By Alex Webbe
In an effort that might be better dubbed as “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight”, the Audi polo team (Jocelyn Grouix, Joaquin Panelo, Marc Ganzi and Nic Roldan) fell to a hard-hitting Ruby Q foursome (Brian Street, Diego Cossio, Tommy Biddle and Joey Casey) in a Monday afternoon subsidiary match in the USPA Fall Plates on the grounds of the Palm City Polo Club in Boca Raton.
On paper, the Audi team showed a good bit of muscle, but the combination didn’t translate onto the field. Following a Sunday performance that had Nic Roldan missing nine shots at goal, Nic reeled off eight more misses, tying him for the most on the field with Roldan with 8 misses of his own on Monday.
Audi received one goal by handicap but got no offense going in the opening chukker. Tommy Biddle, one of the hardest hitters in the game today, settled for a tap in to tie it up, 1-1.
Second chukker action saw Biddle and Joey Casey each score a single goal while Audi’s Jocelyn Grouix kept her team from getting blanked for the second consecutive chukker with a goal from the field. Ruby Q held a narrow lead, 3-2.
Biddle accounted for the only goal scored in the third on a penalty shot as Ruby Q rode off the field with a 4-2 halftime lead.
The two teams returned to the field in the second half with no real spark, and after seven minutes the score held at 4-2, with Audi being held to a single goal from the field.
Goals from Brian Street and Biddle accounted for the only scoring in the fifth as Ruby Q extended its lead to four goals, 6-2.
Audi tried to rally the troops in the final chukker, but to no avail. Audi team captain Marc Ganzi finally converted a penalty shot followed by a goal from the field and Ruby Q rode past an impotent Audi team, 6-4.
Biddle led the Ruby Q attack with four goals with teammates Joey Casey and Brian Street scoring single goals in the win.
Marc Ganzi led the Ruby Q team with two goals. Jocelyn Grouix scored once and the team received one goal by handicap.
Polo action continues on Tuesday, October 30th with a 4 PM contest at the Grand Champions Polo Club for the Casablanca Fall Challenge Cup between Newport/Equine Law (Avery Chapman, Jason Crowder, Kris Kampsen and Gene Goldstein) and Polo Gear/ROX TV (Grant Ganzi, Stevie Orthwein, Carlos Gracida and Carlitos Gracida).