Play commenced in the historic East Coast Open at Greenwich July 2 with a thrilling match as Tupungato edged Zuma 10-9. The winning goal was scored by Nic Roldan. Zuma was up 3-1 after the first chukker, but was then held scoreless for the next three chukkers. The match was tied at halftime 3-3. Roldan, the day’s high scorer with five goals, put Tupungato up 4-3 in the fourth connecting on a penalty 3.
Those two Greenwich arch-rivals, Airstream and White Birch met July 3 and the match was everything expected between them with fierce play in the closely play game. When it was over White Birch emerged victorious, 16-15.
White Birch jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the opening stanza with a balanced scoring attack. Peter Brant and Todd Offen both scored twice and Mariano Aguerre once all on field goals. Airstream came alive in the second chukker. Peter Orthwein made a penalty conversion and a field goal and Michel Doriognac was successful on two penalty conversions, and Airstream had the margin to one, 7-6, by chukker’s end. In the third chukker Airstream’s Carlucho Arellano made two field goals, and Airstream held their opponents to a lone field goal by Mariano Aguerre. Thus the teams went into the half knotted at 8-8.
The fourth chukker belonged to Airstream as they outscored White Birch 3-0 with two field goals by Dorignac and one by Fransisco Lanusse. A Lanusse goal early in the fifth chukker gave Airstream a 12-8 lead. But White Birch came storming back. Aguerre led the charge with three field goals while Brant had two. Thus the game was tied 13-13 entering the last chukker. A Dorignac field goal gave Airstream a 14-13 lead. But Offen who could be heard throughout the evening encouraging his team, scored to tie it 14-14. Unanswered goals by Aguerre and Brant clinched the victory.
On July 6 White Birch crushed Tupungato, 18-8. Aguerre led the assault with eight goals, seven of them from the field. Offen, who was the day’s MVP, had six goals. Chocolate, owned by Aguerre, was named the Best Playing Pony.
Zuma edged Airstream 13-12, on July 7 in overtime. The winning goal was scored on a penalty two conversion by Marcelo Fraysinet. With 32 seconds elapsed in sudden death.
Airstream edged Tupungato, 11-10, in overtime in East Coast Open play July 9. The winning goal came on a blast by Carlucho Arellano 1:52 into sudden death. Only moments earlier Tupungato had a couple of chances to clinch the victory on penalty shots. The first shot by Nic Roldan resulted in a safety. On the next attempt Roldan chose to dribble the ball but was stopped by two defenders.
The game was close throughout. At the half Tupungato was up 5-4. Airstream took a 6-5 lead in the fourth chukker as Michel Dorignac converted a pair of penalty 2’s. Airstream held an 8-7 lead entering what was to be a wild sixth chukker. Fransisco Lanusse made it 9-7. Tupungato then stormed back to tie it at 9-9 on field goals by Mauricio Devrient and Nick Manifold. Lanusse scored to again give Airstream the lead 10-9. Then Roldan tied it 10-10.
Roldan was the day’s high scorer with six goals. Dorignac lead Airstream with five goals.
Today Zuma faces White Birch at 5:00.