Lechuza Over White Birch, 8-6
By Alex Webbe
In earlier Gold Cup action, a balanced Lechuza Caracas attack struggled with White Birch for the first three chukkers before charging out to a 5-2 lead after the fourth chukker of play.
White Birch’s Pancho Bensadon (8) accounted for the only scoring in the first chukker as he converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal.
Sapo Caset scored once from the field for Lechuza in the second period as its defense kept White Birch off the scoreboard for a 1-1 tie.
Both offenses continued to struggle in the third chukker with Nicolas Espain scoring from the field for Lechuza while Jeff Blake converted a penalty shot for a goal for White Birch, leaving the game all even at 2-2 at the end of the first half.
The fourth chukker belonged to Lechuza as its offense put three goals on the scoreboard for a 5-2 lead as White Birch was blanked for a second period.
Each team managed only a single goal in the fifth chukker, 6-3, before White Birch managed to find its offense.
In the sixth chukker, Bensadon scored twice and Blake added a single goal for White Birch, but it was a case of too little too late.
Lechuza team captain Victor Vargas and Espain answered with single goals as White Birch fell 8-6.
Bensadon scored three goals for White Birch. Mariano Aguerre scored twice and Blake added a single goal.
Lechuza received three goals from each Caset and Espain, and single goals from Victor Vargas and 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero.
Gold Cup play continues on Sunday at the International Polo Club in