Tommy Biddle (right) scored eight goals in the PB Equine/ELG win.
(Photo courtesy of Liz Lamont)
PB Equine/ELG (Scott Swerdlin, Guille Aguero, Kris Kampsen and Avery Chapman) and Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Mike Azzaro and Wes Finlayson) scored wins Friday afternoon in 2013 Pedro Morrison Memorial Cup play at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, but they both needed a goal in a sudden-death overtime chukker to achieve those wins.
In the final of three tournament matches on the day, Casablanca’s Mike Azzaro scored the winning goal in overtime to carry his team to a 13-12 win over Paladin (David Krantz, Juan Bollini, Piki Alberdi and Melissa Ganzi) to earn a berth in Sunday’s finals.
In a match that had Mother playing against son (Paladin’s Melissa Ganzi and Casablanca’s Grant Ganzi) and Father against son (Paladin’s Juan Bollini and Casablanca’s Juancito Bollini), Casablanca received two goals by handicap and watches as Juan Bollini scored the first two goals of the day for Paladin to tie it up at 2-2. Juancito Bollini scored the go-ahead goal for Casablanca, 3-2, to end the opening chukker.
The two teams traded goals in the second period with Juan Bollini and Melissa Ganzi scoring for Paladin while Wes Finlayson scored two goals from the field for Casablanca. Casablanca continued to guard a narrow one goal, 5-4 lead.
Paladin fought back in the third. Melissa Ganzi tied it up at 5-5 with her second goal of the day. Goals from Mike Azzaro and Finlayson had Casablanca back in the lead, 7-5. Paladin ended the chukker with penalty goals from David Krantz and Juan Bollini. At the end of the first half the match was all even at 7-7.
An invigorated Azzaro returned to the field in the second half and took immediate control of the game. Consecutive goals from the field from Azzaro and shutout defense from his teammates had Casablanca back on top, 9-7.
Juancito Bollini and Mike Azzaro each added a goal to the Casablanca total in the fifth, but a pair of goals from Argentine 8-goaler Piki Alberdi had Paladin trailing by two, 11-9.
Goals from Krantz and Juan Bollini opened the sixth chukker to tie it up at 11-11. Azzaro broke through the Paladin defenses for a goal, moving Casablanca back in the lead, 12-11. With seconds on the clock, Casablanca fouled, sending Alberdi to the penalty line where he converted the tying goal, 12-12, and forcing a sudden-death overtime chukker.
The two teams battled well into the overtime chukker before a Paladin foul sent Azzaro to the penalty line where he converted the winning goal, 13-12, and earned his team a spot in the tournament finals on Sunday at 3:30PM.
Azzaro’s six goals led all scoring. Finlayson added three and Juancito Bollini added two goals. Casablanca also received two goals by handicap in the win. Juan Bollini’s five goals set the pace for Paladin. Alberdi scored three times and Melissa Ganzi and Krantz each added two goals in a losing effort.
PB EQUINE/ELG 12, AUDI/EXCALIBUR 11
Audi/Excalibur (Michael Donahue, Carlitos Gracida, Nic Roldan and Marc Ganzi) received one goal by handicap and scored the first two goals in their game against PB Equine/ELG (Marc Ganzi and Carlitos Gracida) in an earlier Pedro Morrison Memorial contest for an early 3-0 advantage. Tommy Biddle finally got PB Equine/ELG on the scoreboard with a closing goal. Audi/Excalibur took the early lead, 3-1.
Biddle cut the lead to a single goal, 3-2, with the opening score of the second chukker. Marc Ganzi and Carlitos Gracida each scored to push the Audi/Excalibur lead to three goals, 5-2, to end the period.
Ganzi (penalty goal) and Gracida each scored to put Audi/Excalibur ahead with a 7-2 lead. Guille Aguero and Biddle (penalty conversion) pared the Audi/Excalibur lead back to a manageable three goals, 7-4 at the end of the first half.
Audi/Excalibur continued to dominate PB Equine/ELG in the second half. Single goals from Nic Roldan and Ganzi extended the Audi/Excalibur lead to five goals again, 9-4, as PB Equine/ELG was unable to score.
PB Equine/ELG picked up a rhythm in the fifth. Biddle scored his first of three goals in the opening minute of play while Audi/Excalibur answered back with goals from Avery Chapman and Ganzi. PB Equine/ELG cut the lead to two goals, 10-8, with one chukker left in regulation play.
Biddle cut the Audi/Excalibur lead to a single goal, 10-9, on a 60-yard neck shot in the opening minute of the sixth chukker. Roldan converted a penalty shot to give Audi/Excalibur some breathing room, 11-9. With 51 seconds on the clock, Aguero scored from the field to cut the Audi/Excalibur lead back to a single goal, 11-10, and with seconds on the clock and PB Equine/ELG attacking, Audi/Excalibur fouled. Biddle made good on the penalty shot and the two teams left the field to regroup and to mount up on fresh horses.
The two teams lined up for the sudden-death chukker, and Aguero took the opening throw-in and raced down the field where he converted on an 80-yard shot through the goalposts for the win.
Biddle was credited with eight goals on the day. Aguero scored three times including the game winner. Chapman added a goal in the win. Ganzi scored five times (twice on penalty shots) to lead the Audi/Excalibur attack with Gracida adding three goals and Roldan scoring twice. The team also received one goal by handicap.
The victory ushers PB Equine/ELG into Sunday’s 3PM finals against Casablanca at Grand Champions Polo Club.
NEWPORT 13, BELUGA 6
In a morning contest that was played at the Palm City Polo Club in Boca Raton, Newport scored a resounding 13-6 win over Beluga in a Pedro Morrison Memorial Cup consolation match.
Newport took control for the early going and ran up a 6-3 lead at the end of the first half before running away with a 13-6 win.
Brandon Phillips and Joey Casey each scored twice for Beluga and Misha Rodzianko added a goal. Beluga also received one goal by handicap. A balanced Newport attack had Kaisser Maakar scoring a game high five times. Michel Dorignac and Gene Goldstein each scored three times with Luis Escobar scoring twice while supplying much needed defensive support.