2023-2027
2023: #1 in the State
Pre-season
A very young 2022 squad is a year older. Hopes are high.
Pre-season begins with a 1-0 win at Greens Farms Academy (Gabriel Duque, from Eli Rosenkranz).
A crazy, back-and-forth 3-3 draw at Fairfield Prep follows. Pre-season ends with the Wethersfield jamboree: 1-1 with Tolland (Brendan Allen), 0-0 against Kingswood-Oxford, and – the first time the projected starters take the field – a 1-0 loss to the hosts.
Regular season
Co-captain Avery Mueller’s 2 goals – a 17th minute penalty kick, and a tuck into the far corner a minute later – give Staples a comfortable 2-0 led over Ridgefield, at Wakeman.
But the result won’t stand. The referees suspend play with 17 minutes left in the first half after lightning. The mandatory 30-minute wait period begins after each new bolt. At 5:17 p.m., the lead official determines there will not be enough time for the teams to return, warm back up and complete the match. It must be replayed, at a later date.
New Canaan becomes the next “opening match.” Staples again scores twice. Junior left back Cormac Mulvey finds Lucas Carpi blazing down the wing; he rifles a no-nonsense shot. Three minutes later co-captain Santi Alfageme – a back who comes forward for free kicks – bangs in Mueller’s looping free kick.
Visiting Brien McMahon controls much of the first half. But the Wreckers are patient, and stick to their game plan. Chase Watkins laces a corner kick across the goalmouth. Junior Zach Gorin waits patiently, then first-times it into the far netting. Keeper Nick Sikorski smothers a long, curving shot with 2 minutes to go, to ice the 1-0 win.
The blue-and-whites break open a close match against Norwalk, then stick the dagger in. They break the Bears’ high press in the 33rd minute. Luca Escalarte steals a ball, and hits Mueller. He freezes the keeper, and scores.
Second-half action includes a tap-in by Gorin, from classmate Elliot Galin, and a strike with just 16 seconds left by Mueller, after juking 2 defenders.
Wakeman Field is the site for the first true test of the season: 3-0-0 Staples vs. 3-0-1 Stamford. The Knights were scheduled to host, but are forced to play all their games on the road due to turf issues at home. The Wreckers wear visitors’ whites.
The squads are mirror images of each other. Both favor a short, quick-passing possession game. Both have individual and team speed, creative playmakers and sure-handed keepers. Both are tested several times.
Late in the first half, junior Zach Beebe heads in Watkins’ in-swinging corner kick. Stamford draws level 13 minutes after intermission, on a close-range shot. It’s the first goal conceded by the Westporters all year – 316 minutes (counting Ridgefield).
A year ago, Staples would have been flustered. This time, they go right back to work. So does Stamford, and the down-to-the-wire match ends fairly, a 1-1 draw.
Ridgefield returns to Wakeman for the second time (after lightning forced the season opener to be replayed. Staples scores just 45 seconds after kickoff. Gorin drives a quick corner kick into the box. Mueller outleaps a taller defender, and heads home with authority.
But the quick tally is illusory. The Tigers – who tied Stamford 0-0 – have many opportunities to draw level. Only airtight defense (including crunching tackles by Alfageme and Jack Schwartz) and Sikorski’s strong goalkeeping, keep the 1-0 scoreline. Finally, with 1:12 left, Staples gets an insurance goal against the run of play, as Galin assists fellow junior Emmett Nivaud.
The Wreckers pass a stern test against undefeated, #7 in the nation, defending state champion Greenwich with flying colors, at home. And they pass it powerfully.
In the 4th minute Mueller picks up a loose ball. He draws the keeper out, then finished clinically. The second goal comes 2 minutes after halftime. Mueller feeds Nivaud, for a sliding volley to the back post.
Looking to finish their archrivals off, the hosts attack relentlessly, and with speed. Defenders Alfageme, Schwartz, Beebe and Mulvey show poise, positioning and tenacity, limiting the Cards to a few medium-range shot. As usual, Adam Syah is a quiet, calming presence at defensive midfield.
