(L to R)-Leo Mandelbaum, Gringo Colombres and Sebastian Merlos in action in a convincing Saturday afternoon 16-8 win over Postage Stamp Farm in East Coast Open action at the Greenwich Polo Club.
Audi (Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Sebastian Merlos and Leo Mandelbaum) exploded for three first chukker goals in the first two minutes of play against Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Gringo Colombres, Salvador Ulloa and Joao Paulo Ganon) Saturday afternoon in the final preliminary round of play in the 2016 East Coast Open at the Greenwich Polo Club on their way to a 16-8 win and the top seed in their bracket on their way to Wednesday’s semifinals.
It was American 8-goaler Nic Roldan with the hot mallet, scoring two goals from the field and another on a 60-yard penalty conversion all in just over two minutes of action in the opening chukker, 3-0. A late first chukker foul sent Postage Stamp Farm’s Joao Ganon to the penalty line where he scored from 30-yards out to end the first chukker trailing, 3-1.
A penalty-laden second chukker saw all four goals scored via penalty shots. Postage Stamp Farm and Audi exchanged penalty goals. Marc Ganzi and Roldan short penalty shots for Audi while Ganon scored on penalty shots from 40 and 60-yards out. Audi continued to lead, 5-3, as the chukker ended.
The Audi defense but the clamps on the Postage Stamp Farm attack in the third period. Roldan scored the first goal of the chukker on a breakaway run the length of the field. He followed it up with a 30-yard penalty goal that had Audi riding off the field at the end of the first half on top of a 7-3 score.
Ganon scored the first goal of the second half on a pass from Salva Ulloa, 7-4, but the balance of the chukker belonged to Audi. Shutout defense and goals from Ganzi and Sebastian Merlos extended the Audi lead to five goals, 9-4, with two periods remaining in regulation play.
Argentine 6-goaler Gringo Colombres scored his first goal of the game (Colombres had to replace Brandon in the first chukker-back injury) in the opening minutes of the fifth period but Audi took charge of the action from then on. Merlos added another goal on a pass from Roldan followed by back-to-back goals from Ganzi, 12-5. Roldan took the following throw-in and raced 150-yards down the field to give Audi an eight goal advantage, 13-5.
Postage Stamp Farm attempted a rally in the sixth on the strength of goals from Ulloa and Ganon, 13-7, but the momentum was with a hard-charging Audi offense. Ganzi converted a sort penalty shot for a goal followed by another long run to the goal by Roldan, 15-8. Ganon scored on a 30-yard penalty shot, 15-8, with Merlos scoring the final goal of the match for a 16-8 victory and a perfect 3-0 record.
Roldan led all scoring with eight goals (three on penalty shots). Ganzi accounted for five goals (two from the penalty line) and Merlos added three goals for the win. Ganon’s six goals led the Postage Stamp Farm attack. Single goals were scored by Colombres and Ulloa in the loss, dropping the Postage Stamp Farm record to 1-2.
Airstream 11, Tupungato 9
Earlier in the day, Airstream (Agustin Bottaro, Guille Aguero, Matias Magrini and Kris Kampsen) solidified their playoff position with a 11-9 win over Tupungato (Luis Rinaldini, Santi Torres, Naco Taverna and Gaston Lisioli) at New York’s Bethpage Park.
Airstream rode onto the field carrying a 22-goal handicap as sixteen-year-old Agustin Bottaro had his handicap elevated from zero to one goal after his first game and jumped from 1-goal to two-goals after another impressive showing in his second East Coast Open match.
At 19-goals, Tupungato received three goals by handicap to start the game but were held scoreless in the first seven minutes of the game. Agustin Bottaro and Guille Aguero scored single goals that cut the Tupungato lead to a single goal, 3-2.
Santi Torres scored Tupungato’s first goal from the field in the second chukker on a long run to extend the lead to two goals, 4-2. Bottaro responded with a goal from Airstream and another from Matias Magrini ended the chukker in a 4-4 tie.
Kris Kampsen scored the first goal of the third period, giving Airstream their first lead of the game, 5-4. Bottaro’s third goal of the day stretched the lead to two goals, 6-4. Torres scored the final goal of the period, staying within a goal of the lead, 6-5.
A re-grouped Tupungato team returned to the field in the fourth chukker ad went right to work. Gaston Lisioli converted a short penalty shot to tie the game at 6-6, and teammate Naco Taverna took control of the ensuing throw-in to race 150-yards down the field and take the lead back, 7-6. Kampsen leveled the score at 7-7 with a penalty conversion followed by a goal from the field that gave the lead back to Airstream, 8-7.
Airstream controlled the fifth chukker with Kampsen scoring on a 150-yard run. Teammates Guille Aguero and Bottaro added single goals. A disciplined defense kept Tupungato off of the scoreboard and after five chukkers it was Airstream with an 11-7 lead.
Tupungato fought to get back into the game in the sixth, with team captain Luis Rinaldini scoring on a long pass from Taverna, 11-8. Lisioli scored on a follow-up shot on a run from Torres, 11-9, but it was Airstream holding on for the win and boosting their record to 2-1. The loss left Tupungato winless at 0-3.
Bottaro and Kampsen led the Airstream offense with four goals apiece. Aguero added two goals and Magrini was credited with a goal for the win. Torres and Lisioli each scored twice for Tupungato. Taverna and Rinaldini added single goals and the team received three goals by handicap.
First round play will be completed on Sunday with White Birch (Santino Magrini, Hilario Ulloa, Mariano Aguerre and Peter Brant) facing 0-2 Beluga (Chris Brant, Nick Manifold, Francisco Elizalde and Tommy Biddle) in an 11am contest. At 3pm Goose Creek (Maureen Brennan, Marcos Garcia del Rio, Tomas Garcia del Rio and Mariano Gonzalez) will battle Faraway (Hutton Goodman/Bo Goodman, Inaki Laprida, Julian Daniels and Pelon Escapite). Both teams carry 1-1 records with the winner earning a spot in the tournament’s semifinals.