Semifinal results
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Piaget Memorial Day finals
By Alex Webbe
Wins by YP.com (Melissa Ganzi, David Krantz, Mike Azzaro and Juan Bollini) and Longfield (Hannah Buchan, Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan and Carlitos Gracida) in the semifinals of the 2013 Piaget Memorial Day Polo Cup set the stage for Sunday’s 1pm finals between the two powerhouses at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.
Melissa Ganzi opened the day with a goal from the field for YP.com in the first 40 seconds of play. Audi struggled with its offense, missing early scoring opportunities. Lucas Lalor finally got Audi on the scoreboard with a shot through the goalposts in the last 51 seconds of the chukker for a 1-1 tie.
The second period of play was almost a carbon copy of the opener. Melissa Ganzi scored the opening goal once again in the first 26 seconds of the chukker. Both defenses stubbornly defended their goals, with Lalor, once again, scoring for Audi to end the chukker in a 2-2 deadlock.
YP.com finally got it going in the third, but the goals didn’t come easily or early. With less than three minutes left in the first half, Mike Azzaro converted a penalty shot for a 3-2 YP.com lead. David Krantz added another goal to the YP.com total with 1:09 left on the clock, while Audi was held scoreless. The first half ended with the advantage going to YP.com, 4-2.
A fresh Audi took the field in the second half with a renewed sense of urgency. Shutout defense coupled with single goals from Lalor (4:56) and Grant Ganzi (:09) had it all even, once again at 4-4.
J. J. Celis scored in the first two minutes of the fifth chukker for a 5-4 lead. Consecutive goals from Melissa Ganzi and Azzaro closed out the period with YP.com sitting on top of a precarious 6-5 lead.
Celis exploded with a pair of goals in the sixth chukker to give the lead back to Audi. Juan Bollini scored the tying goal with less than two minutes in the period. Mike Azzaro converted another penalty shot with less than a minute to play and YP.com celebrated the win.
Melissa Ganzi and teammate Mike Azzaro scored three goals apiece for Audi. Krantz and Bollini added single goals. Lalor and Celis were each credited with three goals for Audi. Grant Ganzi added a goal from the field in a losing effort.
The victory sends YP.com to Sunday’s 1pm finals. Audi will meet Inner-Continental (Alejandro Polo, Carlucho Arellano, Brandon Phillips and Gene Goldstein) in an 11 am Sunday consolation game.
LONGFIELD 8, INNER-CONTINENTAL 6
Longfield took an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from the field from 8-goaler Nic Roldan. Inner-Continental was unable to score in the opening seven minutes of the game and fell behind, 2-0.
Inner-Continental got on track in the second chukker. Two goals from Carlucho Arellano and a single goal from Alejandro Poma were answered by a single penalty conversion from Roldan. After two chukkers of play, the game was all even at 3-3.
A resolute Inner-Continental team settled into a rhythm in the third, and its defense stepped it up a notch. Single goals from Arellano and Poma had Inner-Continental leading 5-3 at the end of the first half.
A goal from the field from Roldan and a penalty conversion from Marc Ganzi tied it up at 5-5 in the fourth chukker. Poma broke free once again, however, and scored the go-ahead goal. After four chukkers of play, the Inner-Continental held a delicate 6-5 advantage.
Marc Ganzi scored the only goal of the fifth chukker from either team, and it didn’t come until the two minute mark. With one chukker left to play it was all even at 6-6.
Both teams amped up their defenses in the final period of the match. Midway through the sixth Roldan scored from the field for the narrow 7-6 advantage. Marc Ganzi’s third goal of the game came on a penalty shot that extended the Longfield lead to two goals, 8-6. Inner-Continental continued to press its attack, but Longfield was prepared, and held on to win, 8-6.
Roldan led all scoring with five goals (one on a penalty conversion). Marc Ganzi scored the balance of the attack, picking up three goals for the Longfield victory. Arellano and Poma accounted for three goals each in a losing effort.
Longfield will meet YP.com on Sunday afternoon at 1pm at the Grand Champions Polo Club. ELG (Juancito Bollini, Martin Estrada, Kris Kampsen and Avery Chapman) will battle with Palm House (Glen Straub, Joey Casey, Tommy Biddle and Carlos Diaz) for the Casablanca Cup in a 9:30am consolation game.