Scott Wood, Melissa Ganzi. Photos – Alex Pacheco.
Caset Named MVP
WELLINGTON, FL – March 24, 2013 — Piaget captured the Butler Handicap for the second consecutive year on Sunday with a thrilling 9-8 victory over ERG at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
Grand Champions Polo Club-based Piaget, led by 10-goalers Sapo Caset and Miguel Astrada, has put together impressive back-to-back wins and will begin this week’s 109th Maserati U.S. Open on Saturday against Lechuza Caracas brimming with confidence.
“Our team went really well today,” said a jubilant Piaget team captain Melissa Ganzi. “There was a natural flow. Sapo, Miguel and Nacho all made crucial plays.
“It was an excellent win for us. They have great players on that team. Our fourth chukker was unbelievable. We’re getting more confidence. We have momentum going and hope to bring that to the U.S. Open.”
After a close first half, Piaget came up big in the fourth chukker behind Caset’s five goals including three on penalty goals, to shut out ERG, 5-0.
Caset was named Most Valuable Player after finishing with a game-high eight goals. Caset’s fourth-chukker horse, 10-year-old Viparita, was named Best Playing Pony and called “amazing” by Caset.
“We changed our attitude,” Caset said. “We wanted to play hard and the horses were doing good. But it was on us. We had to change our attitude, take a man and hit the ball and play the way we do. I think today we did that. In the first two chukkers we played really well, in the third we went down a little and in the fourth I think we killed them.”
Astrada, Caset, 23-year-old Nacho Badiola and Ganzi turned in another outstanding performance playing well as a team while getting more comfortable with its lineup adjustment Piaget coach Joey Casey and player-coach Juan Bollini instituted before its semifinal win against Orchard Hill.
Caset said he was fully recovered from the flu that forced him to miss last Sunday’s stadium game against ERG. With a makeshift lineup of two 5-goalers, Piaget nearly knocked off ERG, losing 7-6. Piaget avenged the loss in style on Sunday.
“We are really, really happy; we wanted to win this to be able to get focused on the Open,” Caset said. “The team played the best so far. We played our best today but I think we can get better and improve.
“With the Open starting this week, it gives us a lot of confidence,” Caset said.
After trailing 5-3 at the half, Piaget dominated the second half and built an 8-5 lead in the fourth chukker with its big 5-0 scoring burst.
“We did very well in the beginning,” said Astrada, who won the battle of the brothers competing against one of his brothers, Eduardo. “Then it happened the same as the other game. In the third chukker we played badly but we were able to come back in the fourth really strong.
“We played organized in the fifth chukker and tried to keep our defense in control,” Astrada said. “Now we have started to know each other and we know what each other is going to do. That’s what makes the team play so well.”
Badiola, making his IPC 26-goal debut this season at age 23, had another confidence-building game playing at his new back position for the second straight game.
Badiola ended up scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in the sixth chukker with 4:43 left to give Piaget a 9-6 lead. ERG scored two quick goals before Piaget’s defense shut them down behind Badiola’s open back shot to stall Tincho Merlos’ scoring attempt in the final minute.
ERG team captain Scott Wood left the game at the start of the fifth chukker and was replaced by 16-year-old Wesley Bryan of Aiken, S.C. It was Bryan’s first 26-goal game.
Last year Piaget, then rated 23 goals with Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Astrada, Nic Roldan and Rodrigo Andrade, won the Butler Handicap with a 14-10 victory over Las Monjitas. Roldan was named Most Valuable Player after scoring eight goals and Roldan’s gray mare, Dona, was named Best Playing Pony.
In Sunday’s USPA Piaget Gold Cup final, defending champion Valiente defeated Zacara, 13-9. Santi Torres was named MVP and Pelon Stirling’s horse Silk won Best Playing Pony.
AUDI/PIAGET TOURNAMENT LINEUP
April 21: 109th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship
GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB
WHERE: On the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington.
INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi and Piaget. Everyone is welcome to watch polo during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament, Women’s Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League Tournament.
Sharon Robb for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
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