White Birch still undefeated; KIG wins in OT
Written by Alex Webbe and Photography by Alex Pacheco
After trailing Certified 9-4 at the end of the first three chukkers, KIG staged a second half rally that tied the game at 11-11 in the final six seconds of regulation play. Luis Escobar took the throw-in in overtime and carried it down the field for the winning goal for the 12-11 victory in Hampton Cup play at the Bridgehampton Polo Club.
“What a great win,” said Argentine 7-goaler Michel Dorignac who scored the tying goal to push the game into overtime. “We had a great second half, and never gave up,” he added.
Marcos Garcia Del Rio scored the first goal of the game from the field followed by a penalty conversion from his brother, Tomas Garcia Del Rio. Dorignac responded for KIG with a field goal and Tomas Garcia Del Rio closed out the period with his second goal for a 3-1 Certified advantage.
Offense was hard to come by for both teams in the second chukker as they struggled for ball control and positioning. Dorignac converted a penalty shot for a goal to account for the only score, and at the end of two, Certified had a narrow 3-2 edge.
Certified team captain Michael Borrico scored the first goal of the third chukker followed by a pair of successful scoring efforts by Marcos Garcia Del Rio. KIG could get a break as a number of shots at goal went wide. The first half ended with Certified holding a healthy 6-2 lead.
Borrico and Tomas Garcia Del Rio opened the fourth single goals to run the Certified lead to six goals, 8-2, before KIG managed to get back on track. Goals from Nacho Figueras and Dorignac cut into the commanding Certified lead, but Tomas Garcia Del Rio managed the final goal of the chukker, and KIG was behind by five goals, 9-4.
“I never really thought we were out of it,” said Figueras. “We missed some opportunities in the opening chukkers, but I felt like we were still in it.”
Figueras scored the opening two goals of the fifth period followed by a penalty goal from Dorignac. Another Figueras goal from the field cut the Certified lead to a single goal. 9-8, before Adam Snow broke the KIG run with his first goal of the afternoon. With one chukker left in regulation play, Certified held on to a 10-8, two goal lead.
“We kept getting stronger and stronger, “said Figueras. “We were really clicking as a team.”
Once again it was Figueras with the opening goal, but Snow responded with a score for Certified. The margin remained at two goals, 11-9 with about ninety seconds left in the chukker. KIG continued to press the attack. Certified committed a foul that put Dorignac at the line, and the seven-goaler converted it. KIG needed another goal to stay alive. With seven seconds on the clock, Certified committed another foul, and once again Dorignac converted the shot for the tying goal.
After a brief recess, both teams lined up for the sudden-death overtime period. The throw-in was taken by Luis Escobar who hacked the ball toward the Certified goal. Dorignac and Tomas Garcia Del Rio raced for the ball, with Dorignac blocking Garcia Del Rio out of the play. KIG team captain Bash Kazi got a mallet on the ball and set it up for Escobar who had a clear field to
goal. One strong hit followed by two more measured strokes and the ball carried through the goal posts for the KIG victory. After fighting through six chukkers of knock-down, drag-out play, the match was decided in less than thirty seconds.
“It was a total team effort,” said Escobar, who’s Best Playing Pony, Julieta, carried him down the field for the final score. “Everyone worked very hard for the win.”
Dorignac led all scoring with six goals. Figueras scored five times and Escobar added the very important winning goal.
A balanced Certified attack had Tomas Garcia Del Rio scoring four goals. Marcos Garcia Del Rio accounted for three goals and teammates Snow and Borrico added two goals apiece.
The loss dropped Certified’s record to 0-2, while KIG is all even at 1-1.
Photography by Alex Pacheco
Photography by Alex Pacheco
WHITE BIRCH 11, CIRCA 9
Martin Pepa scored four of Circa’s seven first half goals in Wednesday’s Hampton Cup competition before falling to a determined White Birch foursome 11-9 in the final chukker.
Circa received one goal by handicap from the 20-goal White Birch quartet, and wasted little time adding to it. Magoo Laprida converted a penalty shot followed by a pair of well-placed goals from Pepa. White Birch was unable to mount an effective attack in the opening chukker and trailed 4-0 after the first seven and-a-half minutes of play.
“We just didn’t get it going in the opening chukker,” said White Birch 6-goaler Fred Mannix, “and they’re a very talented team.”
Magoo Laprida opened the scoring by converting a penalty shot for a goal followed by a pair of goals from the field from Martin Pepa. White Birch couldn’t manage to break successfully through the Circa defense and trailed 4-0 after the first chukker.
Laprida added another goal for Circa in the second period but White Birch was beginning to stir. A pair of goals from the field from Mariano Aguerre got them on the scoreboard, but Circa held on to a three goal lead, 5-2.
Pepa opened up the third chukker in grand style. Two beautiful goals from the field stretched the Circa lead to 7-2 before White Birch knew what had happened.
“Pepa had the game of his life today,” commented Mannix. “He played very well throughout the match.” A goal from the field from Aguerre and a penalty conversion from Mannix took a little of the sting out of it, however as the period ended with Circa leading, 7-4.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fourth chukker. Pepa put Circa ahead 8-4 before Mannix cut the lead down to a manageable 8-5 with his second goal of the day.
Mannix opened the fifth period with a penalty goal for White Birch, but Guille Aguero scored a goal for Circa to preserve its three goals lead, 9-6. That was when the game turned. White Birch scored three unanswered goals, with Aguerre accounting for two of them and Mannix adding the third. After five chukkers of play, the score stood all even at 9-9.
Mannix scored twice in the final chukker as White Birch held Circa scoreless in the final minutes of the game. White Birch stayed undefeated, 2-0, in Hampton Cup play in the come-from-behind win.
“It was a lot of fun,” offered Mannix after the game. “It was a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun.”
Mannix accounted for six goals for White Birch. Aguerre added five goals in the win. Pepa led the Circa attack, scoring five times. Laprida added two and Aguero scored once. Hampton Cup play is scheduled to continue on Saturday with a 10:30 am game scheduled between Certified (0-2) and Heathcote (1-1). KIG (1-1) will take on Circa (0-2) at 4pm.
Photography by Alex Pacheco
Photography by Alex Pacheco
"Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly" 
Rabii Benadada
