Lechuza team captain, Victor Vargas
Tomas Goti continued to play at a blistering pace as he scored eight goals in Lechuza’s (Victor Vargas, Mariano Gracida, Juan Martin Nero and Tomas Goti) 15-11 win over Heathcote (Steve Lefkowitz, Naco Taverna, Tommy Biddle and Nick Manifold) Sunday in continuing play in the 2013 Monty Waterbury Cup at the Bridgehampton Polo Club.
Heathcote received three goals on handicap from the 20-goal Lechuza lineup, but Tomas Goti, fittingly enough, scored the first goal from the field. Nick Manifold ran the score to 4-1 with a goal for Heathcote, but Goti converted a penalty shot to end the chukker with Heathcote in the lead, 4-2.
Everything seemed to be going right for Goti in the second as he reeled off three consecutive goals to give Lechuza their first lead of the game, 5-4. Tommy Biddle converted a 30-yard penalty shot to end the period in a 5-5 deadlock.
Goti opened the third chukker with a goal from the field followed by a 40-yard penalty conversion from Biddle. The score remained tied at 6-6. Mariano Gracida closed out the scoring in the first half with a go-ahead goal for Lechuza. At the end of the third chukker Lechuza held a narrow 7-6 advantage.
Heathcote team captain Steve Lefkowitz tied it at 7-7 with the opening goal of the fourth. A 60-yard penalty shot by Goti gave the lead back to Lechuza, 8-7. Juan Martin Nero scored his first goal of the game to extend the Lechuza lead to two goals, 9-7. Biddle converted another penalty goal for Heathcote to end the chukker. Lechuza held on to their one goal, 9-8 lead.
For the second time in the game, Lefkowitz scored the opening goal of the chukker, and for the second time in the game, his goal tied it up, 9-9. Lechuza countered with a penalty goal from Nero and a goal from the field from Goti to edge Heathcote, 11-9. Naco Taverna slipped past the Lechuza defense for a gal for Heathcote, 11-10. Lechuza team captain Victor Vargas scored the final goal of the chukker as Lechuza rode off the field on top of a 12-10 score.
Nero opened the sixth chukker with his third goal of the day, 13-10, followed by consecutive goals from Vargas, 15-10. Lefkowitz scored the final goal of the game as Lechuza rode off with the 15-11 victory.
Goti was credited with eight goals on the day two on penalty shots. Nero and Vargas scored three goals apiece and Gracida added a goal for the win. Biddle *(three penalty shots) and Lefkowitz were tied with three goals apiece for Heathcote. Manifold and Taverna each scored a goal, and the team received three goals by handicap.
The loss was Heathcote’s third in a row while Lechuza improved their record to 2-1.