The 2-0 victory sends a message to the rest of the league. Staples – despite starting only 4 seasons — is real. But for the rest of the season, they’ll have a target on their backs.
Less than 48 hours later, on the slick Wakeman surface, playing their third match in 5 days (at the unfamiliar hour of 10:30 a.m.), the Westporters take on Wilton. Carpi scores in the first 10 minutes, and adds another 1 minute into the second half.
That opens the floodgates. Gorin and Mueller make it 4-0. Reserves Watkins, Archie Lynch, James Corridon and Aaron Varsov keep up the pressure. Aldo Lopez preserves the clean sheet in goal, with 2 good saves.
A disappointing 1-1 draw at 2-3-2 Darien follows. The guests draw first blood, when Sikorski outlets to Gorin,, who plays forward to the high-scoring Mueller. But just 3 minutes before intermission the Blue Wave equalize. It is only the second goal scored on Staples in 8 matches.
In the 60th minute, Sikorski is shown a red card when he comes out of his box to save in a crowd. Lopez replaces him, but the blue-and-whites play the final 20 minutes a man down.
The red-carded keeper sits the next match, at Bridgeport Central. Mueller is out too, after receiving his third yellow card of the season at Darien. Other players are nursing injuries.
But Lopez stands tall in goal, and other players pace the attack. Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense shows confidence in his entire roster, giving plenty of time to fill-in starters (Corridon, Alex Kuster, Dylan Shackelford) and reserves (like 2nd-half keeper Christian Rinaldi).
Goals come from Carpi (from Gorin), Nivaud, Sam Rossoni (2, from Schwartz and Shackelford), and Rosenkranz (from Allen). Staples’ 5th match in 9 days is a 5-0 rout.
The next contest – a mere 48 hours later – promises to be quite different. 7-0-2, FCIAC Western Division-leading Staples travels to 5-1-3, East leader Fairfield Warde.
Staples struggles early. But in the 27th minute Mueller drives down the left, bedeviling 3 defenders. He cuts in and squares a ball that Nivaud calmly slots in.
The contest grows scrappy. The Mustangs are shown several yellow cards – and their coach earns a red, for strong dissent.
Alfageme sends a free kick to Gorin’s feet. He finds Mueller blitzing forward. A simple touch rounds the oncoming keeper; one more deft touch, and its 2-0. Mueller scores again, 3 minutes from time. It’s a fitting end to a high-octane night.
The next match – against 3-5-2, but “underperforming” Fairfield Ludlowe – does not go as well. The Falcons score twice in the first half, then disrupt their guests’ rhythm all the way through to a 2-0 upset win.
The Wreckers follow that disappointing result with a 6-0 victory over non-league, late-arriving Harding. First-half goals come from Rossoni (2, from Mueller and Gorin), Watkins (also from Mueller), and Grey Epstein (from Watkins). Jonny Costello’s 2nd-half finish rounds out the scoring.
Despite a steady Wakeman rain, Staples-Trumbull – pitting the #1 and #3 teams in both the FCIAC and state rankings – lives up to its marquee billing.
It is a crackling contest, with both sides’ talent, smarts, speed and tenacity on display. The Eagles boast high-scoring Owen Bull. The Wreckers bottle him up.
But the visitors do the same for Staples’ own prolific attacker, Mueller. He sees little of the ball.
Fortunately, his teammates pick up the slack.
The slick surface does not prevent skillful play. Both teams move the ball well, find feet, probe for seams, play backward confidently in order to go forward soon.
In the 62nd minute, Gorin takes a short corner to Galin. He unleashes a great cross into the center of the box. Alfageme – the tall center back co-captain, who wears the prestigious #15 ini honor of Preston Hirten – outleaps a gaggle of Eagles. He slams a header home, from short range.
