OT Goal places Piaget Black in
Butler Handicap Finals

By Alex Webbe

Melissa Ganzi scored two goals including the winning goal in sudden-death overtime
as Piaget Black scored a 13-12 win over Orchard Hill at the International Polo Club in
Wellington Thursday afternoon.

Piaget Black received three goals by handicap, but Mariano Gonzalez scored the
opening goal of the match, cutting the lead to two goals, 3-1. Two goals from the field
from Lucas Criado had it tied at 3-3. Orchard Hill 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough scored
the final goal of the first chukker for an early 4-3 lead.

Nic Roldan tied it up at 4-4 within twenty seconds of the second period on a 40-yard
penalty goal. Negro Astrada added two more goals (one on a penalty shot and one
from the field) for a 6-4 Piaget Black lead. Orchard Hill tied it up at 6-6, with goals from
Steve Van Andel and MacDonough.

Orchard Hill blanked the Piaget Black offense in the third, picking up a goal from the
field from Criado and a penalty goal from Macdonough. At the end of the first half,
Orchard Hill held an 8-6 advantage.

Piaget Black tied it up again in the fourth with goals from Astrada and Melissa Ganzi.
MacDonough put Orchard Hill in the lead, 9-8, with a goal from Macdonough. Roldan
evened it up at 9-9 on a 90-yard shot from the field midway through the chukker.
Macdonough and Criado closed out the period with single goals from the field for an 11-
9 lead.

After a scoreless opening five minutes of play in the fifth, Roldan connected on a
penalty shot for a goal. Gonzalez answered with a goal from the field in the final 40
seconds of action. The chukker ended with Orchard Hill maintaining its two goal lead,
12-10.

A determined Piaget Black team took control of the game in the final seven minutes of
regulation time. Roldan opened with a 60-yard penalty shot followed by a last second
goal from the field from Roldan for the 12-12 deadlock.

After a brief intermission, both teams returned to the field and waged a scoreless battle
for the first five minutes of lay. Piaget Black team captain Melissa Ganzi found herself
perfectly positioned to receive a pass from Roldan that she drove through the goal posts
for the win with 2:34 left in the overtime chukker.

Novillo led all scoring with five goals. Roldan scored three times and Ganzi accounted
for two goals in the win. Piaget Black also received three goals by handicap.

MacDonough and Criado scored four goals apiece. Gonzalez chipped in three goals
and Van Andel added a single goal in the loss.

• < Prev
• Next >