CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS FROM THE WEEKEND...
THANKS FROM AN ALUMNUS
"I want to thank everyone responsible for organizing the 50th celebration events. From those who conceptualized the idea, to those who sponsored events, to the volunteers who assisted with breakfast and lunch, etc., it was a fantastic weekend. I know all of us greatly appreciate your time and organizational efforts.
"The stories among the alumni on the hill and at the bar were great to hear, and served as a reminder of how lucky we all (especially a mediocre player like me!) are to have been part of something so special. It's great to see the traditions and pride that were germinated decades ago still going strong. My vote for the greatest team ever? OUR team. It's clear we're all part of the same family.
"My only regret: I wish I'd assembled all the goalkeepers for a group photo. We share a common bond (we're all slightly crazy), but we also had the privilege and benefit of having great players in front of us. It's the best seat in the house. Well, sitting on the hill and watching a dominant 6-0 victory 30 years after my time was pretty damn good too. Best wishes for health and happiness to all." -- Gregg Boersma, Arnold, MD
THE VOTES ARE IN... 50 YEARS OF STAPLES SOCCER'S GREATEST HITS!
Befitting a program with 50 years of history, votes for "Bests" were all over the decades. No definitive winners emerged -- a great testament to continued success. Here are the top vote-getters in each category (in chronological order, with comments from voters where appropriate). Click here to complain; comments will be posted at a later date.
Best team
1969 ("overall quality of players, amazing run through state tournament,number of players who went on to succeed at the college level")
1970
1972
1981 ("18-0-2 record; 5 goals allowed in regular season; scored 48 in regular season, another 10 in playoffs; 6 excellent finishers; 1 All-American, 3 All-state, 5 All-FCIAC players; 10 starters played in college, and several reserves did too")
1982
1993
2000 ("didn't trail in a game until the FCIAC championship")
2006 ("because of all the adversity")
Best game ever played
1965 FCIAC championship, 2-1 over Brien McMahon
1967 state championship, 3-0 over Brien McMahon ("raised the bar for American soccer players")
1969 4-2 comeback win vs. Brien McMahon and All-FCIAC goalkeeper Ricky Salvato
1969 1-0 state tournament semifinals 1-0 over Wethersfield ("against one of the best players in Connecticut soccer, Manny Cavalaro")
1978 state championship, 2-1 over Greenwich, won on Gordie Hull's goal with 11 seconds remaining in the final overtime period
1982 state tournament finals, 1-0 over Ridgefield ("won by Rob Stone's 40 yard blast with 7 minutes to play -- only goal he scored in his Staples career")
1989 Pair of 1-1 ties with Ridgefield when both teams were ranked in the Top 20 nationally ("epic battles with tremendous players on both sides of the ball")
1993 state tournament semifinals, 2-1 over Danbury ("avenged 4-1 loss in regular season with overtime win, capped off by Jon Hendrickson's looping shot over the keeper")
2000 FCIAC championship, 2-2 tie with Westhill
2003 FCIAC tournament, 3-2 over Westhill ("down 2-0 to Westhill with 16 minutes to play; tied it up, won on penalty kicks")
2006 state quarterfinals vs. Farmington ("#3 in US at the time; won in 10 rounds of penalty kicks after 0-0 tie")
Best goal ever scored
Jim Carrow's with 4 seconds left in the 1967 state tournament quarterfinals vs. Manchester
Steve Baumann's twisting header in sudden-death double overtime in the 1969 state semifinals vs. Wethersfield (see above, "Best game ever played")
Jim Manning's header that won the 1973 state championship vs. Manchester
Gordie Hull's shot with 11 seconds left in the final overtime to win the 1978 state championship vs. Greenwich (see above, "Best game ever played")
Rob Stone's honer from 40 yards that dipped under the crossbar in the 1982 state championship vs. Ridgefield (see above, "Best game ever played")
Raymond Steffen's diving header against Greenwich
Alex Lorusso's in a double-overtime season-opener win against Norwalk
Charlie Reiter's 1st start -- sideways volley from top of the box, leading to a 2-1 win
Brendon Cristobal's blast against Trinity Catholic that did not count, because it caromed back too quickly off the back post for the official to see
Best save
1965 Paul Heath in the FCIAC championship
1970 Defender Olaf Neilsen clearing off the line twice against Wethersfield in the state quarterfinals
1978 Bob Simonton, a sophomore, unable to see because of mud in his eye vs. Greenwich in the state finals
1981 Tom Jones vs. Danbury to preserve victory and an undefeated season; 1 of 2 great saves in that match
Matt Katz's windmill over his shoulder following a crazy bounce
1996 Wes Martino in the state tournament semifinals against Simsbury; in penalty kicks, diving the wrong way, kick-saving the ball over the crossbar to ice the victory