The Wreckers do not sit back. Pressing forward, Mulvey’s rip is saved. Beeby’s header off a corner flies high by inches.
Sikorski’s best save of the day comes with 4 minutes to play. He gives up a rebound, but the follow-up shot sails over the crossbar.
It’s a huge victory, as the quarter of the season begins. And it’s earned with both smarts and skill.
Danbury brings just 16 players to Wakeman. But the Hatters make up for low numbers with tenacity, crisp passing and tight defense. They draw 0-0. Danbury – with its 5th tie of the year – is used to that result. The Wreckers are not.
A victory at home against Staples will make winless St. Joseph’s (0-10-2) season.
At halftime, they think they can do it. After failing to cross midfield for the first 6 minutes, then falling behind 2-0 in the first 37 minutes (on goals by Allen and Mueller), the Cadets halve the lead on a breakaway. Then – moments before the half – they equalize, on a penalty kick.
A displeased Oost-Lievense lets his players figure things out at halftime. The tactic works. Mueller scores from close range, then scores again off Nivaud’s corner kick. His 4th tally, on a solo effort, equalizes Staples’ single-game record, shared by many players.
Both squads have something to shoot for, in the regular season finale. The Westporters need a win or tie to have a shot at winning the Ralph King Cup as the top team in the FCIAC, and a win to keep their #1 seed in the state LL tournament.
The host Vikings have even more at stake. They’re 5-5-4, tied for 9th in the league. They need a victory – to have hopes for a berth in the 8-team FCIAC tourney.
As added motivation, it is Westhill’s Senior Day.
The fired-up Vikes do not let Staples past midfield for the first 4 minutes. Then a series of mistakes and bobbles by both teams – and Westhil’s tendency to play the ball in the air – lead to choppy, uneven play.
In the 18th minute Allen – inserted just a minute earlier – finds Nivaud’s corner kick in a goalmouth scramble, and smashed a shot into the top corner.
Westhill draws level less than 2 minutes later, after a crunching tackle Staples responds. Mulvey’s long throw is headed in by Nivaud. The junior gets his second straight goal, pouncing on Mueller’s free kick from close range. Mueller makes it 4-1 4 minutes before the half.
But the Vikings come out firing after the break. They get back in the game just 3 minutes in. Their pressure flusters Staples. Then, with10 minutes to go, a long shot catches the Wreckers flat. Suddenly it’s 4-3.
Then things get really wild. Lopez saves a corner kick well. Westhill heads another corner just wide. They launch another long shot. A free kick misses by inches.
Both teams bang to the end. But the Wreckers prevail. They have their win. They take a deep breath. And — #1 in the league – they prepare for the FCIAC tournament.
FCIAC Tournament
Two years ago, a controversial penalty kick for Fairfield Warde just 56 seconds before halftime changed the FCIAC quarterfinal dramatically. The teams meet again – again at Wakeman Field – but this time the Wreckers go up 1-0, on a sniping Mueller goal off along ball from Schwartz. Warde earns – again – a first-half PK, and draws level.
But the final score is quite different. With 2 goals and an assist from Mueller, plus stout defense and smart midfield play – the #1-ranked Wreckers pull away, for a 4-1 win over the 8th seed.
The outcome is not foreordained. They’re missing Alfageme – their rock-solid center back, who was shown his 3rd yellow in the previous game – but Mulvey, Schwartz, Beebe, Hellman and Syah provide cover.
Not one starter on this young squad had ever played in an FCIAC tournament. A large crowd ringing Wakeman on an unseasonably warm late October day offers great encouragement.
The second half shows Staples imposing their will on the match. The go-ahead goal comes when Nivaud’s corner kick is headed on to Mulvey, who finishes powerfully. Mueller then picked up a ball in stride from Costella. His final goal comes 7 seconds from time – a spectacular scissor-kick volley, off a slicing ball from Escalarte.
The semifinal offers a chance to avenge one of the few blemishes this season: the 1-1 draw with Stamford. The Knights reached the final with a PK win over #5 Ludlowe.
