Dutta Corp. (Tim Dutta, Martin Estrada, J.J. Celis and Wes Finlayson) and Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Brandon Phillips, Julio Ezcurra and Nacho Lezica) played evenly in the early chukkers of the opening game of the 2015 USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup Friday afternoon at the Grand Champions Polo Club, but an 8-3 second half run carried Dutta Corp. to the 14-8 win.
Brandon Phillips scored the first goal of the game on a 40-yard penalty shot, 1-0. Dutta Corp. countered with a goal from the field to level the score at 1-1. Consecutive goals from Julio Ezcurra had Postage Stamp Farm riding off the field after the first chukker on top of a 3-1 score.
Phillips and Celis traded goals from the field as the second period got underway as Postage Stamp Farm maintained their two goal lead, 4-2. Ensuing goals from Martin Estrada tied the game at 4-4 as the Dutta Corp. lineup began to gel.
Foul trouble got Postage Stamp Farm into trouble in third period action. Timmy Dutta scored his first goals of the day on a pair of 30-yard penalty conversions that had Postage Stamp Farm trailing by two goals, 6-4. Phillips scored the final goal of the first half for Postage Stamp Farm but it was Dutta Corp. on the winning end of a 6-5 score.
The Dutta Corp. defense ratcheted it up a notch in the fourth period, providing shutout defense while allowing their attack to run free. Single goals from Estrada and Celis accounted for all of the scoring as the Dutta Corp. lead grew to three goals, 8-5.
Two more goals from Estrada and another goal from Celis put Postage Stamp Farm on the spot as they fought to generate an effective attack. Two goals from Phillips kept them in the game, but with one chukker remaining in regulation play, Dutta Corp. held a comfortable 11-7 lead.
The onslaught continued into the sixth chukker as the Dutta Corp. offense continued to roll. Goals from Finlayson, Estrada and Celis had them leading Postage Stamp Farm by seven goals, 14-7. With time running out, Phillips converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal as Dutta Corp. celebrated the 14-8 victory and a spot in the tournament final on Sunday at noon.
Estrada and Celis scored five goals each. Finlayson added four goals for the win. Phillips led all scoring with six goals (two on penalty conversions). Ezcurra added two goals in the loss.
Audi 7, Casablanca 6
Tony Calle scored the first goal of the match for Casablanca but goals from Timmy Dutta and Carlos Gracida ad Audi with the early lead, 2-1.
Grant Ganzi tied the game at 2-2 in the first ninety seconds of the second chukker. Aguero scored the only other goal of the chukker with Audi maintaining the lead, 3-2.
Neither offense got it going in the third. Aguero finally managed to break through the Casablanca defense for the only goal of the chukker and a 4-2 halftime edge.
Leo Mandelbaum cut the Audi lead to a single goal in the opening minute of the fourth, 4-3, but that was where the fireworks stalled. Neither team could get into a successful rhythm. The chukker ended with Audi caressing a delicate one goal lead.
Aguero added two more goals in the fifth while Casablanca got a single score from Grant Ganzi. The Audi lead grew to two goals, 6-4, with one period left in regulation play.
Jesse Bray scored his first goal of the day at 4:09 of the sixth period, cutting the Audi lead back to a single goal, 6-5. Marc Ganzi converted a 40-yard penalty shot, 7-5, as the tempo of the game continued to escalate. With Casablanca continuing to press the attack, Bray scored his second goal of the chukker with less than a minute left on the clock. Casablanca continued to press the attack into the final seconds of the final chukker, but time was on Audi’s side. The final horn sounded with Audi driving off with the 7-6 win and an appointment with Dutta corp. in the final of the USPA Kay Colle Memorial Cup at noon on Sunday. Casablanca and Postage Stamp Farm will meet in a consolation match at 10am.
Aguero scored a team-high four goals for Audi in the win. Timmy Dutta, Marc Ganzi and Carlitos Gracida each added a goal for the win. Grant Ganzi and Jesse Bray each scored twice in the loss. Teammates Calle and Mandelbaum each added a goal the loss.
The Grand Champions Polo Club is located at 13444 Southfields Road, on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington, 33414. The matches are free of charge and the public is invited to attend. The Grand Champions Polo Hotline is 561-373-0073.