Wreckers Go 1-1-1 At Wethersfield Jamboree
Just 13 hours after defeating Choate 3-0, the Staples soccer team boarded a bus for Wethersfield.
The Winton, Keane, Bittner Memorial Soccer Jamboree — honoring 3 WHS players lost on 9/11, as well as former Wreckers Scott Coleman — marks the traditional end to Staples’ preseason. Competition is always good (and the meal afterward is outstanding).
The blue-and-whites played the 1st 30-minute match on the turf, against host Wethersfield. The Eagles won 1-0, scoring on a quick transition. The Wreckers nearly got the equalizer in the final seconds, but Andrew Puchala’s header caromed off the crossbar.
An all-underclass team then topped Fermi High, 1-0. This time Puchala’s header was true, off a Joe Pravder corner kick.
The final match pitted 10 seniors and sophomore keeper Noah Schwaeber against Kingswood-Oxford. Staples dominated territorially, but settled for a 0-0 draw.
Pre-season has been “tough, but instructive,” says head coach Dan Woog.
“We can’t wait for the season to get started. This is what our guys have been waiting for since last December.” He expects The Hill to be packed for Tuesday’s 4 p.m. opener against Danbury.
Senior defenders and leaders George Kokkalis and Connor Weiler warm up prior to the 1st match at Wethersfield High School.