For much of the first half, and part of the second, the blue-and-whites are in command. In the 27th minute, Rossoni’s blast is parried away by Stamford’s excellent keeper, Christian Vitti. Gorin takes the ensuing corner. Mueller leaps high for a header. Vitti grabs the ball – but only after it was inches over the line.
The lead galvanizes Staples. They win many 50-50 balls with hard, well-timed tackles. They play quickly and crisply, possessing smartly while finding seams and feet.
But Stamford claws their way back into contention. They squander a close-in free kick, shoot wide by inches, miss a goalmouth scramble, fail to shoot in a scrum.
With 7:26 remaining, their persistence pays off. A long free kick is dropped, then banged in from close range.
The Knights push forward, in an increasingly physical match. Sikorski saves nicely. Vitti does the ame, on Rossoni.
Suddenly, the Knights play a long ball out of the back. Noel Vargas caps a 40-yard run through 2 split players with an authoritative finish. Just 1:21 is left on the clock.
Staples refuses to die. Rossoni laces a great cross through the box. However, no one is there.
The Wreckers get the ball back, and surge forward ne last time. With 5 seconds to go, Mueller heads a dead-on shot.
Against any other keeper, it would be one of the most dramatic goals in Staples history. But Vitti flies parallel to the ground, punching it away for his best save of the night.
The loss – only the second of the season – is bitter. They do the only thing they can: prepare for the state tournament.
State Tournament
Ridgefield makes their third visit to Wakeman Field this year. The first 2 times, Staples scored 2 goals each, and allowed none. (The canceled-by-lightning match, and the subsequent replay.)
But the visitors bring their “A” game – and “D” (as in “determined”) – game too. Fresh off a 4-0 drubbing of Norwalk, in a playdown to qualify as the 32nd (and final) team in the LL state tournament, they are not intimidated by the #1-seeded Stapleites.
The Wreckers miss Mueller in the first half. The co-captain and leading scorer has a hip injury. Rossoni and Costello start up top.
But the Tigers go up 1-0 in the 15th minute, on a long free kick that bounces in the penalty box before being headed down and in. Oost-Lievense calls on his leading scorer, to start the second half.
His return gives the hosts – who have not played with their usual possession and precison-passing game – a spark.
Six minutes after play resumes (and 1 minute after Sikorski saves a rocket), Galin lofts a free kick to the far corner. Mulvey flies in, and power-heads the equalizer.
Now playing their trademark game, Staples has chances. Rossoni and Mueller shoot high. The match grows physical, but not chippy.
In the 67th minute Sikorski extends fully, saving superbly on a blast. The final minutes of regulation time are end-to-end, chaotic, and scoreless.’
Overtime – 2 10-minutes periods, to completion – is Staples’ first since the 2019 quarterfinal (a 5-4 penalty kick loss at Trumbull).
Ridgefield keeper Ben Voellmicke makes a stellar 82nd-minute save, then halts two more Mueller shots.
Two minutes into the second OT, a bouncing ball splits the defense. The Tigers tally opportunistically.
Down 2-1, with 8 minutes remaining, the Wreckers fight back. A corner kick is saved off the line. Ridgefield’s backs bang balls forward. Staples attacks heartily, earning 2 late corner kicks.
But the clock winds down. The Tigers manage the game to the end.
It’s a heartbreaking end to a stellar season.
The only consolation: more than half the starters return in 2024.
Quick Kicks
The junior varsity goes 10-1-1. Coach Chris O’Dell returns. His freshmen – “the greatest show on turf” – are undefeated, at 12-0-0.
RECORD: 13-3-3
COACH: Russell Oost-Lievense
CO-CAPTAINS: Santi Alfageme, Avery Mueller
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2024: A Topsy-Turvy Time
Pre-season
Four days after tryouts begin, the 2024 team opens with a decisive 3-0 scrimmage win at Greens Farms Academy.
