By Alex Webbe
As cool as a cucumber, Isabella Wolf scored a game high eight goals, including the game winner in overtime as Grand Champions captured a hard-fought 10-9 game from a talented Port Mayaca foursome Sunday afternoon in the finals of the Tackeria Spring Invitational finals at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
“She was unbelievable,” said teammate Kris Kampsen after the game, “she played great,” he added.
Port Mayaca took control of the game in the early goings as it built up a 3-1 lead after the opening chukker of play. Three goals from Julio Gracida and a single score from Stevie Orthwein powered the Port Mayaca team through the first three chukkers of play with Grand Champions answering with two penalty conversions from Isabella Wolf to trail 4-2.
Port Mayaca seemed to have the game under control as Gracida and Trevor Allen each added two more goals in the fourth chukker to maintain a three goal lead, 8-5.
Kampsen scored one goal from the field for Grand Champions while Wolf converted two more penalty shots.
Kampsen and Wolf each converted a penalty shot in the fifth chukker to cut the Port Mayaca lead to a single goal before Gracida’s sixth goal of the game extended its lead to 9-7.
The pace picked up in the sixth chukker with charges being made up and down the field. Once again Grand Champions took advantage of a couple of fouls with Wolf converting two more shots and knotting the game up at 9-9 to end regulation play.
Following a brief intermission both teams returned to the field for a sudden-death overtime period with the victory going to the first team to score.
Grand Champions’ Kampsen took early possession of the ball and started driving toward the Port Mayaca goal with players bumping and attempting to hook his every stroke. A long pass toward the goal was picked up by Wolf who caressed it through the goal posts for her game-winning eighth goal of the match.
“She’s a great talent,” offered teammate Charlie Muldoon after the match,
Wolf led Grand Champions with eight of the team’s ten goals. Kampsen added two goals for the win.
Gracida scored six goals for Port Mayaca. Allen scored twice and Orthwein added a goal.
Isabella Wolf was named MVP of the match as players from both teams congratulated her efforts on the field.
AUDI 11, PONY EXPRESS 4
In a lopsided game that held Pony Express scoreless until the third chukker, Audi drove off with an 11-4 win in the consolation match of the Tackeria Spring Invitational.
First chukker goals from Juan Bollini, Leo Mandelbaum and Melissa Ganzi had Audi ahead 3-0 after the first seven minutes of play. Two penalty conversions from Mandelbaum in the second had Audi ahead 5-0, and things didn’t get much better for Pony Express as time marched on.
Nick Roldan finally got Pony Express on the scoreboard in the third period followed by a goal from Mandelbaum. Bob Daniels scored a second goal for Pony Express on a well placed angle shot as the first half ended with Audi on top of a 6-2 score.
Roldan notched two more goals for Pony Express in the fourth frame, but goals from Bollini and Joey Casey kept Audi in the lead, 8-4.
Casey and Mandelbaum each added single goals in the fifth for Audi to make it 10-4. A final goal was scored by Mandelbaum in the final chukker as the Audi defense pitched another shutout chukker in the 11-4 win.
Mandelbaum led all scoring with six goals and was named MVP. Teammates Bollini and Casey added two goals apiece and Melissa Ganzi added a single goal in the win.
Roldan scored three times for Pony Express with team captain Bob Daniels adding a single goal.
Tournament play is scheduled to continue on Friday, May 22 in the 2009 Polo Gear Invitational Cup. Team lineups and game times are yet to be announced.