Staples vs. Hall: The Rivalry Continues
Staples meets Hall Tuesday night in Newtown (7 p.m.) in the semifinals of the state LL tournament.
The match marks the 9th time they’ll have met in the tourney.
The Wreckers hold the upper hand: 6 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie.
Interestingly, the first of those victories was Staples’ first-ever state championship (though the 2 teams shared the title). The next 3 came en route to state crowns. The sixth and seventh were on the way to 2 moroe state finals. The most recent match — the only loss — came 10 years ago, on penalty kicks.
1963
In the state final, during the 6th year of Staples’ boys soccer program, no one scored through regulation or two 5-minute overtimes at Sterling Field, just minutes from Hall’s West Hartford campus.
The tournament chairman ruled that the usual method of deciding tied state tournament games — the teams with the most corner kicks wins, because it showed allegedly showed greater attacking prowess — would not be used, because no winner was needed. So Staples’ first-ever state championship was a shared one. (The Wreckers did lead, 2-1, in corner kicks.)
For several decades, co-champions were declared if a final was tied. Now, after 2 10-minute overtimes played to completion, penalty kicks are used.
1971
This time the teams met in the state tournament’s first round, at home. Goalkeeper Shane Kennedy made several key saves. Jeff Williamson and Dana Hollingsworth scored in the 2-0 win. The Wreckers went on to win the Connecticut championship 3 matches later, 1-0 over Conard — also of West Hartford — on a late goal by Williamson.
1978
In Jeff Lea’s first year as head coach, after taking over from program founder Albie Loeffler, #7 Staples met #3 Hall at Nonnewaug High in Woodbury. It was a thrilling qiarterfinal.
Jeff Kates scored unassisted at 5:30, but the Warriors equalized on a diving header. Just 26 seconds later Tod Barrett beat the flat defense, went baseline and feeds Marc Sholes, who from 15 yards out hammered one past the motionless keeper.
Gordon Hull’s through ball to Tom Greenwald gave the Wreckers a 3-1 edge, but with 25 minutes to go the rapid pace took its toll. Staples retreated defensively; Hall crept within 1 on a header. Keeper Bob Simonton’s clutch save kept Staples on top; moments later Rick Jakobson booted a bouncing ball off the line, and for the third time in 3 games John Nathan (who also shuts down dangerous Simon Ostrov) headed a certain goal out of danger.
Two matches later, the Wreckers won their 8th state championship in a very memorable match over Greenwich, at New Canaan. Hull’s goal with just 11 seconds remaining in the final overtime won it, 3-2. Simonton had starred earlier, making a key diving stop, despite being blinded by mud in his eye.
1982
This quarterfinal was not close. Phil Dalmage’s hat trick sparked the Westporters over Hall 5-0 at windy Nonnewaug High.
For the second straight time in the tournament the winners broke down their foes in the first half, then moved in for the kill in the second. Mark Noonan smashed a shot off the crossbar for Dalmage to finish. The duo combines on the second goal; Dalmage got number 3 off Mike Clifford’s baseline feed. Noonan and Clifford closed out the scoring.
The final 2 games later is another classic. The tense battle against Ridgefield at New Canaan was decided just 7 minutes from time. Defender Rob Stone picked up a long clearance just inside midfield, and launched a long, lofting shot that carried into the net. The only goal of Stone’s Staples career gave his side a 1-0 win — the Wreckers’ 2nd state championship in a row, and 10th overall.
2004
In Dan Woog’s 2nd year as head coach, Staples and Hall met in the round of 16, at Staples.
The Warriors’ national youth team keeper Kevin Sweetland was for real, but things looked bright in the 12th minute when Ross McGibney was fouled in the box. Staples’ scouting report noted that Sweetland starts on 1 post for PKs, then slides to the middle. The Wreckers had practiced against that the previous day — but the move works, and the shot flew wide.
Their next best chance, in the 36th minute, was an almost certain goal by McGibney. But Sweetland flew out of nowhere to rob him.
With the teams scoreless and overtime looming, Wrecker keeper Sean Milligan outletted to Jon Zimmerman. The central midfielder found McGibney on the left. The Irish attacked dribbled forward, drew Sweetland out, then scored straight ahead, low and hard.
Just 2:15 remained, but Hall did not concede. Sweetland moved up to midfield, and pressed hard. But Staples hung tough, for the win. The season ended 2 games later, with a semifinal loss to Newtown.
2006
The semifinal at Nonnewaug High is also memorable. The field is only 64 yards wide. Stapes would prefer a wider surface, to spread play away from Hall’s 6-5 central defender, Paul Visgilio. They executed decently in the 1st half, and almost got 1st-half scores from Matt Lamb and Brendon Cristobal.