Next, at Fairfield Prep, the Wreckers again score early. The hosts equalize, but Jonny Costello’s 2nd strike of the game gives them the lead. Emmett Nivaud adds another – his second goal in 2 matches.
Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense keeps a perhaps-record 31 players. They include 3 seniors – Zac Belzer, Elliot Galin and Ryan Sujnka – who are expected to miss the season with injuries.
Pre-season ends with a 2-1 loss to quick-attacking, strong-defending Brookfield.
The squad includes captains Zach Beebe and Sam Rossoni (Cormac Mulvey, who wears the coveted #15 jersey, will be added later). Will Murray is a senior newcomer, after playing MLS Next.
Regular season
When junior Gabe Duque scores just 1:28 into the season opener against New Canaan, the rout seems on. But the Rams draw level, with 15 minutes to go. Six minutes later, classmate Brendan Allen’s 1-touch shot regain the lead. Junior Gabe Hellmann’s well-placed free kick ices the match, with just 13 seconds remaining. Eight players – at least 4 of them potential starters – miss the match with injuries.
Brien McMahon then goes toe-to-toe with the Westporters, at narrow Pride Field. Murray and Costello have good looks, but the Senators strike first in the 31st minute. Despite several corner kicks and set pieces by Staples, and a blast just high by Adrian Rodriguez – plus a nice late save in goal by Jack D’Amore — the 1-0 loss evens the Wreckers’ record at 1-1.
The blue-and-whites put the loss behind them quickly. Four first-half goals power them past Norwalk at West Rocks Field, the Bears’ home while a new school is being built atop Testa Field.
Rodriguez opens the scoring, in his first varsity start. Perrin Root gets his first varsity goal, from Josh Whitaker. Nivaud volleys a hard shot off a loose ball; then Murray finishes off a deflection. Chirstian Rinaldi looks solid, in his first start in goal.
It takes a mere 57 seconds for Murray to bury a penalty kick against Darien, at Wakeman Field. The 3-0-1 Blue Wave came right back, slotting a free kick around the defensive wall. Six minutes later Mulvey drops a free kick from 40 yards into the penalty area. Dylan Shackelford – moving forward on the set piece – finishes with one clean touch. Three minutes before halftime, it’s 22 off a blast into the far corner. End-to-end action continues after the break, with Staples caught offside several times.
With 13 minutes to play Jack Flynn split the Staples defense, for his second goal. The Wreckers, down by 1, came right back. Jack Schwartz, Duque, Nivaud and Murray work a nice series; Duque is in a minute but is saved. The final buzzer sounds for the 3-2 defeat, with the ball bouncing in Darien’s penalty area just inches from the goal.
The match against archrival Greenwich at Cardinal Stadium seems like 3 separate games. The hosts go up after only 51 seconds, after the defense can’t clear. Staples’ first shot does not come until the 12th minute. Greenwich scores again in the 17th minute, then strikes quickly again.
That was the first game. The second began at the second-half kickoff. Though down 3-0, the Wreckers play with pace and confidence. They cut the deficit just 56 seconds in. Whitaker lays off to Gorin; the midfielder takes a touch, then ripples the side netting.
Less than 3 minutes later, Gorin’s long blast turns a seeming rout into a very interesting contest.
The blues are on fire. The defense tightens up. Even the bench is louder.
But the third game begins in the 50th minute. A counterattack goal gives Greenwich breathing room. They regain their composure – and pour in 3 goals.
Staples fights to the end. Aaron Varsov’s rocket is saved. The ball rebounds to Allen’s foot. He scores, less than 1 second before the buzzer sounds. The latest goal in their 66-year history is just a footnote, to a very strange 6-3 loss.
Staples rebounds with a 2-1 win over winless Wilton, in a contest less close than the scoreline. Whitaker’s spin move sends Allen forward; he finds Costello, who slips a shot under the keeper. The Warriors pounce, and equalize, on a failed clearance. But Costello’s second strike is the game-winner. Defenders Shackelford, Schwartz, Duque and Alex Kuster manage the game to the end.
