Equuleus 13-11 in Hampton Cup action
By Alex Webbe
White Birch (Herden Radcliff, Matias Magrini, Mariano Aguerre
and Muller) jumped out to an 8-6 halftime lead and held on to register a 13-11
win over Equuleus (Martin Pepa,
Magoo Laprida, Mariano Gonzalez and Joe DiMenna) as Hampton Cup play finally
got underway again following rain delays at the Bridgehampton Polo Club
Saturday morning.
Herndon Radcliff
and Matias Magrini scored the opening goals of the game on penalty conversions
while holding Equuleus scoreless in the first seven minutes of play. Radcliff converted a 60-yard penalty shot
followed by a 30-yard penalty goal from Magrini for the early 2-0 lead.
Equuleus fought
their way back into the game in the second chukker with Martin Pepa and Magoo
Laprida scoring goals from the field.
Mariano Gonzalez converted a penalty shot for a goal as well, but White
Birch was up to the challenge. Every
member of the White Birch team got on the scoreboard in the second period with
Radcliff, Mariano Aguerre, Magrini and Remy Muller scoring single goals. White Birch left the field with a 6-3
advantage.
Radcliff and
Aguerre opened the third chukker with goals from the field to push White Birch
in front by five goals, 8-3, but Equuleus stormed back. Gonzalez converted a pair of 60-yard penalty
shots while Laprida added a goal from the field. At the end of the first half Equuleus had cut
the White Birch lead to two goals, 8-6.
Three straight
penalty goals from White Birch kicked off the fourth chukker with Aguerre
converting a pair of 60-yard penalty shots and Magrini scoring on a 30-yarder
to make it 11-6. Gonzalez responded with
a penalty goal of his own and Radcliff closed out the scoring for a 12-7 five
goals lead for White Birch.
White Birch
seemed to coast in the fifth period, holding Equuleus scoreless from the field
but giving up three unanswered penalty goals (all from Gonzalez). Equuleus had cut the White Birch lead to two
goals, 12-10, heading into the final chukker of play.
Muller scored the
opening goal of the sixth period with a goal from the field and Gonzalez converted
a penalty shot for a goal, but that would be the extent of the scoring as White
Birch held on for the 13-11 victory.
Gonzalez led all
scoring with eight goals (five on penalty conversions). Laprida scored twice and Pepa added a goal in
the loss. Radcliff and Aguerre scored
four goals each for White Birch. Magrini
was credited with three goals and Muller added two goals for the win.
The win boosts
the White Birch record to 2-0 while Equuleus slips to 0-2.