Match Report: Staples vs. Darien
Staples is used to scoring early.
They’re not used to not scoring often, or in bunches.
But among their many virtues, they are patient.
So when it took 56 minutes today to dent the scoreboard against Darien, that was fine.
The hosts quickly added 2 more. The 3-0 result was another win.
Actually, not just another win.
Today marked the end of the regular season. The Wreckers finished 15-0-1 — on of the best records in the 58-year history of the program.
Only 3 teams have survived the FCIAC season without a loss or tie. The most recent was 2000. Staples went 16-0-0, won the 2-game league tournament, then lost 2-1 to Fairfield High in the state semifinals in a driving rainstorm. Two of those players — Zack Gross and Jordan Schur — were in the Wakeman stands today.
That was 33 years after the 1967 team went 11-0-0. They lost the 1-match FCIAC tourney — only the top 2 teams qualified — but won the state championship, finishing 15-1-0.
Two years earlier, Staples went 11-0, won FCIACs, but lost in the state tournament.
Other teams that did not lose during the regular season were 1996 (13-0-2), 1989 (12-0-1), 1973 (9-0-5), 1972 (13-0-1), 1968 (8-0-3), 1962 (9-0-1), 1962 (9-0-1) and, in the second year of a varsity program, 1959 (11-0-1).
With the Wreckers’ stellar FCIAC schedule now complete, the focus turns to the league tournament. Quarterfinal play begins Wednesday. Top-seeded Staples hosts an opponent, not yet determined, at 3:30 p.m. (Wakeman Field).
Head coach Liam Witham gave 2 starters — Adrian Rodriguez and Alex Saleeb — the day off today, to rest nagging injuries. Replacements Kai Massicott and Peter Nelson (moving up from his defensive spot, which was taken by Spencer Derekhshan) kept the quality high. The Wavers were also missing 2 starters.
The first half saw Lucas Alarcon saved twice, on a blast and his own rebound. Darien’s defense was stout, and denied the Wreckers many of the shots they were used to taking.
The Blue Wave midfield and attackers — not as technically proficient, but hard-working, motivated and well-coached — were held to a few long-range attempts.
The hosts’ patience paid off in the 60th minute. Noah Rossoni slotted a seeing-eye pass across, from the right. Nelson — who overlapped frequently, in his previous role as a defender — calmly rifled it into the far right corner.
Three minutes later, Westport keeper Luke Diedrich dove high, to punch away a 45-yard rocket.
The pace ramped up. Derekhshan was saved on a great shot, off an overlap.
In the 63rd minute Alarcon found Greyson Downes. He returned the favor with a spectacular ball across the goalmouth. Alarcon met it, and finished cleanly.
The Wreckers poured it on in the final minutes. Seven minutes from time, Alarcon fed Derekshan. His excellent cross was tucked in from close range by Massicott.
It was indeed a great regular season for Staples. But this team — battle-tested last year, in the FCIAC and state tournaments — knows that the 15-0-1 mark means nothing now.
Every team starts the post-season 0-0. Let the games begin! FINAL SCORE: Staples 3, Darien 0. FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 15-0-1.
QUICK KICKS: The freshmen shut out Darien 1-0. Argun Aujla scored, off a Jake Fishman cross. The 9th graders finished 8-2-1, with a 7-game win streak …
The FCIAC race was upended Wednesday night. Trumbull scored a dramatic goal, with just seconds remaining, to top Greenwich 1-0 …
Amazingly, the 1982 Staples team that went 12-0-3 did not qualify for the 1-game FCIAC tournament, which pitted the winners of the Eastern and Western Divisions. Ridgefield (11-1-1) edged them out. They drew during the regular season; the first tie-breaker for FCIAC qualification was points within the division. The Tigers’ 6-0-1 mark edged out the Wreckers’ 4-0-3. Staples went on to win the state tournament in dramatic fashion — against Ridgefield. Defender Rob Stone blasted a shot from midfield, with just minutes remaining. It was the only goal of his Wrecker career. That gave the blue-and-whites a 35-game unbeaten streak, believed to be the longest in the nation. They tacked on 6 more wins to start the ’84 season, for 41 matches without a loss.