Costello’s hat trick, Gorin’s midfield dominance, Mulvey’s defensive leadership and Rinaldi’s powerful goalkeeping spark Staples to a 5-1 victory over Stamford. The decisive victory is even more important because the Knights enter the match 5-1-1. The hosts utilize Wakeman’s width and depth. Goals came from Costello (3), Nivaud and Mulvey. But it is truly – and importantly – a team effort.
In a season of quick goals, jut 44 seconds elapse when Murray wins a hard tackle, Nivaud crosses, and a Bridgeport Central defender knocks the ball in for an own goal. It looks like the rout is on. But Hilltopper keeper Dovens Noger saves an 18th-minute penalty kicks, adds several other outstanding stops,a nd the visitors’ defense stands up well. Rodriguez makes it 2-0 just before halftime, but the visitors halve the deficit on a PI. Gaining confidence, they play right to the end. Oost-Lievense sends several reserves onto the field, giving them key varsity experience.
Fairfield Warde then snags a 1-0 Homecoming Day victory, in a disjointed affair.
Fairfield Ludlowe is next, with a sparking 7-1-1 mark. An opportunistic 71st-minute goal is the difference for Staples, in the hard-fought, evenly played match. The goal starts with one of Staples’ many corner kicks. Gorin’s inswinger is tough to handle. Allen pressures the keeper – who, after being sure-handed all the way through – drops the ball into his net. The Falcons battle back, but Mulvey, Kuster and Shackelford lead the defense; Murray digs out balls at midfield, and Costello applies pressure up front to seal the win.
Trumbull’s home 1-0 victory drops Staples to 6-5- They’re one of 12 teams battling for 8 FCIAC playoff spots. The Wreckers have their chances – including a virtually open goal, and 3 strong corners in a row – but the game turns 40 seconds before halftime, on a cross through the box.
The stakes are high as the Westporters travel to Danbury – 1 point behind them in the standings. The match is fast, skillful, evenly played and physical. Murray skims a shot off the post, and blasts another shot just high. But the Hatters notch the only goal of the game. A defensive mix-up leads to a corner kick, which is headed in.
Then cheered on by dozens of young Bridgeport fans from Oost-Lievense and Staples soccer’s mentorship program – and sparked by 4 goals in the first 23 minutes – the hosts cruise to a 7-0 win over St. Joseph. Goals come from Nivaud (2), Costello, Gorin, Noah Rossoni, Luca Caniato and Mikey Brennan.
Tri-captain Sam Rossoni and Caniato make their first appearances of the year, following pre-season injuries. It’s Caniato’s first varsity game ever – and he scores. Six junior varsity players also notch their first varsity minutes: Ryan Allen, Adriano Carpi, Ford Epstein, Owen Perry, Thomas Pretty and Emmett Zahler.
The Westhill match is a must-win to stay in contention for an FCIAC playoff berth – prior to the upcoming league season-ender at Ridgefield. A true team effort lifts Staples 8-0 over the Vikings. Their 15 goals in 2 games tops a similar streak in 2021 (14, over Central and St. Joseph). The onslaught begins wit Nivaud, and continues with Duque, Perry, Gorin, Noah Rossoni, Brennan, Max Hill and Costello.
The FCIAC finale at Tiger Hollow feels like a post-season match. Staples needs a tie or win to qualify for the league playoff; Ridgefield must win. It’s a cat-and-mouse, back-and-forth affair, between teams that look like clones.
Only one goal is scored. It comes in the 59th minute – from the Tigers. It comes after close looks by the Wreckers, including a shot by Gorin that caroms off the inside of the far post. But no one pounces. Mulvey, Kuster, Allen and Beebe keep the hosts at bay. Shackelford comes on to add power and smarts to the back line. Rinaldi is very solid in goal.