From the 60th minute on, Staples was particularly impressive. But the match wore inexorably to overtime. The Westporters’ play in OT crackled. Visgilio was shown a yellow card (Hall’s 2nd) just 4 seconds from the end of the 1st 10-minute session. Lamb’s ensuing free kick hit the wall, and keeper Jason Cohen punch-saved at the buzzer.
The 2nd OT found the Warriors a bit disorganized without their big back, but they had their best opportunity of the day just 2:30 from time. Keeper Dave Sharpe came up huge on a close-in shot. The Wreckers headed to their 2nd penalty kick match in 96 hours. The previous game had also gone to PKs — 2 rounds of it. All 9 Staples shooters made theirs; Sharpe saved 2 for the win.
Once again, Staples won the coin toss; once again, they elected to kick 1st. The order remained exactly the same. After Sharpe, Taylor Stuart and Russell Oost-Lievense scored, Sharpe savesd on a ball struck down the middle. Lamb, however, hit high, evening the tally at 3-3. Preston Hirten tallied; so didHall, and the teams were once again dead even after 5.
Matt Sych and Nicky Hoberman scored easily. Brad Green’s shot hits the keeper, but sailed into the net. Sean Soderman – the 9th shooter – scored left. The Warriors had matched Staples so far – but their 9th kicker hit the left post.
The entire season rested on the foot of junior defender Mike Smith. He blasted his shot into the back of the net, right side. For the 16th time overall – but the 1st in 10 years — the Wreckers headed to the state finals. That was another nail-biting match. It ended in a 2-1 loss to Simsbury. Overtime then was golden goal, and a long, lofting shot (perhaps a cross, aided by the wind) ended Staples’ long, remarkable season.
2010
The semifinals was at night, on the West Haven High turf. Hall had upset #1 EO Smith 4-1, then tied Cheshire with 17 seconds remaining before winning a heart-stopper, 2-1 in OT.
But Staples started the match on fire. The 1st goal came in the 18th minute: Steven Denowitz headed in Sean Gallagher’s long free kick. Less than 2 minutes before halftime, Court Lake’s low shot gave the Wreckers breathing room.
At halftime, Staples vowed to not let the Warriors back in the game.
They didn’t. Brendan Lesch stood up his defender, turned, touched and left-footed a rope into the far right corner. With 23 minutes to play Hall cuts the margin to 3-1 — but that’s as close as they got.
Two minutes later Jake Krosse, Steve Smith and Ben Root set up Lorenz Esposito’s blast. Taylor McNair sent Lesch through, to calmly chip the keeper. Three minutes later, Dylan Hoy assisted Smith. Hoy then fed AJ Green, for a highlight-reel rocket. Hall got 1 back, but Alex Tonsberg nailed another goal — off another Hoy assist. When the dust settled, Staples has 5 goals in less than 27 minutes, 4 in the final 12. The score was 8-2.
The Wreckers headed to their 2nd consecutive state final (and 3rd in the past 5). They fell short, 2-1 to Farmington on a free kick with less than 15 minutes to play.
2015
The most recent Staples-Hall matchup came in the first round, in West Hartford. An all-day rain made the Warriors’ grass field slick for the 4 p.m. kickoff. Staples roared out of the gate faster than they did all fall. It took nearly 10 minutes — literally — for the hosts to cross midfield. Keeper Brenden Price rarely saw the ball.
Staples outshot Hall 7-0 in the 1st half. Michael Reid and Daniel Perez Elorza set up golden opportunities, but the ball skittersed across the goalmouth. The best chance, by Spencer Daniels, banged off the crossbar. Warrior coach Zeke Seguro said his team was lucky to escape halftime scoreless.
Hall came in the 2nd half, but Staples still had chances. The Wreckers kept the ball on the ground, despite the rain and wind. The Warriors sole a goal against the run of play, off a nifty corner kick that was dummied twice before a 25-yeard blast.
Staples pushed forward. Hall did not retreat defensively. A blast by Graham Gudis was saved spectacularly. The end seemed near.
Suddenly — with a mere 2:38 to play — Gudis fed Perez Elorza. He turned, then rocketed a shot into the far right corner, past the diving keeper.
The 1st 10-minute overtime resembled the 1st half, with Staples’ domination. The 2nd was more equal. Neither yielded a score. It was on to penalty kicks.
Four Wreckers — Aidan Wisher, Perez Elorza, Gudis and Josh Berman — mad theirs. But the middle kicker was saved, by Hall’s 2nd keeper.
2025
What will the next chapter in Staples soccer’s famed history book say?
The answer comes Tuesday, in Newtown.
