NEWS

Audi and Flexjet will play for the coveted USPA North American Cup on Friday at Grand Champions Polo Club.

In front of a large crowd and worldwide ChukkerTV audience on a picture-perfect day, Audi came from behind to edge Dutta Corp, 9-8, in Wednesday's opening round to advance into the final.

Flexjet needed a thrilling overtime to defeat Casablanca, 12-11, on Nic Roldan's winning goal two minutes into the extra chukker.

The subsidiary game between Casablanca and Dutta Corp is 10 a.m. on Friday on Field 4 followed by the championship game at 3:30 p.m.on Field 2.

Audi (Marc Ganzi, 1, Jesse Bray, 5, Carlucho Arellano, 5, Jeff Blake, 6) trailed Dutta Corp (Timmy Dutta, A, Kris Kampsen, 6, Guille Aguero, 6, Carlitos Gracida, 4), 5-3, at halftime before rallying in an explosive fourth chukker for five goals while shutting out Dutta Corp.

Ganzi sparked the rally with three goals including a penalty-two and Bray added two goals for an 8-5 lead after the fourth chukker.

Audi remained in the lead and held on for the win. Blake ended up scoring what turned out to be the winning goal at the end of the fifth chukker. Kampsen stole the ball and scored to cut Audi's lead to one midway through the final chukker but ran out of time while Audi's defense held tough.

Ganzi scored a game-high five goals. Bray and Blake each added two goals. Kampsen led scoring for Dutta Corp with three goals. Gracida added two and Dutta, making his high goal debut, and Aguero each had one.

A flu bug knocked three players out of the lineup for the second game. Santos Bollini replaced mother and daughter Melissa and Riley Ganzi, who were going to split time at the one position for Flexjet. Gene Goldstein filled in for Grant Ganzi on Casablanca.

In the second game that ended at sunset, Flexjet (Santos Bollini, A, Jason Crowder, 6, Nic Roldan, 8, Jared Sheldon, 4) trailed Casablanca (Gene Goldstein 1, Juancito Bollini, 3, Julio Arellano, 8, JJ Celis, 4) for nearly three chukkers.

Casablanca started out with a 2-0 lead based on handicap and quickly extended its lead to 6-1 in the first five minutes of the opening chukker.

Behind balanced scoring, Flexjet started whittling away at Casablanca's lead. With just over 30 seconds left to go in the third chukker, Sheldon scored to go into halftime at 8-8.

Flexjet took the lead for the first time early in the fourth chukker when Roldan hit a big pass to Santos Bollini who scored for a 9-8 lead. Celis' goal tied the game at 9-9 before Sheldon scored back-to-back goals enabling Flexjet to pull away, 11-9.

Casablanca rallied in the sixth chukker after a defensive four minutes. Juancito Bollini scored with 2:47 left to trail by only one, 11-10. With 31 seconds left, Arellano then converted a penalty-four to tie the game at 11-11. Bollini saved Sheldon's last-ditch scoring attempt to send the game into overtime and set up Roldan's heroics.

Flexjet got balanced scoring. Sheldon scored a game-high four goals, Santos Bollini and Roldan each had three and Crowder added two. For Casablanca, Juancito Bollini and Arellano each had three goals, Celis had two and Goldstein added one. Casablanca had two goals on handicap.

"It was anyone's game" Roldan said. "I hit it and knew I had Santos near the goal to back me up. It was a good game to win and now we are in the final."

It will be Flexjet's second consecutive appearance in the North American Cup championship final. Last year's Flexjet team of Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Jason Crowder and Nic Roldan lost to Travieso's Tony Calle, JJ Celis, Facundo Obregon and MVP Jesse Bray, 12-6.