But in the 59th minute a Staples corner kick curls too close to the box. 6-6 keeper Ben Voellmicke – a Brown University commit – grabs it. He outlets the ball upfield. Brandon Grmellin picks it up in stride, splits the defense, and finishes well.
Staples has 21 minutes to get the goal back. They keep the ball moving. But so does Ridgefield. They play possession when they can, and bang balls forward when they can’t. That pressure keeps the Wreckers from surging forward with numbers. The Tiers manage the match to the end – and secure the final FCIAC playoff spot.
In what may be the quickest turnaround time in team history, the Wreckers face Harding, away, in a non-league contest just 18 hours later. Originally scheduled for mid-season, it had been postponed due to the death of a Staples student.
The 8-0 win – on the Westporters’ first-ever visit to Lewis Field – give them a slight bump in state tournament seedings. Goals come from Costello and Nivaud (2 each), Noah Rossoni, Murray, Lucas Alarcon and Rodriguez.
State tournament
A 2-week layoff – perhaps the longest ever for the Staples boys soccer team before the state tournament – does not bother them at all.
They explode for 6 first-half goals at Manchester, en route to an 8-0 demolition of the Red Hawks, in round 1 of the “LL” tourney.
It’s the most goals for the Wreckers in a state tournament game since an 8-2 semifinal victory over Hall-West Hartford in 2010. It matches the 8-0 score over Wilbur Cross-New Haven in 1969.
The #21-ranked, 9-7-0 Westporters score early and often against the #12, 9-4-3 upstaters. And the half-dozen first-half scores all come against a strong wind. Goals come from Whitaker and Costello (2 each), Brendan Allen, Nivaud, Perry (on his first touch, 10 seconds after entering the field), and Gorin. Galin – a senior who missed the entire season with an ACL injury – and sophomore keeper Harrison Waller make their first appearances of the year.
All of which leads to the state tournament second-round contest at Glastonbury. It’s a great, and longstanding rivalry. The most recent encounter, in 2019, saw the #17 Wreckers – trailing the #1 Guardians 2-1, with 7 minutes to play – stun the defending state champs (who had not been scored on in the state tourney for 3 years) 3-2.
After a hard-fought first half, in which the #21-seeded Wreckers had their #5 hosts on their heels for long stretches, the upstaters rode a goal midway through the second half to a 1-0 victory.
The narrow football stadium field pinches Staples, and prevents them from spreading the field. But they play their trademark possession, move-it-quickly style, particularly in the opening 50 minutes.
Gorin controls midfield, on both sides of the ball. Murray plays dangerous balls through. Nivaud steps up, while Allen and Drew Hill quietly but effectively win balls and create chances.
But Glsatonbury slowly gains control. The game-winner comes in the 58th minute. A seemingly harmless ball slips through. A bit of hesitation is all that’s needed to slot it home.
A topsy-turvy season ends. So does an era. The coaches for both Glastonbury and Staples are not on the sidelines; both are serving administrative suspensions. Oost-Lievense is charged – nearly 2 months later — with failing to report a verbal argument between an assistant coach and a player, during a preseason retreat. After the season, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice follows athletic director VJ Sarullo’s decision not to renew his contract.
Quick Kicks
Sixteen seniors graduate: Beebe, Belzer, Caniato, Costello, Galin, Gorin, Kuster, Mulvey, Murray, Nivaud, Rinaldi, Root, Sam Rossoni, Schwartz, Sunjka and Varsov ….
The captains design the uniforms. They are paid for by the Staples Boys Soccer Foundation, the newly formed booster club …
The Homecoming game versus Fairfield Warde features a new tradition: Westport Soccer Association players walking hand-in-hand with the varsity onto the field, like an international match ….
At halftime of the St. Joseph game, which featured guests from Staples’ mentorship program, the freshmen led the youngsters in a penalty kick competition.
Final record: 10-8-0
Head coach: Russell Oost-Lievense
Tri-captains: Zach Beebe, Cormac Mulvey, Sam Rossoni
