Match Report: Staples vs. St. Joseph

Today marked several firsts for the 2016 season.

It was the first real fall day: cool and crisp.

It was the first start for sophomore defender Gabe Baltierra.

And it was the first truly physical match the Wreckers were involved in.

Playing with a stiff wind at their backs, on St. Joseph’s narrow turf field, the Wreckers did not take long to dominate. They suffered an early loss when junior Matt Engler — the calm, steady and smooth central midfielder — suffered a broken wrist, after a foul. Matteo Broccolo came on, and with Jannis Dietze and Will Birch, Staples continued to control the middle.

Thomas Nealon swung balls in from the left, and Timmy Liles — in only his 2nd start — covered wide swaths of territory on the opposite field.

A great defensive stop by Chris Martenson, and a through ball from Nealon, led to the visitors’ best chance, in the 33rd minute. But the match remained deadlocked.

Two minutes later, the Cadets cleared a corner kick by Broccolo. But he got the ball back, and laced a cross into the box. Teddy Lawrence leaped high, then power-headed to the back post for the goal.

At halftime, the coaching staff urged the Wreckers to continue to play their possession game. They did, for the most part. Keeper Ziggy Hallgarten made a couple of good stops on bouncing balls, and Sam Kantor made sure nothing got through on his side.

But despite several chances, from Tyler Wright, Will Birch and Spencer Daniels, the insurance goal did not come until just 10 minutes remained. After a wild, 30-second sequence of Staples pressure, shots off the post and others cleared off the line, Anton Mahr picked up a loose ball 22 yards out, turned and aimed. His clinical finish gave the blue-and-whites some breathing room.

The Wreckers tried to manage the clock, but a number of fouls marred the finish.

With all those firsts, today also marked a midpoint. The FCIAC is halfway through. Things get even more intense from here on through. FINAL SCORE: Staples 2, St. Joseph 0. SEASON RECORD: 3-2-3.

QUICK KICKS: Staples started 4 seniors, 6 juniors and 1 sophomore today….

The Wreckers led in shots, 11-1, and corner kicks 5-1….

The reserves stymied St. Joseph 4-2. They equalized at 1 with a minute left in the first half, on Alejandro Perez Elorza’s corner kick. They added a goal a minute after intermission, when Steven Frost finished Andrew Marshall’s throw-in. The final 2 strikes came from Ryan Fincher, off a Frost corner, and Wilson Daniels, off a great Brad Cox free kick.