Staples Girls Lacrosse Comes Up Short in State Title Bid

The unexpected rain on Saturday reflected the glum mood of the Staples girls lacrosse team, as the Wreckers came up short in their final push for the state crown, falling to Fairfield Ludlowe, 15-9,  in the CIAC Division II title game.

Appearing in a state final for the first time in the six-year history of the program,  Staples completed a 14-7 season after dropping a hard-fought contest to their nemesis at Bunnell High School.

The Wreckers also lost a pair of one-goal games to Ludlowe during the regular season.

"It's really hard to talk about it right now," Staples senior co-captain Alexa Koenig said.  "But at the same time, we've done something as a team we've never done before, and I know it will feel better later reflecting on it."

Upon receiving the runner-up trophy, Staples head coach Cathy Schager put a positive spin on the day.

"I hope they feel like champions," she said. "We've gotten farther than anyone's ever gotten from Staples girls lacrosse,  so I think this is huge in so many ways."

For most of the game, the two teams remained in striking distance of one another, with neither team gaining an upper hand.

Staples lit up the scoreboard first when sophomore Alexandra Crofts, who had a hat trick in the game, found the back of the net at the 20:27 mark. 

Two minutes later,  teammate Elizabeth Driscoll netted the Wreckers' second goal to give Staples a two-goal advantage. 

Crofts and Driscoll then repeated the same scoring sequence – with an assist on each from Blair Barone – to account for the Wreckers' first four goals. 

Ludlowe's Tierney Larson, who also had a hat trick in the game, scored early for the Falcons (15-6), but the Wreckers were clearly in a nice offensive rhythm.

Staples' Jessica Ambrose's goal at the 11:30 mark gave the Wreckers a commanding 5-1 lead.

But then the game turned.

It was at this point that Ludlowe called a consequential time out.  The Falcons re-grouped, re-focused, and starting playing with more patience and poise.

When the horn sounded for the half, the Falcons had reeled off four unanswered goals to tie the game, 5-5.

The Falcons burst into the second half,  scoring 43 seconds in, and the Wreckers never regained the lead.  

Second-half Wrecker goals by Nicole Seo, