By Alex Webbe
“They’re avery good team,” said Heathcote 6-goaler tommy Biddle following his team’s 13-12 Monty Waterbury Cup win Monday afternoon at the expense of Circa at the Bridgehampton Polo Club. “I just think that we played better as a team,” he said after scoring ten of his team’s 13 goals.
The seventeen-goal Heathcote team received three goals by handicap from Circa to
start the game with Magoo Laprida accounting for the first two goals from the
field to trail 3-2. Biddle answered with a pair of field goals of his own and the first chukker ended with Heathcote leading 5-2.
Francisco Lanusse cut the lead to two goals with a goal from the field before Biddle
retaliated with two penalty goals. Heathcote left the field with a 7-3 advantage.
The teams traded goals throughout the third chukker, with Laprida converting a penalty shot for a goal and two goals from the field. Biddle scored on a Penalty 2 and 40 and 60-yard penalty shots. At the end of the first half, Heathcote held
a healthy 10-6 lead.
Circa struggled to get back into the game in the fourth chukker, picking up a sole
penalty goal from Laprida while holding Heathcote scoreless. Circa had cut the lead to three goals, 10-7, and had the momentum on its side.
Lanusse opened the fifth chukker with a goal from the field followed by three consecutive penalty goals from Laprida. Circa had
tied Heathcote and then taken an 11-10 lead, its first of the game.
“We had a couple of calls go against us in the fifth,” said Biddle, “and they made good on the penalty shots. We didn’t panic, though, and got ready for the final chukker.”
Heathcote put the pressure on circa from the opening seconds of the sixth chukker,
pressuring the Circa goal and forcing the defenders into penalty situations. Once again, Biddle came through for Heathcote, converting all three penalty opportunities for a 13-11 lead. Circa fought back, picking up a final penalty goal from Laprida, but fell short in the 13-12 loss to Heathcote.
Both Biddle and Laprida scored ten goals in the course of the game with Biddle scored twice from the field and eight goals on penalty shots. Heathcote received three goals by handicap. Laprida scored four field goals and converted six penalty shots for circa. Teammate Lanusse added two goals in the loss.
EQUULEUS 10, CERTIFIED 9
In earlier competition, Mariano Gonzalez scored six times as Equuleus jumped out to an 8-2 lead over Certified and held on to capture a 10-9 win.
Adam Snow scored the first goal of the game for Certified, but Gonzalez answered with a pair of penalty goals for a 2-1 first chukker Equuleus lead.
Gonzalez missed a 60-yard penalty shot in the opening minutes of the second before converting on a 40-yarder for a 3-1 advantage.
Tomas Garcia Del Rio scored a goal from the field for Certified, cutting
the lead to a single goal, 3-2 before Equuleus rallied behind goals from Kris
Kampsen and Gonzalez (penalty conversion). After two periods of play it was Equuleus with a 5-2 advantage.
Equuleus combined shutout defense in the third with three more gals-two from Gonzalez and a single goal from Kampsen. Equuleus rode off the field with a commanding 8-2 lead.
Two fourth chukker goals from Kampsen were answered with single goals from Certified’s Tomas Garcia Del Rio and his brother Marcos Garcia Del Rio. With only two chukkers to play, Equuleus held a six- goal 10-4 lead.
Equuleus might have started to coast a little early, however as Certified put up three unanswered goals in the fifth period. Michael Borrico scored once from the field and Tomas Garcia Del Rio added three more goals (two on penalty shots, one from the field). The Equuleus six-goal lead had all but evaporated, as Certified now trailed by just two goals.
The Equuleus defense dug in for the final seven minutes of play as Certified fought to even the score. A goal from the field from Tomas Garcia Del Rio had Certified within a goal of Equuleus, but that would be where it ended. Equuleus held on for the 10-9 victory.
Gonzalez led the Equuleus team with six goals. Kampsen
added four goals in the win. Tomas Garcia Del Rio scored six times for Certified, teammates Borrico, Snow and his brother, Marcos Garcia Del Rio added single goals in the losing effort.
Play will continue in the 2011 Monty Waterbury on Friday when Equuleus (1-0) faces Yellow Cab (0-1). Certified (0-1) returns to action on Saturday, July 30th against Heathcote (1-0).