By Alex Webbe
Piaget (Melissa Ganzi, Avery chapman, Mariano Gonzalez and Juan Bollini) received two goals by handicap and ran up an 8-6 halftime lead, but a resilient Flat Out foursome (Paul Knapp, Joaquin Panelo, Brandon Phillips and J. J. Celis) bounced back in the second half of Sunday afternoon’s final. Outscoring Piaget 5-2, Flat Out took the lead and held on for the 11-10 win and the USPA Fall Classic title.
Brandon converted a penalty shot in the first chukker that was countered by a goal from the field from Mariano Gonzalez. On the strength of two goals that Piaget was awarded by handicap from the 15-goal Flat Out team, the held an early 3-1 lead.
Paul Knapp opened the scoring in the second period with a goal from the field, but Piaget continued hold the advantage, 3-2. Consecutive goals from Joaquin Panelo first tied and then moved Flat Out ahead, 4-3 to end the chukker.
Piaget put flat Out on the defensive from the opening of the third, taking advantage of a couple of penalties that were converted into goals by Gonzalez. Piaget was back in front, 5-4. Bollini’s first goal of the day made it 6-4 and Gonzalez’s third goal of the chukker ended the first half with Piaget on the winning end of a 7-4 score.
Piaget continued to roll in the fourth with Melissa Ganzi giving her team an 8-4 lead with a goal from the field. Knapp converted a penalty shot for a goal and Phillips ended the chukker with another scoring effort, but Flat Out trailed, 8-6.
A resurrected Flat Out contingent picked up goals from Panelo and J. J. Celis in the fifth chukker while its defense held Piaget scoreless. The game was tied at 8-8 at the end of the fifth, and Flat Out had the momentum going in its direction.
Goals from the field from Knapp and Panelo gave Flat Out a 10-8 advantage before Piaget could respond, with a penalty conversion from Gonzalez cutting the lead to a single goal, 10-9. Celis scored from the field as Flat Out extended its lead to two goals again, 11-9. Piaget continued to attack the Flat Out goal, with Melissa Ganzi scoring once again, but there wasn’t enough time left as Flat Out took the win in an 11-10 USPA Fall Classic victory.
Gonzalez led all scoring with five goals. Melissa Ganzi added two goals and Bollini added a goal in the loss. The team received two goals by handicap.
Panelo led the Flat Out attack with four goals and was named MVP for his efforts while Juan Bollini’s six-year-old Chestnut mare, River, was honored As Best Playing Pony.
NEWPORT 12, RUBY Q 9
In earlier action, seven goals by Newport team (Marc Ganzi, Gene Goldstein, Nic Roldan and Jason Crowder) captain Gene Goldstein carried his team to a 12-9 win over a one-dimensional Ruby Q (Misha Rodzianko, Diego Cossio, Tommy Biddle and Joey Casey) attack in the consolation round of the USPA Fall Classic.
Ruby Q took an early 1-0 lead on a penalty goal from Tommy Biddle in an opening chukker that saw no scoring from the field.
Biddle converted another penalty shot for a gaol in the second but was answered by a pair of goals from the field from Gene Goldstein for a 2-2 tie. Single goals from Goldstein, Jason Crowder and Nic Roldan (penalty goal) were countered by two more penalty goals from Biddle as Newport held on to a tenuous 5-4 halftime advantage.
Goals from Goldstein and Crowder in the fourth went unanswered as Newport rode out to a 7-4 lead after four chukkers of play.
Roldan converted a penalty shot in the fifth, but Biddle responded with two penalty goals and a goal from the field. Newport continued to lead, but the margin was cut to a single goal with one chukker of regulation time left in the game.
Biddle registered his eighth and ninth goals of the game on penalty shots in the sixth, but three more goals from the field from Goldstein and a goal from Marc Ganzi for the 12-9 final.
Goldstein’s seven goals set the pace for the Newport win. Roldan and Crowder scored two goals apiece. Ganzi added a single goal.
Biddle scored all nine goals for Ruby Q, with eight coming on penalty shots and one from the field in a losing effort.
Tournament action is scheduled to continue at the Grand Champions Polo Club this coming weekend with the 2012 Kay Colee Memorial Cup.