4-goaler Jessie Bray scored six times for Flight Options in their 13-10 win. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Flight Options (Melissa Ganzi, Jessie Bray, Juan Bollini and Julio Gracida) took advantage of three goals by handicap to register a 13-10 win over Newport (Gene Goldstein, Leo Mandelbaum, Roberto Gonzalez and Brandon Phillips) Friday morning in the opening match of the 2014 USPA Kay Colee Memorial Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
The 13-goal Flight Options side received one goal by handicap from the 14-goal Newport team to start and wasted no time in adding to it in the opening minutes of play.
California 4-goaler Jessie Bray made an immediate impact as he scored the first two goals of the day. A hard-riding accurate hitter, Bray scored once from the field and once on a penalty conversion for the early 3-0 lead (Flight Options were awarded one goal by handicap to start). Melissa Ganzi made it 4-0 on an impressive 40-yard cut shot at the 1:12 mark. Bray’s third goal of the chukker came with nine seconds on the clock as Flight Options rode off the field with a commanding 5-0 lead.
Newport fought back in the second period, pressuring the Flight Options defense into making several costly errors. Brandon Phillips took advantage of the penalties by converting three consecutive 30-yard penalty shots to cut the Flight Options lead to two goals, 5-3. With just 1:21 left on the clock, Bray scored his fourth goal of the day to give Flight Options at 6-3 lead to end the chukker.
Both defenses stepped it up in the third, but Flight Options continued to roll. A goal from the field from Julio Gracida in the opening minute of play and a penalty conversion from Bray were complemented by shutout defense by Flight Options. At the end of the first half Flight Options was firmly in control of the game with a five goal, 8-3 advantage.
Phillips and Roberto Gonzalez scored consecutive goals to open the second half, cutting the Flight Options lead to a manageable three goals, 8-5. Bray scored his fifth goal of the game, 9-5, countered by a penalty conversion from Phillips, 9-6. Gracida and Roberto Gonzalez traded goals to end the chukker with Flight Options in possession of a 10-7 game.
Melissa Ganzi opened the scoring in the fifth period with her second goal of the game, 11-7, but Phillips responded for Newport with a goal from the field at 3:03 and a 60-yard penalty conversion with just a minute left on the clock. Newport had cut the lead to just two goals, 11-9, with the final chukker left to be played.
Newport team captain n Gene Goldstein (1) was forced to leave the game at the end of the fifth chukker and was replaced by Alejandro Gonzalez (3). Flight Options was awarded the handicap difference between the two players and received an additional two goals. Flight Options now sat on top of a 13-9 score going into the final period.
Both defenses remained disciplined in the final minutes of the game, and goals were hard to come by. Phillips scored the only goal of the chukker on a penalty conversion as Flight Options celebrated the 13-10 win and a berth in Sunday’s USPA Kay Colee final.
Bray set the pace for Flight Options with six goals (two on penalty shots). Ganzi and Gracida added two goals apiece and the team received three goals by handicap.
Phillips led all scoring with eight goals (six on penalty conversions). Teammate Roberto Gonzalez scored twice in the loss.
Audi/Palm Beach Equine 14, Casablanca 11
Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Guille Aguero and Wes Finlayson) lost their first game of the fall season in a 14-11 win by Audi/Palm Beach Equine to earn a berth in Sunday’s final against Flight Options.
Casablanca received three goals by handicap from Audi/Palm Beach Equine and looked unstoppable in the opening chukker of play. Wes Finlayson opened the scoring with a goal from the field followed by a penalty conversion from teammate Juancito Bollini for a 5-0 lead (Casablanca began with three goals by handicap). Scott Swerdlin finally got Audi/Palm Beach Equine on the scoreboard with a goal from the field, 5-1. Finlayson closed out the chukker with a penalty goal with less than a minute left in the chukker for the 6-1 lead.
Fouls got Casablanca in trouble as the second chukker began. Penalty goals by Marc Ganzi and Nic Roldan and a goal from the field from Carlitos Gracida cut the lead back to two goals, 6-4. Finlayson finally got Casablanca on the scoreboard at the 2:13 mark with a penalty goal, 7-4. Roldan answered back with his second goal of the chukker, an acrobatic shot out of the air from nearly 90-yards out, 7-5. Finlayson earned back the two goal Casablanca lead with a well-placed shot through the goals posts with just 12 seconds on the clock. At the end of the second period it was Casablanca in front, 8-5.
Roldan opened the third chukker with the opening goal in the first 30 seconds of play, 8-6, and followed it up with a penalty goal less than a minute later, 8-7. Guille Aguero scored his first goal of the game for Casablanca, 9-7. Marc Ganzi converted a penalty shot for Audi/Palm Beach Equine to bring his team to within a goal, 9-8. Finlayson responded with a penalty goal of his own, giving Casablanca the 10-8 halftime advantage.
The fourth chukker was dominated by Audi/Palm Beach Equine. A penalty goal from Carlitos Gracida cut the Casablanca lead to a single goal, 10-9 at the 2:50 mark. Marc Ganzi’s third goal of the match came with just 17 seconds left in the chukker and tied the game at 10-10.
Roldan scored the opening goal of the fifth chukker to give Audi/Palm Beach Equine their first lead of the game, 11-10. Grant Ganzi answered for Casablanca to tie it at 11-11. Marc Ganzi scored the final goal of the chukker to keep Audi/Palm Beach Equine in the lead, 12-11 with one chukker of regulation time remaining to be played.
The Audi/Palm Beach Equine defense smothered Casablanca in the final period of the game. A penalty goal from Marc Ganzi and a goal from the field from Roldan went unanswered as Audi/Palm Beach Equine rode on to the 14-11 win.
Roldan led the Audi/Palm Beach Equine team with six goals (two on penalty shots). Marc Ganzi scored three of his five goals on penalty conversions. Gracida added two goals and Swerdlin scored once for the victory. Finlayson’s scored five times for Casablanca (three on penalty shots). Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini and Aguero each scored once and the team received three goals by handicap.
The win places Audi/Palm Beach Equine in Sunday’s 3pm final against Flight Options. Casablanca will play Newport in the subsidiary match at 4:30pm.