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WESTPORT, Conn. Staples senior Misha Strage got to play the hero again Saturday. Two days after her goal ended Dariens 83-game unbeaten streak, Strage again scored the go-ahead goal for the Wreckers. This time the score gave Staples a league championship. The Wreckers beat Wilton 2-1 to take their first Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference field hockey title in 17 years.
It feels amazing, but I couldnt have done it without my team, Strage said. I was just lucky that I got the goal, but my team was behind me every step of that goal.
Staples was first on the board Saturday in dramatic fashion. Senior Emily Ashken scored off a Strage pass to put the Wreckers up 1-0 with just 2.7 second left in the first half.
I think my team was just banking on halftime coming a little too soon, not realizing 10 seconds is a long time, said Wilton head coach Dierdre Hynes after the game. We learned it the hard way. It takes all 60 minutes every single second of it.
Despite the setback, Wilton came out strong to start the second half. Junior Caroline DeAngelis put in an unassisted goal of her own to tie the score at 1-1 less than three minutes into the half. But Staples pulled ahead with 9:55 left in the game when Strage put in a goal off a penalty corner to put the Wreckers up for good.
Saturdays MVP was the Wreckers Chris Leub, who turned in an impressive performance in goal. Shes been the best player on the field for the past few games for us, said head coach Cecily Anderson.
With the victory, Staples became the first team other than Darien to win the FCIAC title since 2006. The championship is also the Wreckers first in the sport since the 1994-1995 school year. Both Wilton and Staples are now awaiting the state tournaments, set to begin Nov. 10. Tournament brackets will be announced Wednesday.
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