Audi wins ChukkerTV Arena Challenge Cup at the Aspen Valley Polo Club. (L to R)-Jared Sheldon, Juan Bollini, Sr. and Melissa Ganzi.
The Aspen Valley Polo Club got a great opportunity to showcase their regulation polo arena Wednesday afternoon when four teams competed in the 2015 ChukkerTV Arena Challenge Cup.
Audi (Melissa Ganzi, Jared Sheldon and Juan Bollini) sowed early strength in a 10-6 win over La Karina (Brian Boyd, Alejandro Gonzalez and Mariano Gracida).
Early goals from Juan Bollini and Jared Sheldon gave Audi a 2-0 lead. La Karina fired back with goals from Ale Gonzalez and Mariano Gracida to tie it up at 2-2. Audi team captain Melisa Ganzi took the lead back for her team with her first goal of the day, 3-2, and Sheldon’s second goal of the game ended the first chukker with Audi on top of a 4-2 score.
Sheldon added two more goals for Audi in the second and Juan Bollini, Sr. added a goal. Ale Gonzalez scored the final goal of the chukker, but it was Audi in control of a 7-3 game.
In the third and final period of the first preliminary game of the tournament, goals from Ale Gonzalez and Mariano Gracida cut the Audi lead to 7-5, before the rally was halted. Jared Sheldon’s fifth goal of the day was followed by a Penalty 1 against La Karina that resulted in a goal awarded on the foul, 9-5. Ale Gonzalez and Melissa Ganzi traded goals to end the match with Audi taking the 10-6 victory.
KIG 7, FlexJet 1
In the second preliminary match of the day KIG (Bash Kazi, Marc Ganzi and Nic Roldan) rolled over FlexJet (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini and Luca Lalor) in a lopsided 7-1 romp.
American 8-goaler Nic Roldan showed great style in the early going as he chalked up a pair of goals for Audi. FlexJet found themselves on the defensive for most of the opening chukker and were unable to score. KIG took the early lead, 2-0.
Marc Ganzi converted a Penalty 2 to open the scoring in the second period as Audi extended their lead to three goals, 3-0. FlexJet continued having trouble mounting an effective attack. Nic Roldan added two more goals to end the second chukker with KIG leading by five goals, 5-0.
In the third and final period, Bash Kazi put KIG in front by six goals before FlexJet finally got on the scoreboard. Lucas Lalor slammed the ball into the KIG goal, 6-1. Bash Kazi scored his second goal of the match to end the third period with KIG celebrating the 7-1 win.
Audi 9, KIG 4
The final matchup couldn’t have been better orchestrated with a pair of high-scoring trios facing one another in the tournament final.
Nic Roldan wasted no time in providing the impetus for KIG, scoring the opening goal of the chukker and then following it up with a well-placed back-shot that had KIG in front, 2-0. Jared Sheldon finally got Audi on the scoreboard with the final goal of the chukker to cut the KIG lead back to a manageable 2-1 margin.
Second chukker goals from Jared Sheldon and Juan Bollini, Sr. tied it and then took the lead from KIG, 3-2. Sheldon converted a penalty shot to make it 4-2 and added another from the field, 5-2. Juan Bollini, Sr. scored again for a 6-2 lead with Melissa Ganzi converting a long pass from Jared Sheldon to end the second period ahead by five goals, 7-2.
There was no letup from the Audi team as they rode into the arena for the final chukker. Juan Bollini’s third goal of the game had Audi in the lead by six goals, 8-2. KIG fought back with a pair of goals from Marc Ganzi, 8-4, but the game belonged to Audi. Jared Sheldon scored the final goal of the game on a penalty shot, giving Audi the 2014 ChukkerTV Arena Challenge Cup in the 9-4 final.
Jared Sheldon scored ten goals on the day, earning himself MVP honors while his 6-year-old grey mare, Snow White, was named Best Playing Pony.
Tournament play continues at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 6 with the opening round of the popular Louis Vuitton Cup.
The Aspen Valley Polo Club is located at 3275 County Road 100, Carbondale, CO 81623. The games are free of charge and spectators are welcome. The Polo Hotline, (970-710-1663) will be available to offer game times and locations. E-mail correspondence should be sent to aspenvalleypolo@bellsouth.net.