Circa wins semifinal berth; Heathcote
remains undefeated

By Alex Webbe

Circa trailed 6-4 at the end of the first half but charged back into the fray to score a
tooth-and-nail 10-9 win over Alegria, winning Bracket III, and securing a spot in next
week’s semifinals to determine who will face the winner of Bracket I in the Joe Barry
Memorial finals at the International Polo Club in Wellington Friday afternoon.

“We didn’t play well,” said an exhausted Hilario Ulloa, following the game. “We’re going
to have to play better if we’re going to expect to move on.”

Circa’s Guille Aguero scored the opening goal of the game for Circa about halfway
through the first chukker, but a foul put Alegria’s Julian Mannix at the penalty line, and
the converted shot tied it up at 1-1.

Aguero took a pass from Hilario Ulloa in the second period and drove it through the
goal posts for an early 2-1 advantage, but Alegria stormed back into the game. Another
penalty goal by Mannix was followed up by a goal from the field from Alegria 9-goaler
Mariano Aguerre. The second chukker ended with Alegria defending a narrow 3-2 lead.

Circa’s Aguero tied it up at 3-3 in the opening minute of the third chukker on a penalty
conversion. Mannix put another Alegria goal on the scoreboard, 4-3, on a pass from
Naco Taverna. Aguerre’s second goal of the game had Alegria in front 5-3, but with
1:30 left in the chukker, Martin Pepa scored from the field to cut the Alegria lead to a
single goal, 5-4. With seconds on the clock, Aguerre made it 6-4 to end the first half.

Ulloa took advantage of an Alegria foul for a penalty goal in the fourth, but Alegria
looked to be taking control of the game. Ulloa added another goal in the period, but a
pair of goals from Mannix and a penalty goal from Naco Taverna ended the period with
Alegria sitting on the winning end of a 9-6 score.

The fifth chukker, however, belonged to Circa as Alegria muffed one opportunity after
another and Circa continued to press the attack. A pair of goals from Ulloa went
unanswered and Circa had cut the lead to 9-8.

Alegria tried desperately to get back into the game in the final period, but it was Circa
that put two more goals on the board. Ulloa tied it at 9-9 on a goal from the field,
and then won it on a penalty goal with 1:38 left in regulation time. For the second
consecutive chukker, the Alegria attack had been blanked and Circa rode on for the 10-
9 win.

Ulloa led Circa (3-0) in scoring with six goals (two on penalty conversions). Aguero
added three goals and Pepa scored once in the win.

Mannix set the pace for Alegria (1-2) with five goals (three on penalty shots). Aguerre
scored three times and Taverna scored one goal.

HEATHCOTE 12, ZACARA 9

Earlier in the day Tommy Biddle scored ten goals in leading Heathcote (2-0) to a 12-
9 win over Zacara (0-2) in Bracket II competition. The win will set up Sunday’s 3pm
contest between Heathcote and Coca-Cola to see who will qualify for semifinal play.

Biddle opened the scoring on a 60 yard penalty conversion followed by charges up and
down the field before Zacara’s Marcos Llambias tied it up at 1-1 on a goal from the field.
Biddle closed out the chukker with a scoring shot. Heathcote took the early 2-1 lead.

Zacara took charge in the second chukker, as Llambias scored three consecutive goals
(two from the field and one on a penalty shot). Heathcote was shut out, and trailed 4-2
after two chukkers of play.

Heathcote struggled with its offense in the third, with Llambias scoring his fourth
consecutive goal of the game for a 5-2 advantage. Biddle converted another penalty
shot at 2:16. At the end of the first half of play, Zacara rode off the field with a5-3
halftime lead.

Biddle added two more goals in the fourth, but Gonzalo Del Tour and Zacara team
captain, Lyndon Lea, responded with single goals, and the two goal lead held with
Zacara ahead 7-5 after four chukkers.

Long drives down the field on offense and deliberately positioned backhanders from the
hard-hitting Biddle had turned Zacara’s backs to the play, and Heathcote took charge
in the fifth chukker. A goal from the field from Jeff Blake was countered by four goals
from Biddle (three on penalty shots, one from the field), and Heathcote regained a lead
it hadn’t had since the first chukker, 9-8.

Lucas Monteverde was on the end of a pass from the throw-in at the start of the sixth
chukker resulted in a 10-8 Heathcote lead with Zacara trying to find an answer. A
penalty goal from Biddle was followed by a goal from the field from Nick Manifold, and
Heathcote led by four goals, 12-8 with time running out. Del Tour scored the final goal
of the game on a great individual effort, but it was Heathcote that rode of the field with
the 12-9 victory.

Biddle scored an amazing ten goals in the Heathcote win. Teammates Manifold and
Monteverde each added a goal for the win.

Llambias scored five times for Zacara. Del Tour scored two goals and Lea and Blake
each added a goal.