Equuleus
downs Heathcote 10-7 in Monty Waterbury Cup
By
Alex Webbe
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.â€
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.â€
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.