nic Roldan and Ganzi scored single goals for Endeavor/Audi to end the second chukker all even at 3-3.
Neither defense would give, and both attacks had their snags as the game progressed. Roldan scored to put Endeavor/Audi ahead, 4-3, but Ruby Q fought their way back into contention by tying it up again at 4-4 on a goal from Badiola. The score was 4-4 at the end of the first half of play.
Roldan’s third goal of the day put Endeavor/Audi in front in the fourth chukker, 5-4. Cossio and Joey Casey rallied to score single goals, and Ruby Q ended the period with Endeavor/Audi trailing 6-5.
Ganzi managed another goal in the fifth, but Ruby Q got the upper edge, picking up a penalty goal from Badiola and a gal from the field from Cossio. The Ruby Q lead had grown to two goals, 8-6, with one chukker left in regulation time.
Badiola’s fourth goal of the game had Ruby Q extending its led to three goals, 9-6 when Endeavor/Audi staged a rally. Roldan scored once from the field and once on a penalty shot to cut the lead to a single goal, 9-8, but that was where it ended. With under 30 seconds left in the match, a Ruby Q player drove the ball into the sideboards to end the game and deliver the 9-8 victory.
Badiola and Cossio each scored four goals for Ruby Q. Three of Badiola’s goals came on penalty conversions. Casey added a single goal for the win.
Roldan led all scoring with five goals (one on a penalty shot). Ganzi added three goals in a losing effort.
Badiola was named MVP while Casey’s sixth chukker mount, Apache, a 12-year-old gray thoroughbred gelding was honored as Best Playing Pony.
PIAGET SCORES CONSOLATION VICTORY
On the strength of an opening 2-2 tie with Equine Law and a 7-3 win over Pony Express/Tuff Rider, Piaget/Longfield took top honors in the consolation round of the USPA Spring Classic in round-robin competition Sunday morning.
Melissa Ganzi scored both goals in the opening three chukkers of the round-robin (one in the second chukker and one in the third), tying Equine Law who managed to pick up single goals from Juan Olivera (second period) and Kris Kampsen (in the third).
Piaget/Longfield held the field to face Pony Express/Tuff Rider with Bob Daniels scoring the opening goal for an early 1-0 Pony Express/Tuff Rider advantage. Piaget/Longfield answered with a penalty goal from Jeff Hall and a 1-1 tie.
In their second chukker, Pony Express/Tuff Rider took the lead on a goal from the field from Tomas Goti. Piaget/Longfield stormed back with single goals from Hall and Juan Bollini to take a narrow 3-2 lead.
Playing too aggressively in the final seven minutes of their meeting, Pony Express gave up three goals on penalties while managing only a single goal from Timmy Sharma. Melissa Ganzi scored one goal from the field for Piaget/Longfield while Hall converted three penalty shots for scores in the 7-3 triumph.
Pony Express/Tuff Rider captured the final round of the round-robin in a 7-4 win over Equine Law. Daniels scored a pair of unanswered goals in the opening chukker for a 2-0 advantage.
Pony Express/Tuff Rider added three more goals in the ensuing period with Daniels, J. J. Celis and Tomas Goti scoring goals from the field. Equine Law responded with single goals from Alessandro Bazzoni and Kampsen. The Pony Express/Tuff Rider lead grew to three goals, 5-2.
The two teams traded goals in the final period of the day with Avery Chapman scoring a goal from the field while teammate Juan Redlich added a goal from the field. Celis and Goti each scored a goal for the 7-4 final.
Piaget/Longfield took top honors with a 1-0-1 record. Pony Express/Tuff Rider finished in second place with a 1-1 record, while Equine Law was third with two losses against no wins.