By Alex Webbe
La Alegria (1-0) rocketed out to a 12-5 lead before coasting to a 14-12 win over Circa (1-1) in Tuesday afternoon action in the 2010 Hampton Cup at the Bridgehampton Polo Club.
La Alegria, winner of this year’s Mercedes Benz Challenge Cup, started out quickly, getting two goals from young Marianito Gracida in the first chukker while stifling the Circa offense for an early 2-0 lead.
Freddie Mannix, Jr. scored two straight goals to open the second chukker, and 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre converted an 80-yard penalty shot for a goal to make it 5-1, La Alegria. Circa got a goal from the field from Magoo Laprida to end the period, but La Alegria was in control of a 5-2 game.
For all intents and purposes, La Alegria nailed down the win in the third chukker. Gracida and Aguerre added two more goals apiece while Mannix scored his third goal of the game. Circa got goals from Martin Pepa and Laprida (penalty goal), but limped off the field at the end of the first half, trailing 10-4.
Pepa scored the opening goal of the fourth chukker for Circa, but goals from La Alegria’s Aguerre and Robert Payne (filling in for team captain, Peter Brant) put the game out of reach. La Alegria held a commanding seven goal lead, 12-5, with two chukkers to play.
Circa mounted an attack in the fifth chukker, getting a pair of goals from Guille Aguero and a single goal from Laprida. Mannix scored the only goal of the period for La Alegria, but Peter Brant’s team continued to enjoy a comfortable five goal lead, 13-8, with seven minutes to play.
Circa had its most productive chukker of the match in the final chukker, getting a pair of goals from Laprida and single goals from Pepa and Aguero. Mannix responded for La Alegria with his fifth goal of the contest. The final horn sounded with La Alegria coasting to a 14-12 win.
Mannix led the La Alegria team with five goals. Aguerre and Gracida scored four times apiece, and Payne added a goal in the win
Laprida led the Circa effort with five goals. Teammates Pepa and Aguero scored three goals apiece in the loss.