By Alex Webbe
Equuleus spotted Heathcote three goals by handicap and tied it up at 5-5 at the end of the first half, but needed three goals in the final chukker to take the 11-9 win Tuesday afternoon in Hampton Cup play at the Bridgehampton Polo Club on Long Island.
Kris Kampsen opened the scoring with a goal from the field for Equuleus. Teammate Mariano Gonzalez added another while shutting down the Heathcote offense. The first chukker ended with Heathcote holding on to a 3-2 lead, but showing no offensive punch.
Goals from Tommy Biddle and Naco Taverna extended the Heathcote lead to 5-2 in the second chukker, with Kampsen managing to sneak a single goal through the goal posts to keep the Equuleus attack from stalling. The period ended with Heathcote leading by two goals, 5-3.
Heathcote found itself on the defensive in the third, committing a couple of costly fouls. Gonzalez converted both opportunities while
helping his teammates cut the legs out from under the Heathcote offense. The score stood all even at 5-5 at halftime.
“We had some opportunities, but we just didn’t take advantage of them,” offered Biddle. “It was a very competitive match,” he added.
Biddle put Heathcote ahead, 6-5, with a penalty conversion to open the second half of play. Kampsen tied it up again, 6-6, with his third goal from the field.
Heathcote team captain Steve Lefkowitz ended the scoring in the period
with his first goal of the game, leaving Equuleus trailing 7-6 with one chukker
left to play.
The Equuleus defense earned it pay as Heathcote was blanked for the third time in the match. Kampsen converted a penalty shot for a goal and Mariano Obregon scored from the field as Equuleus took its first lead of the game, 8-7.
Biddle tied it up in the sixth on a 40-yard penalty shot but Gonzalez answered back with a pair of goals (one by penalty, one from the field) for Equuleus for a 10-8, two goal lead. Lefkowitz tallied his second score of the game to bring Heathcote to within a goal, 10-9, before Kampsen’s fifth goal of the afternoon closed the door on the Heathcote rally in the 11-9 Equuleus victory.
“The field cut up a bit,” said Biddle, “making it a bit difficult. But it was the same for both teams. I was happy with the way the team played,” he
added, “but not happy about the loss.”
Gonzalez and Kampsen scored five goals apiece in the win.
Obregon added a goal.
Biddle scored three times for Heathcote. Lefkowitz added two goals and Taverna scored once in a losing effort.
The win gives Equuleus a 2-0 record while Heathcote slips to 1-1.
Hampton Cup play continues on Wednesday with Certified (0-1) slated to play KIG (0-1) at 3pm followed by a 5pm match featuring Circa (0-1) and White Birch
(1-0).