Photos by Alex Pacheco
Grand Champions trailed for much of the day, but came together when they needed to as they scored an exciting 10-9 win over Equine Law Group Saturday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington to capture the 2013 USPA President’s Cup 8-goal.
Grant Ganzi scored the first goal of the game two minutes into playas Grand Champions took the early lead, but the Equine Law Group was prepared. Marcos Onetto converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal and teammate Matias Gonzalez converted a 40-yard penalty shot. At the end of the first chukker Equine Law Group led, 2-1.
Onetto added two more goals in the second chukker and teammate Avery Chapman scored a goal to extend the Equine Law Group lead to two goals, 5-3. Grand Champions picked up single goals from Ganzi (penalty goals) and Wes Finlayson.
Finlayson scored on a 40-yard penalty shot at the 5:16 mark when Del Walton carried the ball two-thirds the length of the field for a goal. Equine Law Group led, 6-4. Finlayson kept Grand Champions close as he scored the final goal of the chukker with seconds on the clock. At the end of the first half Equine Law Group was ahead by a single goal, 6-5.
The fifth chukker belonged to Finlayson and Grand Champions. Finlayson scored twice on penalty shots and added a third goal on a shot from the field, The Grand Champions defense kept Equine Law Group off of the scoreboard for the first six minutes, posting their first lead of the day, 7-6, and then 8-6. Equine Law Group charged right back into the fray, with a penalty goal from Gonzalez and, 8-7, and a tying goal from Onetto, who took the ensuing throw-in 150 yards down the field for the score, 8-8.
Defense was the byword of the fifth period. Juancito Bollini finally broke the ice with a goal from the field at the 2:31 mark. The fifth chukker ended with Grand Champions holding on to a 9-8 advantage.
The sixth chukker saw Finlayson scoring his seventh goal of the game with 4:51 left in regulation time. Grand Champions was in front by two goals, 10-8. As Equine Law Group pressed the attack, Grand Champions responded with a lights-out defense that shut them out for the remainder of the game in a 10-9 victory.
Finlayson led all players with seven goals on the day (four on penalty shots), and was named MVP. Ganzi scored twice and Gonzalez added a goal in the win. Onetto scored three of his team high six goals on penalty shots. Walton, Chapman and Gonzalez were each credited with a goal in the loss.