White Birch over Lechuza in Hampton
Cup play
By Alex Webbe
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.