Monty Waterbury Cup Semifinals Set

WaterburySemifinals Set

By Alex Webbe

Wins byHeathcote (2-1) and Equuleus (2-1) set the stage for Wednesday’s semifinals ofthe 2011 Monty Waterbury Cup at the Bridgehampton Polo Club Saturday.  The wins eliminated both Certified (1-2) andYellow Cab (0-3) from cup competition, pitting White Birch (2-1) againstEquuleus in semifinal action followed by a Heathcote vs. Circa showdown.

Heathcoteopened the day with a 17-12 rout of Yellow Cab. Heathcote received three goals by handicap, but it was Nacho Figueras whoopened the scoring for Yellow Cab with a goal from the field.  Nick Manifold scored two of the next threegoals and teammate Tommy Biddle converted a 60-yard penalty shot as Heathcotetook an early 6-1 lead.

The secondchukker belonged to Heathcote.  Manifoldscored the first goal to put Heathcote up, 7-1 before Naco Taverna added twomore from the field.  Biddle convertedanother 60-yard penalty shot to make it 10-1 before a goal from Figueras put anend to the second period shutout.  Biddleadded two more penalty goals to end the chukker with Heathcote on top of aone-sided 12-2 score.

JeffreyGarber opened the third chukker with a goal from the field and Luis Escobar addedtwo more.  Michel Dorignac scored hisfirst goal of the game to cut the Heathcote lead to a manageable six goals, 16,but Biddle scored again from the 60-yard penalty line and the first half endedwith Heathcoat claiming a comfortable 13-6 advantage.

“The teamplayed great today,” said Biddle.  “It’sso enjoyable to play with these guys. The teamwork was right where we wanted it to be,” he added.

Theoffensive pace slowed down in the fourth period with Biddle and Dorignac eachscoring single goals for their respective teams.  Biddle converted a 40-yard penalty shot forhis sixth goal of the day while Dorignac’s second goal came from the field.  With two chukkers to play, Heathcotemaintained a 14-7, seven goal lead.

Escobar cutthe lead to six as the fifth period opened, but a pair of goals from Biddlebrought the chukker to a close with Heathcote boasting an eight goal lead,16-8.

Yellow Cabattempted a last chukker rally, getting four goals from Argentine 7-goalerDorignac while holding Heathcote to a single Naco Taverna score, but the effortwasn’t nearly enough.  Heathcote rode offwith the 17-12 victory and a spot in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Biddle ledall scoring with eight goals.  TeammatesTaverna and Manifold scored three goals apiece and the team received threegoals by handicap.  Dorignac scored sixtimes for Yellow Cab.  Escobar addedthree and Figueras scored twice.  Garberadded a goal in the loss.

CIRCA 10, EQUULEUS 7

In thesecond match of the day a previously undefeated Equuleus team fell to Circa10-7, leveling both team records at 2-1 and qualifying both of them for semifinalplay.

“I wasreally disappointed,” said Equuleus 6-goaler Kris Kampsen.  “I feel like I let the team down,” hesaid.  “We really should have won it.”

Circareceived one goal by handicap from the 20-goal Equuleus team, but watched asKampsen scored a pair of goals (one from the field, one on a 40-yard penaltyshot) put Equuleus in front 2-1 after the first period of the match.

MagooLaprida tied it up at 2-2 in the opening minute of the second chukker, but Kampsen’sthird goal of the game had Circa trailing 3-2. Laprida’s second goal of the period had it all even at 3-3.

A goal fromthe field from Martin Pepa and a penalty goal from Laprida was combined withdisciplined defense that kept Equuleus off the scoreboard.  At the end of the first half it was Circawith a 5-3 lead.

Both defenses stiffened in the fourth chukker. Equuleus turned the tables on Circa, shutting them out, but could only manage a single goal from Mariano Obregon.  After four periods ofplay, Circa continued to lead, 5-4.

Pepa andLaprida added single scores in the fifth chukker, but Kampsen responded with apair of penalty goals for Equuleus.  Withjust seven minutes in the match, Circa had a tenuous 7-6 edge.

Kampsen’ssixth goal of the game tied it up at 7-7 in the final chukker, and pressed theCirca goal when penalties caused the team’s downfall.  Laprida converted three consecutive penaltyshots for goals to end the contest and give Circa a 10-7 win and a position inthe semifinals.  Equuleus suffered itsfirst loss of the tournament, but also qualified for semifinal play.

Lapridascored seven times for Circa.  Pepa addedtwo goals and the team received one goal by handicap.

Kampsenscored six times for Equuleus.  Obregon added a single goal in a losing effort.

WaterburyCup play will continue on Wednesday, August 10 with  White Birch meeting Equuleus at 10:30 amfollowed by a battle between Heathcote and Circa at 5 pm.