By Alex Webbe
Audi held off a second half rally to capture the 2008 Autumn Plate in an 8-6 win at the Grand Champions Polo club in Wellington Sunday afternoon.
Team captain Melissa Ganzi opened the scoring with two goals for Audi followed by a third goal from teammate Tommy Biddle to stake them to a 3-0 lead after the first chukker of play.
Leo Mandelbaum finally got Grand Champions on the scoreboard with a converted penalty shot in the second period, but goals from Biddle and Juan Bollini stretched the Audi lead to 5-1 going into the third chukker.
By the third period, the Grand Champions team had finally gotten a rhythm going. Despite several well-coordinated attacks, Audi kept Grand Champions from scoring. Bollini scored his second goal of the match to give Audi a commanding 6-1 halftime advantage.
The defensive efforts exerted by Grand Champions in the fourth period managed to blank Audi while J. J. Celis scored to cut the lead to 6-2, Audi.
Brad Blake scored the first goal of the fifth chukker for Grand Champions, followed by a goal from Audi’s Tommy Biddle. Ensuing goals from Mauricio Devrient and Leo Mandelbaum made their mark, and the lead was cut to two goals, 7-5.
Mandelbaum notched his third goal of the match in the final chukker, cutting the Audi lead to 6-5, but that would be as close as they would get. Several opportunities went wide or were repelled with forceful backhanders from Biddle and Bollini until Audi’s dependable Back, Ruben Gracida sealed the win with the final goal of the match. Time expired with Audi basking in a hard-fought 8-6 victory.
Tommy Biddle led the Audi team with three goals while Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini scored two goals apiece. Ruben Gracida, the tournament’s MVP, scored a single goal in the final win.
Leo Mandelbaum led the Grand Champions team with three goals. Brad Blake, J. J. Celis and Mauricio Devrient scored single goals in the loss.
The consolation match of the Autumn Plate is scheduled to be played at 10 am on Tuesday, November 18 between Port Mayaca and Heronwood.