Pedro Morrison Memorial Cup finals set

By Alex Webbe
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.

Newport (Kaisser Maakar, Gene Goldstein, Tommy Biddle and Luis Escobar)

Beluga (Misha Rodzianko, Carlos Baez, Tommy Biddle and Joey Casey)

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