Staples vs. Danbury: Match Report

The bad news for the Wreckers, before today’s match at Danbury: a pair of starters (defender Hunter Smith and midfielder Zach Gorin) were sick.

The good news: Adam Syah was back, after his own illness.

The junior started at right back. The makeshift defensive line — with Ben Douglas leading by example as the anchor, midfielder Dylan Hoke moving back to a position he’s very familiar from other teams, and sophomore Cormac Mulvey — worked together well, as a unit. Campbell Gerrard came on after intermission. They communicated, stepped up together, won the air battle, played with poise out of the back, and limited the Hatters to a few shots. Junior keeper Nick Sikorski was sure-handed, and well-positioned behind them. Danbury — which opened the season with a 2-1 loss to Trumbull and a 3-0 win over Stamford, both at home — could not score.

But neither could the Wreckers. The Hatters limited their chances too. Several drives into the box by Avery Mueller, and offensive work from Matt Shackelford, Lucas Carpi and Ethan Cukier, ended without a finish. The teams drew 0-0 in the evenly played, midfield-centered match. Seniors Alex Laskin, Cole Lieberman and sophomore Luca Escalarte — making his first start — started at midfield. Senior Josh Deitch made his first varsity appearance, and contributed solidly to the Wreckers’ effort there.

The match ebbed and flowed. Staples had the upper hand for most of the second half; the hosts’ strongest chances came in the second. Overall, it was the Wreckers’ best overall performance since an opening day win at Ridgefield.

The Westporters showed several dangerous corners, particularly low driven ones.

As the clock wound down, Mueller sent a great ball across, but no one was there to meet it. A minute later Laskin’s tackle prevented a possible Hatter strike. Sikorski saved with less than a minute to play, snuffing out one final threat.

The Wreckers kick off their Wakeman Field schedule on Monday, with a 4 p.m. match against Westhill. FINAL SCORE: Staples 0, Danbury 0. SEASON RECORD: 1-2-1.

QUICK KICKS: Staples’ annual car wash is this Saturday (10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Freudingman & Billings parking lot, 1720 Post Road East near Stop & Shop) ….

The reserves dropped a 3-1 match to Danbury. The Wreckers dominated the first half, but had few good shots. Two counterattacks gave the Hatters a 2-0 lead. Sam Rossoni halved the deficit, before the hosts added an insurance goal off a corner kick ….

The freshmen worked hard in a 4-1 victory over Danbury. Zach Gillman tallied twice; Gabe Hellman and Gabe Duque added solo strikes.