Martin Pepa on the ball for Equuleus.
Equuleus (Joe DiMenna, Mariano Gonzalez, Magoo Laprida and martin Pepa) beat Heathcote (Steve Lefkowitz, Naco Taverna, Tommy Biddle and Nick Manifold) Sunday afternoon 10-7 in Monty Waterbury Cup play at the Equuleus field in a match that left the Heathcote players frustrated and bewildered.
Heathcote received three goals by handicap from the 20-goal Equuleus team in Monty Waterbury Cup action and added to it in the first chukker with goals from Tommy Biddle (penalty conversion) and Nick Manifold while holding Equuleus to goals from Martin Pepa and Mariano Gonzalez for a 5-2 Equuleus, but that was when the wheels came off the wagon. Heathcote was held scoreless for the next four chukkers.
Equuleus scored four unanswered goals in the second chukker with Magoo Laprida putting in two from the field while Pepa and Gonzalez (penalty goal) scored single goals. The chukker ended with Equuleus on top of a 6-5 score.
Three more goals in the third by Equuleus stretched the lead to four goals as Gonzalez converted two more penalty shots and Pepa added another goal from the field. At the halfway mark Equuleus was leading 9-5 while Heathcote struggled for an answer.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Heathcote’s Tommy Biddle after the game. “We had a good first chukker and then all seemed to have horse troubles in the second and third chukkers. It’s nothing you can plan on, but it does happen every now and then.”
Both teams struggled through a scoreless fourth chukker with a number of Heathcote shots on goal either hitting the goal post or just missing the mark.
“We couldn’t buy a goal today,” said Biddle. I don’t think they (Equuleus) crossed midfield in the fourth chukker, but we just couldn’t put the ball between the goalposts.”
Equuleus managed just a single goal from the field from Pepa while Heathcote’s scoring drought continued. Heathcote trailed by five goals, 10-5, going into the final chukker.
Goals from Biddle and Heathcote team captain Steve Lefkowitz were coupled with a defense that limited Equuleus to just one second half goal as time ran out. The final horn sounded with Equuleus celebrating the 10-7 win.
Gonzalez and Pepa scored four goals apiece for Equuleus. Magoo Laprida added two goals for the win. Biddle scored twice for Heathcote with teammates Manifold and Lefkowitz adding single goals in the loss. Heathcote also received three goals by handicap.
Heathcote won’t have much of a rest with Monty Waterbury Cup action scheduled to continue with a 10:30AM Wednesday game between White Birch Farm and Heathcote. The last time these two teams met was in the finals of the recently played East Coast Open, with White Birch escaping with a 9-6 win.
A second 5PM Wednesday game will feature Equuleus and Lechuza.