Match Report: Staples vs. New Canaan
For the second game in a row, Staples scored twice against their opponents.
For the first time though, the result counted.
Friday’s season opener was scrubbed with 17 minutes left in the first half. The Wreckers led Ridgefield, 2-0, when flashes of lightning were seen. The game must be replayed from the start, at a date to be determined.
Yesterday’s result — the second “season opener” — definitely counts. Staples scored early and was in command for much of the match, at New Canaan’s Dunning Stadium. The 2-0 victory avenged last year’s 1-0 loss to the Rams.
The first goal began with Cormac Mulvey. The junior left back picked up a loose ball, and blazed down the left wing. He laced a cross through the box to Lucas Carpi. With his back to the goal, the tall striker took the feed, turned, and rifled a non-nonsense shot into the back of the net.
The visitors like to pass backward, to set up quick forward thrusts. Mulvey is part of a confident defensive corps that includes co-captain Santi Alfageme, and juniors Zach Beebe and Jack Schwartz.
Keeper Nick Sikorski was tested for the first time in the 20th minute. He saved a high ball well, in traffic.
Three minutes later co-captain Avery Mueller looped a long fee kick into the box, from the left. It bounced once; then Alfageme — sent forward on set plays for his height — extended his foot, and banged in the second goal.
Two minutes after that, it was nearly 3-0. For the second straight match, Mueller drew a penalty kick. He made it on Friday, though the halted game wiped it off the books. This time he was saved, as the Ram keeper guessed correctly and punched Mueller’s excellent shot away.
The Rams looked dangerous on counterattacks, but Staples had chances too. as when junior Emmett Nivaud juked 3 Rams, and shot just wide.
The Wreckers picked up the tempo in the second half, and controlled the match. Sophomore Brendan Allen worked hard up front. Junior Zach Gorin, the midfield leader, sent Mueller in; his shot was also wide by inches.
With a tough game ahead on Thursday (4 p.m. at Wakeman, against Brien McMahon), coach Russell Oost-Lievense substituted liberally near the end. FINAL SCORE: Staples 2, New Canaan 0. SEASON RECORD: 1-0-0.
QUICK KICKS: The junior varsity throttled New Canaan 8-0. Luca Caniato reports: Following a hard press from Greyson Downes up top, Gabe Duque found the ball, drove into the box and won a PK, which Josh Whittaker slotted home. A few minutes later Whittaker picked the CDM’s pocket and quickly fired from outside the box, lacing it into the top left corner. Halfway through the first half, Duque picked up the ball from a throw-in halfway up the pitch. He drove past defenders and used his body to get into the box, where he passed it into to e bottom left corner. Following a hard press from Zach Gillman, he squared it into Karsten Langone for a shot into the bottom right. A few minutes later Gillman got behind a bouncing ball, and volleyed into the side netting. Early in the second half Adriano Carpi lofted a ball into the middle of the box. Spencer Girling rose high, and headed into the top right. Soon after, Ford Epstein picked up the ball in the middle of the park, and played Downes on the wing. He drove into the box where Colin Stretton found it, left-footing it near post. As the seconds ticked down, Downes had a 1-on- breakaway. He kept his composure and slotted it past the keeper, for the 8th and final score….
The freshmen also shut out New Canaan, by a 7-0 score — after coach Chris O’Dell called off his attack dogs. Adrian Rodriguez hit a volley on a cross from Arthur Khisyamov — which was his second best goal of the afternoon. He began the match by hitting a legit bicycle off a header from Max Hill, just 2 minutes in. Hill, Lucas Alarcon-Frias, Ayush Rudra, Evan Feuerstadt And Andrew Xu all scored as well. O’Dell cited Xu for his great play on the wing.
Santi Alfageme (15) is congratulated by Zach Beebe and Jonny Costello, after his goal at New Canaan.
Cormac Mulvey outheads a Ram foe.
Regrouping during an injury timeout. (Photos/Mark Sikorski)
