Jeff Blake tries to cut off Nic Roldan as he drives for another Audi goal.
(Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Lucchese (John Muse, Andres Weisz, Magoo Laprida and Nico Pieres)and CT Energia (Alessandro Bazzoni, Kris Kampsen, Joao Paulo Ganon and Nick Manifold) battled to a 6-6 halftime tie before Lucchese edged their way into the lead and a 13-11 win as competition continued in the 2015 Joe Barry Memorial Cup at the International Polo Club Saturday morning.
Lucchese 8-goaler Nico Pieres scored the first goal of the game in the opening minute of play for a 1-0 lead, but CT Energia was in an attacking mode. Nick Manifold found himself on the scoring end of a 100-yard long pass from teammate Joao Ganon on the lip of the Lucchese goal, 1-1. CT Energia went up 2-1 after Ganon stole the ball from Pieres deep in the Lucchese end of the field and scored the final goal of the chukker to make it 2-1.
Four more second chukker goals from CT Energia gave them a 6-2 advantage with Kris Kampsen scoring three times (once on a 4-yard penalty conversion) and Manifold scoring for the second time in the game. Lucchese managed a single penalty goal from Pieres but trailed by four goals at the end of the chukker.
Lucchese regrouped between chukkers and returned to the field in the third with a vengeance. Andres Weisz scored a goal in the opening 30seconds of the third period followed by a goal from Magoo Laprida two minutes later, 6-4. An oppressive Lucchese defense kept CT Energia off of the score board as Pieres converted a 30-yard penalty shot for a goal, 6-5. Laprida scored the final goal of the period to tie it at 6-6 at the end of the first half.
Two more goals from Laprida had Lucchese on top of an 8-6 score in the fourth period. Kampsen kept CT Energia alive with a penalty goal at the 2:50 mark to bring his team to within a goal of the lead, 8-7.
Pieres converted a penalty short penalty shot for a 9-7 lead, but CT Energia fought back. Manifold scored to make it 9-8, with team captain Alessandro Bazzoni scoring on a beautifully executed cut shot from the left side of the goal to level the score at 9-9.
Ganon scored on a pass from Manifold as CT Energia moved in front, 10-9, in the opening seconds of the sixth chukker. Less than a minute later, Weisz tied it at 10-10 with his second goal of the day. The two teams exchanged 30-uyard penalty shots with Pieres scoring first at 5:30 for the 11-10lead. Kampsen responded with a penalty conversion at 4:41to make it 11-11. Pieres converted his second penalty shot of the chukker with 3:29 left to play and sealed the deal with a goal from the field for the 13-11 victory.
Pieres was credited with a game high seven goals on the day (five on penalty shots). Laprida added four goals and Weisz scored twice. Kampsen led the CT Energia attack with five goals (three on penalty conversions). Ganon added three goals; Manifold scored twice; and Bazzoni accounted for a goal in a losing effort.
Audi 10, Tonkawa 8
In the second match of the day Audi (Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Freddie Mannix and Lucas Lalor) rode a seven goal day for Nic Roldan into a 10-8 win over last year’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup finalist, Tonkawa (Lucas Arellano, Gonzalo Deltour, Inaki Laprida and Jeff Blake), in first round play.
Audi team captain Marc Ganzi jumped all over the ball in the first chukker, taking the ball out of the throw-in and racing down the field for the first goal of the game, 1-0. Tonkawa 7-goaler Gonzalo Deltour converted a 60-yard penalty shot, 1-1. Roldan scored on a penalty shot of his own to move Audi in front. Magoo Laprida tied the game at 2-2 with just three seconds on the clock in the opening chukker.
Jeff Blake broke the tie with his first goal of the game to give Tonkawa a 3-2 edge. Roldan leveled the score at 3-3 with his second score on the day at the 5:48mark. Three-and-a-half minutes passed before another goal was scored as both teams played aggressive defense. Ganzi’s second goal of the afternoon gave the lead back to Audi, 4-3. Deltour tied it with a well-executed cut shot and gave the lead back to Lucchese by converting a 60-yard penalty shot to end the chukker ahead, 5-4.
Audi wasted little time with Roldan tying the score at 5-5 in the opening 20 seconds of the third chukker. Roldan converted a30-yard penalty shot that had Audi in the lead, again, 6-5, and another goal from the field with 2:51 left in the period had Tonkawa trailing by two goals, 7-5. Deltour closed out the scoring in the first half with a goal from the field. Audi left the field at the end of the first half with a narrow 7-6 lead.
Freddie Mannix scored at 5:59 of the fourth chukker with both defenses excelling. Deltour responded with a 30-yard penalty conversion for the only other score. With just two periods remaining, Audi held on to the lead by a single goal, 8-7.
Roldan came through for Audi again in the opening seconds of the fifth chukker as he stretched their lead to two goals, 9-7. Two minutes later Laprida matched the effort with his second goal of the game to keep it close, 9-8.
The scoring ground to a halt in the sixth chukker with Audi unable to extend their lead, and Tonkawa unable to level the score. Roldan’s finally got on the scoreboard with an insurance gal for Audi with just 36 seconds on the clock. With the final horn sounded Audi celebrated the 10-8 win while a disappointed Tonkawa team rode off the field.
Roldan scored five of his seven goals from the field. Ganzi added two goals and Mannix scored once on the day. Deltour scored twice from the field and added three penalty goals to lead Tonkawa with five scores on the day. Laprida added two goals and Jeff Blake scored once in the loss.
Joe Barry Cup play continues with three games scheduled to be played on Sunday. In a 10AMgameMerchant Hub (0-1) will face Orchard Hill (1-0). Lechuza (1-0) will meet Flight Options (0-0) at noon; and Coca-Cola (0-1) will be featured in the 3PM contest against Villa Del Lago (1-0).