By Alex Webbe
The spectators in the golf cart-packed sidelines of the Wanderers Club in Wellington were treated to an exciting come from behind 11-9 victory as GTP rallied from a 5-2 halftime deficit to score a win over Eduardo Barco’s Tonchala foursome.
Marc Ganzi scored the first goal of the game for GTP, but Tonchala’s Mauricio Devrient tied it up at 1-1 before the chukker ended.
GTP struggled in front of the goal in the second period as Tonchala took advantage of goals from Barco and Luis Escobar to move out to a 3-1 lead.
John Gobin got GTP on the scoreboard again in the third chukker, but that would be all of the offense they would be able to muster. Escobar converted a penalty shot and Ruben Gracida added another goal for a 5-3 halftime advantage.
“We just couldn’t finish our drives,” said GTP 7-goaler Tommy Biddle, “we settled down in the second half,” he added, “and got in synch for the last few chukkers.”
Eduardo Barco opened the scoring for Tonchala in the fourth chukker, but GTP had finally gotten its rhythm.
Biddle scored two goals from the field, Marc Ganzi converted a penalty shot, and single goals from Leo Mandelbaum and John Gobin gave GTP its first lead since the opening chukker, 7-6, to close out the period.
Ruben Gracida tied it at 7-7 in the opening seconds of the fifth chukker for Tonchala. A goal from Devrient gave Tonchala the lead again at 8-7. Biddle scored his third goal of the game to knot it again at 8-8 before Eduardo Barco countered with a goal and a9-8 Tonchala lead with only one chukker to play.
The final period was all GTP. Ganzi opened with the tying goal before two goals from Gobin sealed the deal. Tonchala made several more dashes towards the GTP goal, but strategically placed backhanders and control of the ball allowed them to ride out the final minutes of play for a GTP win.
John Gobin led all scoring with four goals. Tommy Biddle and Marc Ganzi scored three goals apiece and Leo Mandelbaum added a single goal for the win.
Eduardo Barco led Tonchala with three goals. Ruben Gracida, Luis Escobar and Mauricio Devrient scored two goals each.
The win vaults GTP into Sunday’s 3pm finals against Heronwood. Tonchala will face Audi in Sunday’s 1pm consolation match.
HERONWOOD 12, AUDI 10
Brandon Phillips and Michael Smith Liss scored four goals apiece as Heronwood outlasted Audi 12-10 in the fast paced opening round of the Palm Restaurant Invitational.
Justo Saavedra and J. J. Celis each scored first chukker goals for Audi for an early 2-1 lead. Heronwood’s Hector Galindo converted a penalty shot for their lone goal.
Scores from Heronwood’s Brad Blake and Liss made it 3-2, but Marc Ganzi scored on a well-placed angle shot and the score was all even at 3-3.
Saavedra added two more goals from the field in the third period for Audi, but penalty conversions from Liss and Phillips kept it even after three chukkers of play.
Breaking out of a 5-5 halftime score, Heronwood took advantage of converted penalty shots and well executed drives to eke out an 8-7 lead after the fourth chukker.
Two goals from Brandon Phillips and a converted penalty shot from Michael Smith Liss in the fifth frame were answered by a single goal from Audi’s J. J. Celis, and Heronwood led 11-8.
Justo Saavedra scored the opening goal of the sixth chukker for Audi, but Heronwood’s Hector Galindo converted a penalty for a 12-9 advantage. J. J. Celis managed another score, but time ran out with Heronwood on the winning end of a 12-10 score.
J. J. Celis and Justo Saavedra scored four goals apiece for Audi. Melissa Ganzi added two goals in the loss.
Phillips and Liss set the pace for Heronwood with four goals each. Hector Galindo added three more for the victory.
The win earned Heronwood a spot in Sunday’s Palm Restaurant Invitational finals against GTP.