Match Report: Staples vs. Stamford

The Staples boys soccer team picked the perfect time for their best performance of the year.

Jonny Costello’s hat trick, Zach Gorin’s midfield dominance, Cormac Mulvey’s leadership on defense, Christian Rinaldi’s powerful goalkeeping — plus quick, smart and selfless play; strong physicality, and a winning mentality all over the field — sparked the Wreckers to a 5-1 victory over Stamford this afternoon, on the Wakeman turf.

This was no ordinary triumph. The Knights entered the match 5-1-1; their only blemishes were a 2-2 draw with Darien, and a 1-0 loss to Danbury. The Wreckers were 3-3; they came off a 6-3 defeat in Greenwich, and a lackluster 2-1 victory over winless Wilton 2 days earlier.

This game was nothing like those.

From the opening whistle, the Westporters played like a team with something to prove. In the first minute, Will Murray’s quick free kick to Costello on the right side was slotted across. No one was there, but the message was clear: Staples did not care about the visitors’ record.

With head coach Russell Oost-Lievense urging “Keep the ball moving!” his side did just they. They matched Stamford’s individual and team speed, and with each 50/50 ball they won, and series of passes they connected, they believed in themselves more.

They utilized Wakeman’s width and depth well. Mulvey’s range, coupled with Gorin’s playmaking, balanced the defensive and offensive parts of Staples’ game well.

In the 18th minute, Costello pounced on a bad touch by the Knight keeper. The senior wasted no time turning and firing into an empty net, for an alert and important goal.

Three minutes later, he and Brendan Allen nearly combined for another strike.

Then Allen forced the keeper into a punch save, on an outswinging free kick. Unlike other times this year, Staples did not lose focus and squander their lead. Instead, they kept pressing.

In the 28th minute, Rinaldi made his first big save. One minute later Perrin Root won a hard tackle, He turned and found Costello, who once again did not hesitate, bagging his second goal.

Stamford nicked one goal back, on a well-taken penalty kick,

The Wreckers went right back to work. Max Hill’s shot with 10 seconds before halftime was just high.

The physical, yet skillful, play continued after intermission. Dylan Shackelford — a junior defender who gets better each match — won several important balls, and sparked counterattacks.

In the 52nd minute, fellow 11th grader Josh Whitaker played an excellent ball across the box, from the corner. The keeper conceded a rebound, and Emmett Nivaud was in exactly the right spot to tap it in, for a 3-1 edge.

Stamford continued to battle. Rinaldi came up huge twice, once on a free kick in a crowd, then again smothering a low corner kick.

Two minutes after Nivaud’s goal, Gorin launched a deadly corner kick. Mulvey — who comes forward on set pieces for his height — finished not with his head, but his foot, from close range.

There was more to come. Rinaldi’s full-body save on a breakaway sent an important message: Staples was not conceding anything.

In the 63rd minute, Gabe Duque hit Costello. The striker rounded the corner, and slammed a no-angle shot into the far corner. The goal was as decisive as the 5-1 lead.

The reserves came on, with no letup. They saw the match out, with the same confidence as the starters.

The Wreckers have 2 more home games this week. Central (Wednesday) marks the midway point of the season. Fairfield Warde comes to Wakeman on Friday. Kickoff for both matches is 4 p.m. FINAL SCORE: Staples 5, Stamford 1. SEASON RECORD: 4-3-0.

QUICK KICKS: The Harding game (originally scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday) has been postponed to Saturday, October 19 (9 a.m., at Lewis Field) ….

Today’s match featured the debut of Staples’ new home uniforms. They were designed by the captains ….

Owen Green reports on the junior varsity’s 1-0 victory over Stamford: “The game started with neither team really getting a foothold. Possession was scattered in the midfield. The Wreckers took the lead when Ford Epstein curled a ball in the bottom right corner, after great combination play from Emmett Zahler and Andrew Xu on the wing. The second half showed much of the same, but grew increasingly chippy as both teams tackled hard. Staples held off Stamford, for the win.”

The freshmen dropped their first game, 2-1 at Stamford. The Wreckers had the run of play for the first 60 minutes, but as the match wore on the Knights grew energized. Zach Delman made several huge saves in goal. Eli Zev scored the blue-and-whites’ lone goal, on a 10th-minute penalty kick. Max Caro had a strong game, while Zev moved the ball well in the middle of the field.