No. 1 Darien holds off Staples in wild finish
DARIEN — The wild rivalry of the Darien and Staples field hockey teams is alive and kicking.
No. 1 Darien took a twogoal lead before holding off No. 3 Staples in the fourth quarter and securing a 2-1 victory as the teams met for the first time in two years Wednesday in Darien.
It was a crazy finish, as Staples put the ball in the circle and Lily Harrington took a shot from the left side, but Darien’s Kaci Benoit, Blake Wilks and goalie
Grace La Du converged to block the attempt as time expired.
“That was crazy,” Darien coach Mo Minicus said. “It was chaotic.”
“We were really stressed out because the momentum kind of shifted,” Darien’s Raina Johns said. “We held our ground defensively and we did a really good job of keeping them out of the circle. It was 2-1 and we were just trying to make sure we didn’t go into overtime.”
The victory kept the Blue Wave perfect at 4-0, while the Wreckers are now 3-1-1. The teams went head-tohead in five championship games from 2017 to 2019, with the Wave winning the FCIAC title in 2018, and the Wreckers winning Class L crowns in 2018 and 2019. They were co-champs in Class L in 2017, and the FCIAC in 2019.
“We always want to beat Darien and Darien always wants to beat us,” Staples coach Ian Tapsall said. “It’s a great rivalry, but the thing that matters is FCIACs and States. It’s unfortunate that we’re always playing them in the first three weeks. There’s a lot of learning that has to be done.”
“We’ve had a brutal start to the season with Wilton, Norwalk, Ridgefield and Staples,” Minicus said. “There’s not a break in there. It’s always good to beat Staples but you know we’re going to see them again. We’ll take the win, but there’s definitely lots to
improve on.”
Johns was the key cog in the Blue Wave’s motor on Wednesday, playing centerback for a defense which held the Wreckers to just three shots on the cage. Johns also had a goal and an assist on the offensive end.
Her goal came during a penalty corner off an insert pass from Benoit with 4:57 remaining in the first quarter. Johns then assisted on the second goal, sending a hard shot into the circle with Ashley Stockdale finishing with 7:58 to play in the fourth.
Johns shifted to centerback this season and it’s already paying dividends.
“I normally play low-mid or center defender, and it’s really nice being able to play both offense and defense,” Johns said. “There’s perks for both. I love scoring just as much as anybody else, so it’s really nice getting to play both positions.
“We wish we could clone (Johns) and play her everywhere,” Minicus said with a laugh. “She’s just so good back there. She reads the play, she steps up, she’s just a little brick wall back there, and she’s really smart.”
Staples got a great game from senior goalie Ella Williams, who collected 10 saves to keep it close.
“She’s very imposing,” Tapsall said. “It’s very difficult to get past her. She’s unorthodox, but she gets in the way and that’s what goalies have to do. She does her job very well.”
Trailing 2-0, Staples came to life and earned its first penalty corner with seven minutes remaining, and its first shot with 6:20 on the clock.
The Wreckers’ second
shot found the mark when Tyla Ozgen scored during a penalty corner with 3:57 to play.
That set up the dramatic final moments.
“We’ve got an extremely young team with three freshmen and a bunch of sophomores, so it’s a learning process,” Tapsall said. “When they realize the intensity that’s needed, it works. Unfortunately, that didn’t really happen until the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter.
“I’m happy. I didn’t expect great things from the game but the effort we put in at the end was superb.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Raina Johns, Darien: Not only was Johns the centerpiece of a strong defensive performance by the Blue Wave, she also got involved on both Darien goals, scoring the first and assisting on the second.
QUOTABLE
“It’s really nice getting out there to see some tough competitors to start. It’s the best way to start the season, so you’re really getting into the competition and not waiting until the end. We’re a younger team, which is good because it lets us develop. We have the potential to go all the way in FCIACs and States so that’s what we’re hoping to do.” — Darien junior Raina Johns