State Champs! Match Report: Staples vs. Greenwich [UPDATED – PHOTOS AND MORE INFO]
The Staples boys soccer team wanted to write their own chapter in the Wreckers’ 67-year history.
But this season deserves a book of its own.
The Wreckers scored early, added another in the first half, then put archrivals Greenwich away with a third goal this afternoon, in the state “LL” (extra large schools) championship.
The victory — accomplished with the Westporters’ trademark skill, speed, physicality, smarts, passion, pride and tremendous team chemistry — thrilled the crowd at Hartford’s chilly Trinity Health Stadium. In the stands were the players’ friends and parents, youth players who clamored for autographs, and plenty of alumni. Many others watched the livestream, all across the country.
Today’s win earns the 2025 Wreckers a spot alongside the very top teams of all time. This is Staples’ 13th state title since 1963 — but the first since 2009.
They’re only the 7th squad to earn a very difficult double: winning both the FCIAC and state crowns.
And — just as significantly — they equaled the ’09 mark, for most wins in a season. Both squads ended with sparkling 22-2-0 records.
But this win carries special significance. In the 7th match of the regular season, the Cardinals handed the Wreckers’ their first loss of the year. And they did it in devastating fashion, battling back from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3.
Staples earned revenge in the FCIAC final, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead en route to a 3-2 victory.
So today’s match figured to be another nail-biter. A number of spectators thought it could go to penalty kicks.
As they did so often this season — and against Greenwich — the blue-and-whites drew first blood. Moments after a full rainbow appeared in the sky beyond the field, defender Gabe Hellmann drove an inswinging corner kick into the box.
Fellow captain Gabe Duque caught it on a short hop from close range. It was an opportunistic strike, but far from lucky. The Westporters have been deadly on set pieces all year long.
Spencer Girling — the center back, and Most Valuable Player in the FCIAC championship — went down with a lower back injury. Emmett Zahler came on to replace him for the rest of the half.
Staples’ airtight defense did not miss a beat. Hellmann, Dylan Shackelford and Adriano Carpi have been consistently strong all year, and Zahler is an excellent addition off the bench.
Down 1-0, the Cards took the game to Staples. In the 26th minute keeper Jack D’Amore punched a corner kick away; Carpi then headed clear.
“Calm!” head coach Liam Witham urged his players.
In the 30th minute, Carpi powered a long free kick from midfield. Shackelford — pushed forward for the set play — outleaped his defender, and headed goalward.
The ball skipped through the keeper’s hands, and into the net. It was his first — and only — goal of the season, and recalled another state championship score by a right back: Rob Stone’s game-winner in 1983, against Ridgefield.
For the third time in 3 matches, the Wreckers were 2 goals up on Greenwich. The Cards had battled back from 2 down twice before. With their perfect (16-0-0) regular season record, and a strong march through the state tournament, it seemed likely the game was not over.
But Greenwich likes to put the ball in the air. In the second half — facing a strong wind that almost blew one keeper punt all the way back to him — they could not solve Staples.
Drew Hill commanded midfield. Duque, Brendan Allen, Josh Whitaker, Noah Rossoni, Adrian Rodriguez and Lucas Alarcon applied pressure up top. Slowly, they turned up the heat.
In the 62nd minute Rossoni chested a ball down, and sent Rodriguez through. He drew the keeper out, then finished cleanly. The Cards argued vociferously for an offside call, to no avail.
Two minutes of chippiness followed — but by then the game was over. The Wreckers controlled the ball. They controlled the clock. They controlled their own destiny.
Ten minutes later, the game was history.
And the 2025 Staples soccer team had written one of the greatest chapters in it ever. FINAL SCORE: Staples 3, Greenwich 0. FINAL RECORD: 22-2-0.
QUICK KICKS: For his goal at one end, and excellent defense at the other, Shackelford was named Most Valuable Player of the Match …
Greenwich — shut out for the first time this year — had scored 19 goals in its first 3 state tournament games (after a first-round bye) ….
The win was Staples’ 17th in a row …
The championship was actually Staples’ third of the year. Besides the FCIAC title, they won the Norwalk summer league, with an undefeated mark ….
In a great show of sportsmanship near the end, keeper D’Amore helped stretch out a Greenwich player suffering from cramps …
Staples’ 13 state championships are the most in Connecticut, in the largest schools category. Glastonbury has 11; Hall-West Hartford has 10. The leaders in all divisions (LL, L, M and S) are Wethersfield (16) and Farmington. (All of the Wreckers’ titles have come in the largest schools category. Staples chose to play up in “LL,” even when they were an “L” school).
Ryan Allen has chronicled the team’s season, in videos and still photos. Click here for his great pump-up video before today’s match ….
This was the 2nd highest margin of victory, for all 13 Staples state champions. The ’09 team beat New Milford 4-0 ….
The 2025 state champs! (Photo David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report)
Wreckers get ready. (Photo/John Walker)
Ford Epstein (Photo/David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report)
Brendan Allen (Photo/David G. Whitham for The Ruden Report)
Gabe Duque (Photo/John Walker)
Dylan Shackelford — the game’s Most Valuable Player — celebrates his goal. (Photo/John Walker)
Head coach Liam Witham, with the championship trophy. (Photo/John Walker)
The 2025 seniors. (Photo/Dan Woog)
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