By: Daniel Thompson ’18

The Staples girls’ soccer team will face off against the Darien Blue Wave in the state tournament semifinal at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.

The Wreckers earned the four seed in the state tournament with a record of 14 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie. The first of their three losses came against the Blue Wave on Oct. 9.

“It was hard to lose our first game to Darien. They are a good team but I don’t think we played our best that day,” Autumn Smith ’21 said.

While the early season loss to the Wave may foreshadow another postseason defeat, the Wreckers believe that having lost earlier this season is actually more of a positive than a negative.

“I think that losing to them in that game will help us this week because now we know how to play them. We know their offensive and defensive sets and how to attack them,” Captain Liv Ronca ’18 said.

Additionally, having gone 3-1 in the FCIAC and state playoffs collectively, the Wreckers have displayed success in the postseason. Two of their wins came in the quarter and semi-finals of the FCIAC tournament, while their lone defeat came against St. Joe’s.

To reach the semifinals, the Wreckers had to first get through Trumbull. The tightly contested match ended in a penalty shootout. The shootout was highlighted by a leaping save from Captain Anna Sivinski ’18. A few moments later, Ashley Wright ’19 drilled the game winning goal, sending the Wreckers to the semifinals.

A win on Wednesday would send the girls’ soccer team to their first championship game since 1995. Their last State Championship victory came in 1989. According to Staples Superfan Benji Malowitz ’18, fans will be at Ludlowe High School at 6:30 p.m. to support the effort to end the championship drought.

“This is one of the biggest games of the year,” Benji Malowitz ’18 said. “We were at Ludlowe for the FCIAC finals loss, but we are hoping for a better outcome this time.”