White Birch 8-goaler Matias Magrini scored eight goals in the win.
White Birch (Herndon Radcliff, Mariano Aguerre, Matias Magrini and Tomas Alberdi) scored their third consecutive Hampton Cup win in a 12-10 win over a talented Lechuza entry (Victor Vargas, Mariano Gracida, Juan Martin Nero and Tomas Goti) at the Bridgehampton Polo Club Tuesday afternoon.
Matias Magrini opened the game with a pair of goals for White Birch. Magrini scored once from the field and once on a penalty shot for the early 2-0 lead. Lechuza answered back with goals from Tomas Goti (a penalty conversion) and 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero for the 2-2 tie.
The two teams exchanged goals once again in the opening minutes of the second frame. A goal from the field from Nero was followed by a 60-yard penalty conversion from Goti for a 4-2 advantage. White Birch responded with goals from Magrini and Tomas Alberdi for a 4-4 deadlock. A final goal from the field from Goti gave Lechuza the 5-4 edge to end the second chukker.
Nero opened the third chukker with a goal from the field, 6-4, but White Birch was ready. Magrini scored twice (once on a penalty shot) to even the score at 6-6. Alberdi gave White Birch the go-ahead-goal, 7-6. A White Birch penalty sent Goti to the line where he converted the shot for the tying goal. After periods of play the score was all even at 7-7.
Lechuza fouls in the second half cost them dearly. Consecutive penalty conversions from Magrini had White Birch back in the lead, 9-7. Nero scored the final goal of the chukker, but the fourth period ended with White Birch on top of a 9-8 score.
Both defenses tightened in the fifth, with a goal from Alberdi stretching the White Birch lead to two goals, 10-8. Nero cut the lead back to a single goal, 10-9, with one chukker left in regulation play.
White Birch took control in the sixth. Alberdi scored from the field, 11-9, and Magrini converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a three goal, 12-9 lead. Victor Vargas scored the final goal of the game for Lechuza, but the win went to White Birch, 12-10.
Magrini led all scoring with eight goals (five on penalty conversions). Alberdi added four goals for the win. Nero scored five times from the field for Lechuza. Goti added four goals (three from the penalty line) and Vargas scored once in the loss.
Hampton Cup play continues on Wednesday, August 21 with Equuleus (0-2) playing Heathcote (0-2). The semifinals have been slated to be played on Saturday, august 24 with the finals set for Tuesday, August 27.