Michel Dorignac with the ball for Airstream. Matias Magrini in pursuit and teammate Mariano Gonzalez trailing the play.
Five goals from veteran 9-goaler Mariano Aguerre lifted White Birch Farm (Santino Magrini, Hilario Ulloa, Mariano Aguerre and Peter Brant) to a 13-9 win over Tupungato (Luis Rinaldini, Nick Manifold, Joao Paulo Ganon and Tommy Biddle) in the opening game of the 2015 Monty Waterbury Cup at the Greenwich Polo Club Sunday morning.
Tupungato received two goals by handicap from the 20-goal White Birch Farm team but was unable to get on the scoreboard in the opening chukker. White Birch Farm goals from Santino Magrini and Mariano Aguerre tied the game at 2-2 at the end of the first chukker.
Hilario Ulloa and Magrini added goals in the second while a stalwart defense held Tupungato scoreless from the field for the second consecutive chukker. At the end of the second period White Birch Farm was on top of a 4-2 score.
Magrini opened the third period with a score that had White Birch Farm in front by three goals, 5-2, but Tupungato finally got their offense on track. Aided by a goal awarded on a Penalty 1, a goal from the field from Brazilian 7-goaler Joao Ganon and a penalty goal from Tommy Biddle, the score was leveled at 5-5. Hilario Ulloa scored the final goal of the first half, allowing White Birch Farm to ride off the field with a delicate 6-5 halftime lead.
Ganon tied the game at 6-6 with the opening goal of the second half. Ulloa countered with a go-ahead goal for White Birch Farm, 7-6. Nick Manifold toed the game again at 7-7 with his first goal of the day. White Birch Farm answered back with goals from Aguerre and Ulloa that ended the period with Tupungato trailing, 9-7.
White Birch Farm took control of the game in the fifth chukker, scoring three times and shutting down the Tupungato attack. Aguerre displayed superior malletwork and horsemanship as he rang up three consecutive goals for a five goal, 12-7 advantage.
Magrini stretched the White Birch Farm lead to six goals, 13-7, as the sixth chukker got underway. Ganon and Biddle scored single goals for Tupungato, but it was White Birch Farm with the 13-9 win.
Aguerre led all scoring with five goals. Ulloa and Magrini added two goals apiece for the win. Biddle and Ganon each scored three times for Tupungato. Manifold was credited with a goal and the team received two goals by handicap.
Airstream edges Shreve, Crump and Low, 10-9 in Greenwich
In the Greenwich Polo Club’s feature match of the day in the 2015 Monty Waterbury Cup, Airstream (Peter Orthwein, Guille Aguero, Mariano Gonzalez and Michel Dorignac) scored three sixth chukker goals to sneak past a scrappy Shreve, Crump & Low polo team (Chris Brant, Joaquin Panelo, Matias Magrini and Kris Kampsen) to register a 10-9 win Sunday afternoon.
Kris Kampsen opened the scoring for Shreve, Crump & Low with a first chukker goal. Teammate Joaquin Panelo added another goal, stretching the early lead to 2-0. Airstream was unable to score and trailed 2-0 after the first chukker.
A pair of goals from Mariano Gonzalez (one on a penalty conversion), and a goal from the field from Michel Dorignac were complimented by shutout defense. After two periods of play, Airstream moved ahead of Shreve, Crump & Low, 3-2.
Chris Brant tied the score at 3-3 with his first goal of the day, and Panelo added a goal on a 30-yard penalty conversion that had Shreve, Crump & Low back in the lead, 4-3. Gonzalez retaliated with a penalty goal of his own from 30-ayrds out to deadlock the game at 4-4 at the end of the first half.
Matias Magrini gave Shreve, Crump & Low the 5-4 lead as second half action began. Panelo scored his second goal of the game as Shreve, Crump & Low extended their lead to two goals, 6-4. Gonzalez scored the final goal of the fourth chukker from the field but it was Shreve, Crump & Low who left the field with a 6-5 advantage.
Three more goals in the fifth stretched the Shreve, Crump & Low to 9-7. Kampsen scored twice and Panelo added a goal. Airstream got a goal from the field from Dorignac and a penalty goal from Gonzalez. With one period remaining in regulation play, Shreve, Crump & Low were sitting on top of a 9-7 score.
Dorignac scored his third goal of the day and Guille Aguero added two goals. The Shreve, Crump & Low offense died in the final period with Airstream taking the game, 10-9.
Gonzalez scored three of his game high five goals on penalty conversions. Dorignac added three goals and Aguero scored twice for the win. Panelo led the Shreve, Crump & Low offense with four goals. Kampsen was credited with three goals while Brant and Magrini added single goals in the loss.
Monty Waterbury Cup play continues on Saturday with Shreve, Crump & Low (0-1) facing Tupungato. Airstream and White Birch Farm will face-off on Sunday.