Flat Out captures 2011 USPA North America Cup

By Alex Webbe

Nic Roldan scored the first goal of the game and set up teammate Brandon Phillips
with a pass that scored the winning goal as Flat Out defeated Barbarossa Leather as
time expired in the 2011 USPA North America Cup Sunday afternoon at the Grand
Champions Polo Club in Wellington.

In a neck-and-neck game that was short on offense and long on defense, Roldan’s
opening goal was followed up by a goal from Barbarossa Leather’s Hector Galindo and
the first chukker ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Brandon Phillips converted a penalty shot for a goal in the second chukker, accounting
for the only scoring in a hotly contested match that saw Flat Out leaving the field at the
end of the second period with a narrow 2-1 advantage.

Phillips added a goal from the field in the third, but Ruben Gracida responded by
converting a penalty shot for a goal. Neither team dominated play, and at the end of the
first half Flat Out guarded a narrow one goal, 3-2 lead.

Team captain Paul Knapp opened the scoring for Flat Out in the second half for a 4-2
lead, but Barbarossa Leather kept pace with a goal from J. J. Celis. The fourth chukker
ended with Flat Out maintaining the one goal advantage over a relentless Barbarossa
Leather foursome.

Phillips scored the opening goal of the fifth chukker followed by a beautifully executed
angle shot through the goal posts from Galindo. Roldan converted a penalty shot for a
goal, and Flat Out was in front, 6-4. Penalties cost Flat Out a pair of goals in the waning
minutes of the chukker with Leo Mandelbaum converting twice for his Barbarossa
Leather team, and the score was all even at 6-6 as the period ended.

The pace continued to escalate with Roldan and Phillips pressing the Flat Out attack.
Roldan scored the go-ahead goal, but Galindo kept Barbarossa Leather in the race with
his third goal of the game. With the score tied up at 7-7 and time running out, Roldan
took control of the throw-in and drove the ball down field to a waiting Phillips. With an
opposing player on his hip, Phillips drove the ball through the goal posts with a nearside
shot as time expired.

A jubilant Flat Out team celebrated the hard-fought 8-7 win and the 2011 USPA North
America Cup title.

Phillips set the pace for Flat Out with five goals and was named MVP for his efforts.

Roldan scored three while Flat Out team captain Knapp added a single goal in the win.

Galindo scored three goals for Barbarossa Leather and had his chestnut mare, Faith,
honored as Best Playing Pony. Mandelbaum added two goals and Gracida and Celis
each scored a goal in a losing effort.

ELANGENI RANCH SCORES ROUND-ROBIN WIN

In earlier play, Elangeni Ranch scored a win in round-robin competition that included
Audi and Piaget in the consolation bracket of the USPA North America Cup action.

Audi and Piaget played the first three chukkers of the three team round-robin with Audi
scoring a narrow 5-4 victory on the strength of two penalty goals from team captain
Marc Ganzi; a pair of goals from the field from Gene Goldstein and a single goal from 7-
goaler Sugar Erskine.

Piaget responded with two goals from Jason Crowder (one from the field, one on a
penalty shot); and single goals from Melissa Ganzi and Joey Casey.

Piaget battled Elangeni Ranch to a 2-2 draw in the second three chukkers. Piaget team
captain Melissa Ganzi scored both goals for her team while Elangeni Ranch got single
goals from Diego Cossio and Luis Escobar.

The final round of play had Elangeni Ranch taking a 5-3 matchup with Audi. Escobar
scored three times. Teammates Martin Estrada and Diego Cossio added single goals
for the win. Jota Chavanne scored all three goals for Audi.