By Alex Webbe
A balanced attack led by three goals from Mauricio Devrient carried Grand Champions to an 8-6 win over Port Mayaca Friday afternoon. The win propelled Grand Champions into the finals of the 2008 Autumn Cup on its home field in Wellington on Sunday.
Grand Champions received one goal by handicap and quickly made it 3-0 on goals from Mauricio Devrient and J. J. Celis before Port Mayaca woke up and answered with single goals from Hector Galindo and Stevie Orthwein cutting the lead to 3-2 at the end of the chukker.
Port Mayaca continued to press the Grand Champions’ defense in the second period with another Orthwein goal and a converted penalty shot from Marc Ganzi. Grand Champions was unable to generate any productive offense, and trailed 4-3 after two chukkers.
Orthwein’s third goal gave Port Mayaca a 5-3 lead before J. J. Celis kept Grand Champions from being shut out for a second consecutive chukker. The first half ended with Port Mayaca holding on to a narrow 5-4 lead.
Leo Mandelbaum and Mauricio Devrient scored consecutive goals in the fourth chukker to tie and then lead Port Mayaca, 6-5, but the chukker wasn’t over yet. Orthwein’s fourth goal of the game knotted it again at 6-6 with two chukkers left to play.
Devrient took advantage of a Port Mayaca foul to convert a penalty shot and Leo Mandelbaum scored his second goal from the field. A determined Grand Champions’ team played two chukkers of shut-out defense in the 8-6 win.
Mauricio Devrient led Grand Champions with three goals. Teammates Leo Mandelbaum and J. J. Celis scored two goals apiece and they received one goal by handicap in the win.
Stevie Orthwein led all scorers with four goals. Marc Ganzi and Hector Galindo scored single goals in the loss.
AUDI 10, HERONWOOD 9
In earlier tournament play, Tommy Biddle and Juan Bollini scored four goals apiece in a hard-fought 10-9 win over a determined Heronwood four to win a berth in Sunday’s 11 am finals against Grand Champions.
Audi received on goal by handicap but Luis Escobar’s penalty shot was the only scoring in the opening chukker as the teams entered the second period tied at 1-1.
Two goals from Juan Bollini and a penalty conversion from Ruben Gracida put Audi ahead as Heronwood was held scoreless in the second chukker.
Bollini scored to open the third period and give Audi a 5-1 lead, but Heronwood battled back. John Gobin was on the scoring end of a pass from Leo Mandelbaum and Brandon Phillips converted a penalty shot to end the first half behind 5-3.
Escobar opened the scoring for Heronwood in the fourth chukker and then passed the ball ahead to a streaking Michael Smith Liss who tied the game at 5-5. Tommy Biddle took the ensuing goal from the throw-in and carried it 150 yards to keep Audi on top 6-6.
The story of the fifth chukker was the Heronwood attack. Consecutive goals from Phillips, Escobar and Liss gave Heronwood a 9-6 advantage. Biddle answered for Audi with a single goal before Phillips ended the chukker with his third goal of the game to give Heronwood a 9-7 edge going into the final chukker.
Both teams battled for control of the ball with Audi taking advantage of key fouls as Biddle converted two straight penalty shots to tie the game at 9-9. Bollini’s fourth goal of the game broke the tie and gave the game to Audi, 10-9.
The victory vaulted Audi into Sunday’s finals while the loss relegated Heronwood to Tuesday’s 10 am consolation match.