Cinque Terre 5-goaler Gringo Colombres
Rain and wet fields postponed play at the Greenwich Polo Club for over two weeks, but play resumed again on Sunday afternoon in the 20-goal Tommy Glynn Memorial Cup. Cinque Terre recorded a 13-12 overtime win over Airstream, and the tournament was underway once again.
Cinque Terre (Alessandro Bazzoni, Gringo Colombres, Joao Ganon and Brandon Phillips) received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Airstream team (Peter Orthwein, Kris Kampsen, Guille Aguero and Mariano Gonzalez) and quickly added to it on a goal from the field from Gringo Colombres. Shutout defense kept Airstream off of the scoreboard as Cinque Terre trotted out to an early 2-0 lead.
Consecutive goals from Colombres and Brazilian 7-goaler Joao Ganon had Cinque Terre in front, 4-0. Guille Aguero finally managed to break through the Cinque Terre defense and score for Airstream. Cinque Terre continued to control the game with a 4-1 advantage.
Kris Kampsen scored two goals early in the third to cut the Cinque Terre lead to a single goal, 4-3. Colombres added another goal from the field, 3-3. Aguero closed out the scoring in the third chukker with his second goal of the game. At the end of the first half Cinque Terre guarded a one goal lead, 5-4.
“It was back and forth all game long,” offered Brandon Phillips. “It had been a long time between games”, He added, “and I was expecting some rust to our play, but the team played well,”
A fired up Airstream team took the field in the fourth period. Three unanswered goals had Airstream leading by two goals, 7-4. Ganon kept Cinque Terre from getting shut out with the final goal of the chukker. With two chukkers left to play, Airstream had assumed the lead, 7-6.
The fifth chukker belonged to Cinque Terre, outscoring Airstream 4-1 and capturing a 10-8 lead. Ganon scored twice for Cinque Terre (once on a penalty shot), Alessandro Bazzoni and Brandon Phillips added single goals. Mariano Gonzalez scored Airstream’s only goal.
Ganon and Colombres added single goals early in the sixth, but Airstream’s offense erupted for four goals to tie it up at 12-12. Aguero scored twice while Kampsen and Gonzalez each added a penalty goal.
The tie forced a sudden death overtime in which Colombres was able to make his way through the Airstream defense to score the winning goal in a 13-12 Cinque Terre victory.
Aguero led all scoring with six goals, Kampsen and Gonzalez added three goals apiece in a losing effort. Ganon and Colombres scored five goals apiece for Cinque Terre. Bazzoni and Phillips chipped in single goals and the team received one goal by handicap for the win.
Cinque Terre (1-0) will return to action on Wednesday, June 26 when they face a winless (0-2) Heathcote Polo team (Steve Lefkowitz, Naco Taverna, Tommy Biddle and Nick Manifold).