White Birch and Heathcote remain undefeated in East Coast Open
By Alex Webbe
White Birch (Joaquin Panelo, Julian de Luzarreta, Matias Magrini and Peter Brant) and Heathcote (Steve Lefkowitz, Naco Taverna, Tommy Biddle and Nick Manifold) remained undefeated in 2-13 East Coast Open play at the Greenwich Polo Club as both teams notched their second wins in as many outings.
The field of four teams includes White Birch, Heathcote, Cinque Terre (Alessandro Bazzoni, Gringo Colombres, Joao Ganon and Brandon Phillips) and Airstream (Peter Orthwein, Kris Kampsen, Guille Aguero and Mariano Gonzalez), with the tournament winner being decided on the best record in the four team bracket.
White Birch took care of business in the morning game by registering an 11-10 win over a resilient Airstream entry, but it took an overtime period to do it.
White Birch surged out to a mercurial first chukker lead on three goals from Argentine 8-goaler Matias Magrini (two on penalty shots) and single goals from the field from Joaquin Panelo and Julian de Luzarreta. Airstream was unable to break through a stubborn White Birch defense and trailed 5-0 after the first period of play.
Panelo’s second goal of the game had White birch up, 6-0, before Airstream responded. Kampsen scored once from the field and once on a penalty shot while teammate Guille Aguero added a goal. White Birch continued to hold the lead, but Airstream took a bite out of it and trailed by only three goals, 6-3.
Third chukker goals by Aguero and Kampsen went unanswered as the Airstream defense smothered ensuing White Birch attacks. At the end of the first half White Birch struggled to hold on with a 6-5 edge.
Airstream shut out the White birch attack for the second consecutive chukker. Three more goals gave the lead to Airstream for the first time all day. Kampsen, Aguero and Mariano Gonzalez each scored a goal as Airstream cruised out to an 8-6 lead.
Fifth chukker goals from Magrini and de Luzarreta tied it up at 8-8. A 30-yard penalty conversion from Kampsen gave the lead back to Airstream, 9-8, as the period ended.
White Birch got on the scoreboard with a tying goal from de Luzarreta, 9-9. Kampsen responded with his sixth goal of the game to take the lead back for Airstream, 10-9. With time running out, an Airstream foul sent Magrini to the penalty line where he converted the shot for a tying goal, 10-10, forcing sudden-death overtime.
In the overtime chukker, de Luzarreta broke free of the Airstream defense to score the winning goal for White Birch.
Kampsen led all scoring with six goals (three on penalty shots). Aguero added three and Gonzalez was credited with one goal in the loss. Magrini scored five times for White Birch (three on penalty shots). De Luzarreta added four goals and Panelo scored twice in the win.
HEATHCOTE 11, CINQUE TERRE 8
Heathcote received two goals by handicap from the 19-goal Cinque Terre lineup and promptly added to it. A miserly Heathcote defense kept Cinque Terre from scoring in the opening chukker while Tommy biddle converted a pair of penalty shots for goals. Heathcote rode into the second chukker with a 4-0 lead,
Cinque Terre came back in the second period with consecutive goals from Alessandro Bazzoni, Brandon Phillips (a 60-yard penalty conversion) and Gringo Colombres. Heathcote was unable to score in the chukker but continued to lead, 4-3.
Phillips tied it up in the third with his second penalty conversion of the day, 4-4. Biddle answered back with a penalty goal of his own and a goal from the field. At the end of the first half Heathcote held a 6-4 advantage.
Phillips added a pair of goals for Cinque Terre (one on a penalty shot) but Biddle kept Heathcoat in the lead with his fourth penalty goal of the game. Cinque Terre continued to trail, but cut the lead to a single goal, 7-6.
Three fifth chukker goals extended the Heathcote lead to three on a pair of goals from Biddle (one on a penalty shot) and a goal from the field from Naco Taverna. Bazzoni scored the only goal of the chukker for Cinque Terre. Heathcote left the field at the end of the fifth chukker on the winning end of a 10-7 score.
Biddle converted his sixth penalty goal of the day on a 40-yard conversion, 11-7. Joao Ganon scored the final goal of the game for Cinque Terre in an 11-8 loss.
Biddle led all scoring with eight goals (six on penalty conversions). Taverna added a goal and Heathcote received two goals by handicap. Phillips scored four goals for Cinque Terre (three on penalty shots). Bazzoni added two goals and Colombres and Ganon each scored once in the loss.
Taverna was named MVP while Lucrecia (owned by Los Machitos) and played by Alessandro Bazzoni, received Best Playing Pony honors.
East Coast Open play will conclude on Wednesday, July 17 when White Birch (2-0) and Heathcote (2-0) face off for the title. Airstream (0-2) and Cinque Terre (0-2) will play a consolation match.
"Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly" 
Rabii Benadada
