By Alex Webbe
A solid team effort from Vicomte Arthur resulted in a 7-3 win over GTP/Newport in the finals of the 2008 Polo Gear Fall Classic at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington Sunday afternoon.
Rescheduled matches forced Vicomte Arthur to use the services of Brandon Phillips for the first three chukkers, while Ruben Gracida was in transit, and the team couldn’t have been happier. Phillips scored the team’s first goal of the game on a penalty conversion in the first chukker and then added single goals in the second and third chukkers. Vicomte Arthur’s Juan Bollini added s goal in the third, and a stunned GTP/Newport team left the field after the first three chukkers without scoring a goal, and trailing 4-0.
“We had our opportunities,” said GTP’s 7-goaler Tommy Biddle, “we just didn’t convert them.”
On several occasions the GTP/Newport carried the ball to the doorstep of the Vicomte Arthur goal only to have the sot at goal go just wide,
“They just played better than we did today,” Biddle added, “they got some bounces that we didn’t and they made them count.”
It wasn’t until Luis Escobar’s penalty conversion in the fourth chukker that GTP/Newport finally got on the scoreboard. Bollini responded with two goals of his own for Vicomte Arthur, and the chukker ended with GTP/Newport trailing 6-1.
Marc Ganzi carried the ball down the field and hammered it through the goal posts in the fifth chukker for GTP/Newport, but a penalty conversion by Vicomte Arthur’s J. J. Celis made it 7-2.
GTP/Newport scored the only goal of the final chukker of play by Tommy Biddle, and Vicomte Arthur took the Polo Gear Fall Classic Cup with a 7-3 win.
“It was a tough day at the office,” he said, “ We couldn’t score to save our lives,” he added, “We had plenty of chances and didn’t convert. Against Bollini at this level, you need to convert or he punishes you. It is just that simple.”
Brandon Phillips (substituting for the first three chukkers for Ruben Gracida) and Juan Bollini led all scoring with three goals apiece. J. J. Celis added a penalty goal in the win.
GTP/Newport was held to single goals from Marc Ganzi, Luis Escobar and Tommy Biddle.
ISLA CARROLL 10, HERONWOOD 5
In the consolation round of the tournament, a balanced Isla Carroll attack rolled over a talented but ineffective Heronwood lineup 10-5.
Heronwood received one goal by handicap, but Isla Carroll jumped out to an early 2-1 lead on goals from Brandon Phillips while holding Heronwood scoreless in the opening chukker.
Goals from Bo Goodman and Mauricio Devrient in the second were countered by a single goal from Heronwood’s Hector Galindo, and Isla Carroll continued to lead after two periods, 4-2.
John Gobin and Hector Galindo each scored a goal in the third chukker while the Heronwood defense blanked Isla Carroll. With the score knotted 4-4 at the half, it promised to be a whole new game.
Bo Goodman accounted for the only goal in the fourth chukker, but Isla Carroll sealed the game in the fifth.
Justo Saavedra scored twice and Phillips and Devrient added single goals for a commanding 9-4 lead. Heronwood’s attack struggled with the ball, missing key shots at goal and suffering its second consecutive scoreless chukker.
Devrient’s third goal of the game gave Isla Carroll a 10-4 advantage while Heronwood’s Leo Mandelbaum managed the final goal of the game in a losing effort.
Phillips and Devrient each scored three goals for Isla Carroll. Bo Goodman and Mauricio Devrient added two goals apiece in the win.
Heronwood’s Hector Galindo accounted for two goals. Teammates Leo Mandelbaum and John Gobin added single goals.