Flight Options lands USPA Fall Classic, 7-6

By Alex Webbe

Argentine 6-goaler Guille Aguero received MVP honors as he led Flight Options (Gene Goldstein, Wes Finlayson, Guille Aguero and Juan Bollini) to a 7-6 win over CT Energia (Carlitos Gracida, Alessandro Bazzoni, Marc Ganzi and Kris Kampsen) Sunday afternoon in the final of the 2014 USPA Fall Classic at the Grand Champions Polo Club.

CT Energia received two goals by handicap from the 14-goal Flight Options side but couldn’t add to it until the 1:47 mark of the opening chukker. The CT Energia defense shut out Flight Options in the opening seven minutes of the match and moved in front, 3-0.

The defenses continued to dominate the action on the field as the second period got underway. Guille Aguero got Flight Options on the scoreboard with a goal from the field just two-and-a-half minutes into the second chukker, 3-1.

A Penalty 1 was called against CT Energia resulting in an automatic goal for Flight Options, 3-2. Juan Bollini scored level the score at 3-3. With 33 seconds left in the period Gene Goldstein scored to give Flight Options a4-3 advantage at the end of the first half.

Goldstein’s second goal of the game came with two minutes left in the fourth. CT Energia was shutout for the third consecutive chukker and trailed 5-3.

A CT Energia rally in the fifth netted them goals from Kampsen (penalty conversion) and Carlitos Gracida as Flight Options was unable to score. With one chukker of regulation time left the score was all even at 5-5.

Juan Bollini scored the go-ahead goal for Flight Options at the 5:05 mark of the sixth period, 6-5. Less than a minute later Aguero scored to extend the Flight Options lead to two goals, 7-5. CT Energia fought to get back into the game but had to settle for a final goal from Gracida in the 7-6 loss to Flight Options.

Goldstein, Bollini and Aguero scored two goals apiece. The team received one goal on a Penalty. Gracida and Kampsen scored two goals each and the team was given two goals by handicap in the loss.

Casablanca wins consolation round-robin

In the closing competition of the day, Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Alejandro Gonzalez, Jesse Bray and Martin Pepa) won the Fall Classic consolation competition as they beat Palm Beach Equine (Juancito Bollini, Leo Mandelbaum, Nic Roldan and Scott Swerdlin) and Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Garret, Julio Gracida, Brandon Phillips and Roberto Gonzalez).

Postage Stamp Farm scored a 5-3 win over Casablanca in the opening three chukkers of the round-robin. Casablanca rebounded to defeat Palm Beach Equine, 8-3. Palm Beach Equine salvaged a win in the final three chukkers of play by beating Postage Stamp Farm, 6-2.

With all three teams tied with 1-1 records, the decision was made on the basis of net goals, with Casablanca taking top honors with 11. Palm Beach Equine finished second with nine goals and Postage Stamp Farm came in third with seven net goals.

Halo Polo-owned Catina Mama was selected as Best Playing Pony. The mare was played by Guille Aguero in the sixth chukker.