The Staples boys’ soccer team took on the Ridgefield Tigers in its season opener on Sept. 9, where they took a 2-0 lead until the game was stopped and declared postponed with 15 minutes left in the first half, due to lightning. While the result looked like it was going the Wreckers’ way, sadly for them, they will have to face the Tigers later in the season and restart the game entirely.
The Wreckers seemed to have the game under control thanks to two well crafted goals by Captain Avery Mueller ’24. It only took him 15 minutes to get off the mark, placing a penalty in the top right corner after getting brought down in the penalty area. He celebrated his first goal of the season with a handstand and backflip.
Just a few minutes later came Mueller’s second goal, where he clung on to a cleverly lofted pass from Emmett Nivaud ’24 and calmly tucked away a finish into the bottom right hand corner.
“All summer I had been practicing my finishing and my penalties as well,” Mueller said. “We just have to come back even stronger next time we play them and I am confident we can do the same again.”
Although they were not tested much, the Wreckers also showed promise at the other end of the field, with Captain Santi Alfageme ’24 keeping things secure in the back while midfield anchor Adam Syah ’24 thwarted any sniffs of danger.
“As the season moves forward, I think the most important thing is that we stay together in the back,” Alfageme said. “Everyone in the line is doing a good job of maintaining their shape and we have to make sure to continue communicating.”
Now, the Wreckers look towards their next opponent, who will be New Canaan on Tuesday Sept.12. After a good first outing, they remain focused and optimistic as the season progresses.
“The next few games will be real tests for us as a team early in the season, but we’re ready to build some momentum against some challenging opposition,” Zach Beebe ’25 said. “We know that we can do something special if we can stick together, especially in tougher stretches of games.”
With the program having not been able to bring home any trophies in recent memory, the Wreckers are determined to put an end to this trend and believe that they have the ability to do so.
“After a little bit of a disappointing season last year, I think we all are really dedicated to winning some silverware this time around, especially us seniors,” Lucas Carpi ’24 said. ”We definitely have the talent and our team bond has gotten so strong. We just have to continue to trust each other and dig in during the playoffs.”
