FCIAC Matchups Set: Staples Hosts Greenwich On Friday!
For the Staples soccer team, the 3rd time may be the charm.
For the 3rd year in a row, the Wreckers face Greenwich in round one of the FCIAC tournament.
Two years ago the Cardinals edged Staples 2-1, in a brutal battle. Last year Greenwich avenged a 1-0 regular season loss to the blue-and-whites with a 2-0 playoff victory.
Both tournament matches were played at the Cardinals’ Steve Young Stadium.
This year is different. The Wreckers are the #3 seed; Greenwich is #6. That means the match will played at Loeffler Field. Kickoff is 3 p.m. on Friday.
Besides the 2 previous FCIAC games, Staples has added incentive. One of their only 2 losses this year came in Greenwich. The score was 2-0, on a pair of penalty kicks. The Wreckers have not lost since, going 6-0-3 in that span.
Here is the complete FCIAC playoff picture, from FCIAC.net:
FCIAC Quarterfinals — Friday, Oct. 26
No. 6 Greenwich (9-3-4) at No. 3 Staples (10-2-4), 3 p.m.
No. 8 Brien McMahon (8-4-4) at No. 1 Danbury (10-1-5), 4 p.m.
No. 7 Norwalk (8-3-5) at No. 2 Trumbull (10-2-4), 6 p.m.
No. 5 Warde (10-4-2) at No. 4 Ludlowe (10-4-2), 6 p.m.
The Danbury Hatters took the No. 1 seed by virtue of their 1-0 win over the Trumbull Eagles on Tuesday, with the Eagles slipping to No. 2. Danbury finished 10-1-5 with 35 points.
Staples tied Trumbull with a 10-2-4 record and 34 points, but Staples is the No. 3 seed due to their 1-0 loss to Trumbull on Sept. 21.
The two Fairfield teams — Ludlowe and Warde — tied for fourth place with 10-4-2 records and 32 points, and the rivals also played to a scoreless deadlock during the regular season. The tiebreaker then moves to the quality points scenario with the Ludlowe Falcons earning the No. 4 seed because they tied No. 1 Danbury 1-1, while Warde lost to Danbury 3-2.
Warde will play at Ludlowe in the quarterfinals.
With a 9-3-4 record and 31 points, the Greenwich Cardinals earned the No. 6 seed.
Norwalk and Brien McMahon were the last two teams to clinch playoff bids, with McMahon beating Central 5-1 and Norwalk tying Darien 1-1.
Norwalk moved to 8-3-5 with 29 points and is the No. 7 seed, and McMahon finished at 8-4-4 with 28 points to take No. 8.