2002 Jay Ross (reserve keeper) save point-blank against McMahon; the game went into overtime -- and Staples won 5-2! Without the win, they would not have qualified for the FCIAC tournament
2003 vs. Westhill in the FCIAC tournament, the goalkeeper went down; defender Dave Rotatori lay down and saved the ball with his butt
2006 Dave Sharpe's breakaway save vs. Hall at the end of the state semifinals; Staples went on to win in 9 rounds of penalty kicks
Best striker
Jon Hand '69
Steve Baumann '70
Steve McCoy '71
Tim Hunter '71
Mark Noonan '82
Chris Mitchell '91
Zack Gross '01 ("relentless pursuit up front")
Ross McGibney '06 ("a goal-scoring machine")
Best midfielder
Steve Levin '71
Tim Hunter '71
Rick Jakobson '80
Chris Kranick '82
Kyle Martino '99
Mike Carey '01 ("relentless, great pursuit, great distribution, tenacious, desire to win")
Zach Schwarz '03
Best defender
Neil Brickley '71
Paul Hunter '73
Guy Claveloux '82 ("stopped every great striker he played against, including Mickey Kydes -- ferocious")
Brooks Jessup '95
Jim Wolf '01 ("great vision, speed, technical skills -- rarely lost a tackle -- covered plenty of ground")
Colin Nangle '06
Best keeper
Bill Leary '69 ("6-1, all arms and legs with incredible reactions")
Shane Kennedy '72
Rich Hiltz '78
Alex Deegan '91
Matt Katz '01 ("great anticipation")
Chris Winkler '03 ("tall, fast, great distribution")
Dave Sharpe '07
Player you'd most want as a teammate
Jon Hand '69 ("exceptional striker, even better passer")
Sandy Wilder '70 ("hands down -- incredible complement of talent, leadership, school spirit and team pride")
Fred Cantor '71 ("a true team player")
Shane Kennedy '72
Mike Brown '83
Mark Noonan '83 ("best player I ever played with, including college -- not only skilled, but more determined and wanted to win more than anyone -- left it on the field every time")
Chris Mitchell '91
Raymond Steffen '94
Jon Love '00 ("enthusiastic, a quality player")
Matt Lamb '07
Greatest moment in Staples soccer history
Day 1 in 1958
1969 state championship vs. a very skilled and immigrant/foreign Hartford Public team
5 consecutive state championships (1969-73)
1982 Rob Stone's goal to win the state championship against Ridgefield (See "Best goal" and "Best game" above)
Winning the 1993 state championship
1998 field naming ceremony for Albie Loeffler; alumni coming back to pay tribute
2006 Matt Sych's hat trick and assist 24 hours after his father died
"This program is about so much more than 'moments'"
Greatest accomplishment of Staples soccer program
5 consecutive state championship (1969-73) ("winning the state title is the ultimate goal of every team; accomplishing it 5 straight times represents a continuity of excellence; it led CJSA co-founder Al Bell, from Scotland, to say, 'I now know there is a future for American soccer'")
Shutout record of 16 straight games in 1970; that team was unscored on in Connecticut (lost 2-1 to Nyack, NY)
Paul Hunter playing with the Cosmos (alongside Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and many other international stars), inspiring a generation of Staples players to want to do the same
Back-to-back undefeated seasons (1981-82)
Mark Noonan and Mike Clifford playing on Duke University's NCAA Division I national championship team (1986)
Kyle Martino being named MLS Rookie of the Year; being capped by the US national team, and scoring for our country at that level
"The large number -- 300+ -- of players who went on to play college soccer reflects the onlgoing quality of play at Staples -- and many went on to be captains or All-League."
"Multitude of state championships, FCIAC crowns, college players, and perhaps most importantly, friendship that have developed out of this program. My experience as a young player in Westport, and learning from the older guys who went through the program, and the pride of pulling on the Staples jersey, helped form the person I am today."
As expressed by Albie Loeffler at the field-naming ceremony in 1998: "The team is like a family, one that has continued to grow over the years. The players who come back to help those who follow in their footsteps helps instill the feelign of a large, extended and very special family -- one that always tries to do things in the right way, with the right values."
The number of alumni who continue to stay involved and root for the program
StaplesSoccer.com ("The depth, information and ability to keep people connected is unbelievable")
The 50th event
"Overall state and FCIAC records, along at the same time with the class the program has always demonstrated."
"The level of excellence the program has sustained over its 1st 50 years, making it 1 of the most -- if not THE most -- succesful high school programs in the country, instilling fear in its competitors year in and year out."
"The collective and still growing legacy that each player carries forward and spreads in their post-Staples soccer lives. There's a way of playing and respecting the game, of being a member of a team, of fitting soccer in with everything else, a way of behaving on and off the field, a way of handling the good with the bad -- talk about preparation for life!"