Audi’s East Coast Open team with sponsor-(L to R)-Miguel Astrada, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini and Marc Ganzi, before their Sunday win.
Audi (Marc Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan and Miguel Novillo Astrada) and KIG (Bash Kazi, Valerio Zubiaurre, Mariano Obregon and Pelon Escapite) battled to a 0-0 draw after the opening chukker of Sunday’s East Coast Open game at the Greenwich Polo Club before Audi exploded for five straight second chukker goals on their way to an 11-6 win.
Audi took control of the pace of the game early, but a couple of missed goals left the teams scoreless after the first seven and-one-half minutes of play.
Five consecutive goals in the second period had Audi firmly in charge of a 5-0 game. Miguel Astrada converted two penalty shots for goals and Nic Roldan added two goals from the field, 4-0. Audi team captain Marc Ganzi scored on a 250-yard run for the 5-0 advantage. Mariano Obregon scored in the final seconds of the chukker but it was Audi with the 5-1 lead.
Roldan’s third goal of the game opened the third period, scoring on a well-placed backhander from teammate Juancito Bollini, 6-1. Obregon converted a penalty shot for KIG and Pelon Escapite scored the final goal of the chukker. Audi rode off the field at the end of the first half on top of a 6-3 score.
Valerio Zubiaurre opened the second half with a goal that cut the Audi lead to two goals, 6-4. Roldan restored Audi’s three goal lead with the final goal of the period, 7-4.
Zubiaurre and Astrada traded penalty goals in the fifth chukker, 8-5. Audi continued to press the attack while the KIG started to gel. Astrada scored the final goal of the period, giving Audi a four goal, 9-5 lead with one chukker remaining in regulation time.
KIG fought valiantly in the final period, but the Audi horsepower proved to be too much for them. Roldan dripped a 100-yard neck shot through the KIG goalposts to make it 10-5, and added his sixth goal of the game moments later, 11-5. Obregon scored the final goal of the game but it was Audi with the 11-6 victory.
Roldan’s six goals led the field, earning him MVP honors. Astrada scored four times (two on penalty shots). Ganzi added a goal on a well-executed 250 yard run for the win. Obregon led the KIG attack with three goals. Escapite scored twice and Zubiaurre added a goal in the loss.
Marc Ganzi’s Kurnicova (played by Miguel Astrada) was named Best Playing Pony.
East Coast Open lay will continue with two games scheduled for Wednesday. In a 10am contest Airstream (Peter Orthwein, Guille Aguero, Matias Magrini and Michel Dorignac) will face White Birch Farm (Santino Magrini, Hilario Ulloa, Mariano Aguerre and Peter Brant). Both Airstream and White Birch are undefeated at 1-0. In a 4pm contest McLaren Greenwich (Chris Brant, Nick Manifold, Joao Paulo Ganon and Tommy Biddle) and KIG (Bash Kazi, Valerio Zubiaurre, Mariano Obregon and Pelon Escapite) will be looking for their first wins of the tournament. Both McLaren and KIG lost their opening games and enter Wednesday’s game at 0-1.
Neither Wednesday games are open to the public and will be carried exclusively on the internet by Chukker TV (ChukkerTV.com). Chukker TV will continue to cover each of the preliminary games of the 2015 East Coast Open, thru the semifinals. The September 6th final will be filmed by NBC Sports and televised on September 13th. NBC Sports will be utilizing Chukker TV’s drone coverage for the final match.