The Staples boys soccer team scored one goal in the first minute of play today, added two more in the first half, then cruised to a 4-0 victory over E.O. Smith-Storrs.
The win—the team’s third straight tournament shutout—propels the Wreckers into the state LL tournament semifinals.
Staples, now 15-2-2 and the seventh-ranked team in the tourney, faces No. 3 Newtown on Wednesday at Danbury High School at 5 p.m.
The Wreckers have won their first three state tournament matches by shutouts.
Newtown, which earlier this season was nationally ranked, has a 17-1-0 record.
“We scrimmaged them early this season,” said coach Dan Woog. “They’re a very good team. We have a lot of respect for them—and we also like the way we’ve been playing. It should be a great match.”
The Nighthawks edged Manchester 2-1 in their quarterfinal, on a goal in the final three seconds.
The Wreckers, playing their eighth consecutive match on Albie Loeffler Field, wasted no time in striking against the Panthers.
In the opening minute Ross McGibney was tripped on a breakaway. Charlie Reiter rammed the ensuing penalty kick home.
Fourteen minutes later Reiter’s corner kick bounced in the box. Jon Zimmerman took the initial shot; when it was stopped, Matt Geringer was there to stub it in.
Six minutes before halftime Colin Nangle—who ran the show defensively all day—sent a ball to McGibney over the top. The junior striker raced forward on a breakaway, and finished strongly.
The final goal, in the 60th minute, began with good work by Brian Kennedy on the left side. He fed Reiter, who assisted on McGibney’s shot.
“We got a great effort from all 21 players today. It was a solid team win—exactly what you need to win a state tournament game,” Woog said.
Particularly noteworthy was the defensive effort of Lee Solomon, who marked Smith’s most potent player out of the match.
