Airstream’s Mariano Gonzalez scored seven goals in the 12-11 win.
Airstream (Peter Orthwein, Kris Kampsen, Guille Aguero and Mariano Gonzalez) opened the Fall Cup at the Greenwich Polo Club Sunday afternoon with a 12-11 win over Heathcote (Steve Lefkowitz, Naco Taverna, Tommy Biddle and Nick Manifold) behind a 9-3 second half.
Heathcote received three goals by handicap from the 20-goal Airstream lineup and quickly added to it. Tommy Biddle scored once from the field and once on a penalty conversion while teammate Nick Manifold chipped in a goal for the early 6-1 lead. Mariano Gonzalez kept Airstream from being shut out with the final goal of the chukker.
Goals were a rare commodity in the second period of the game. A Heathcote foul sent Airstream’s Kris Kampsen to the penalty line where he converted a 30-yard penalty shot. Heathcote continued to lead, 6-2.
Biddle converted a 40-yard penalty shot to open the third chukker followed by a goal from the field from Manifold, 8-2. Gonzalez ended the first half of play with an Airstream goal, but trailed Heathcote by five goals, 8-3.
A renewed Airstream took the field in the fourth on a mission. Single goals from Kampsen and Aguero and a pair of scores from Gonzalez in the fourth chukker went unanswered, as the Heathcote lead was cut to 8-7.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fifth, with goals from Biddle (60-yard penalty conversion) and Manifold stretched the Heathcote lead to three goals, 10-7. Airstream responded with goals from Gonzalez and Kampsen, 10-9 to end the chukker.
Gonzalez scored the tying goal to open the sixth chukker, 10-10, but Biddle stormed back with a goal to put Heathcote back in the lead, 11-10. Gonzalez tied it again at 11-11, and Kampsen scored the final goal in the 12-11 win.
Gonzalez scored seven times I the Airstream win. Kampsen chipped in four goals and Aguero added a goal for the Airstream victory. Biddle scored three of his five goals from the penalty line. Manifold added three goals in the loss.