By Alex Webbe
An underdog GTP polo team took advantage of one goal by handicap as it rolled over a surprisingly ineffective Heronwood team 11-6 in the finals of the 2008 Palm Restaurant Invitational Sunday afternoon at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
“I really thought we had our work cut out for us,” said GTP’s Marc Ganzi. “We came out with a lot of energy and figured that we scored early we would have a chance,” he added. “We scored early and just kept our hands around their throats for the remainder of the game.”
Gobin scored the opening goal of the game for GTP with Hector Galindo countering for Heronwood. Four unanswered goals from GTP had Heronwood trailing 6-1 at the end of the second chukker and behind 7-3 at halftime.
“We just couldn’t get anything to go today,” said Heronwood’s Hector Galindo. “We had a number of scoring opportunities that we just couldn’t finish.”
Ganzi converted two penalty shots in the fourth to put GTP on top 9-4, as Heronwood was limited to a single Galindo penalty goal.
GTP’s Leo Mandelbaum accounted for the only scoring in the fifth chukker, as both defenses tightened.
Tommy Biddle scored his third goal of the game to give GTP a commanding 11-5 lead before goals from Galindo and Michael Smith Liss ended the game.
“John (Gobin) and I have a great time playing together,” said Biddle, “so it was fun. And Marc (Ganzi) was on fire today,” he smiles. “He’s playing some very aggressive polo, and scoring goals to boot.”
The Heronwood players weren’t quite as cheerful about the game.
“A kicked ball on the approach to the goal, an errant divot, a bad bounce,” said Heronwood’s Brandon Phillips. “You have games like that every now and then, and I guess it was our turn.”
Marc Ganzi’s four goals led the GTP attack. Tommy Biddle scored three times. John Gobin chipped two goals and Leo Mandelbaum accounted for a goal in the win. GTP received one goal by handicap.
Heronwood’s big scorer was Hector Galindo with four goals. Michael Smith Liss and Brad Blake scored single goals.
AUDI 13, TONCHALA 10
In the consolation round of the Palm Restaurant Invitational, built on a 7-6 halftime lead to defeat a determined Tonchala foursome 13-10.
Tonchala received one goal by handicap and added goals from Eduardo Barco and Mauricio Devrient in the opening chukker to ride off with a 3-2 lead. Audi’s J. J. Celis converted two penalty shots to account for Audi’s opening goals.
Audi’s defense shut down the Tonchala attack in the second chukker. Goals from Juan Bollini and another penalty goal from Celis put Audi ahead, 4-3.
Mauricio Devrient got Tonchala back on the track in the third period, scoring three goals, including a beautifully executed belly shot, but Audi answered back. Two more goals from Celis and a goal from the field from Justo Saavedra left them in front with a 7-6 lead.
The second half began with the Justo Saavedra show. Three goals from the Argentine 6-goaler extended the Audi lead, and in spite of a single goal from Devrient, Tonchala found itself trailing 10-7. Juan Bollini’s single goal in the fifth period extended the Audi lead to 11-7 to end the fifth chukker.
Both teams scored in the final chukker of play, but it would be Audi that would hold on to the game, scoring a 13-10 win.
Both Justo Saavedra and J. J. Celis scored five goals apiece for Audi. Juan Bollini added two goals and Melissa Ganzi scored once.
Mauricio Devrient led the Tonchala attack with five goals. Eduardo Barco and Luis Escobar each scored two goals in the loss.