State Tournament 1st Round Match Report: Staples vs. Trumbull [UPDATED – PHOTOS]

Adriano Carpi picked the right time to score his first varsity goal.

The senior defender buried a 32nd-minute shot today. The low, hard rip lifted 4th-seeded Staples to a 1-0 victory over #29 Trumbull, in the opening round of the CIAC “LL” (extra large schools) tournament.

The win — 4 days after the much more emotional FCIAC championship — sends the Wreckers into the 2nd round. They’ll face another FCIAC foe — Darien — on Monday, at Wakeman Field. Game time is 2 p.m.

The #13 Blue Wave pummeled #20 Norwalk 5-0 today. In the regular season earlier this year Staples shut out Darien 4-0.

Today’s match was memorable mostly for the weather. Wakeman is always the windiest spot in Westport. Today’s winds were particularly strong, with gusts up to 40 miles an hour. The hosts had it at their back in the first half. That’s usually an advantage. But at times the ball carried too far.

Yet Staples had plenty of control. The Eagles showed a low block from the opening whistle. The defensive tactic can frustrate opponents, though it is hard to sustain for an entire match. Trumbull’s bench was loud in support of their teammates, cheering every clearance and throw-in.

Still, there were good looks from Carpi, Brendan Allen, Adrian Rodriguez and Noah Rossoni in the first half. Sophomore keeper Drew Bedocs was called upon often, and made several key saves.

He could not do much on Carpi’s goal, which began when he intercepted a poor clearance at midfield. He took 3 touches, then fired a 35-yard strike. He had room to shoot, and took full advantage.

That quieted the Eagles reserves. So too did Staples’ play, which became more cohesive and smooth.

By the second half, the wind was a bit less strong — and it shifted somewhat, becoming more cross-field. Trumbull had a great chance on a back header off a free kick. Staples keeper Jack D’Amore made an excellent save over the top, then 2 more stops off the corner kick.

Nico Reyna and Lucas Alarcon came on, adding fresh energy to the Wrecker attack. In back, Carpi and Emmet Zahler saw the most action, and handled it cleanly.

The Eagles sent one more player forward — joining the previous lone attacker — in the 65th minute. The match opened up more then,

A nice shot by Gabe Duque, from Spencer Girling, was saved off the line. The blue-and-whites had 3 corner kicks in the final 4 minutes, and managed the game to the end. Their final best chance– Allen to Duque to Rodriguez — was smothered.

It’s not easy playing a game like this, after the high of a league title. It’s even tougher going against a team that was handled easily (3-0) the first time. But that’s what has happened this time of year, throughout Staples’ 67-year soccer history. They play whoever comes up in their bracket. And they sometimes play in difficult weather. Welcome to the state tournament! FINAL SCORE: Staples 1, Trumbull 0. SEASON RECORD: 18-2-0.

QUICK KICKS: Today is head coach Liam Witham’s birthday. The afternoon was special for another reason: His father was on the sideline watching. He’s here from England, visiting his son and grandchildren …

The 2 p.m. kickoff is mandated by the CIAC, for schools without a lighted field. Because Staples does not get out until 2:45, the crowd was small at the start. It grew considerably during the second half.

The “LL” tournament was jolted yesterday, with news that JA Elite — a Stamford-based club — held tryouts last weekend. Any player who attended — including 8 from Brien McMahon, and several from Stamford and Darien — were thus ineligible for further high school competition this year. Coincidentally, McMahon and Stamford squared off in today’s state tournament first round. The #25 Senators upset the #8 Knights, 1-0….

In another match involving 2 FCIAC squads, #12 Ridgefield downed #21 Danbury, 2-0. Meanwhile, #24 Fairfield Warde was edged by#9 Hall-West Hartford, 1-0.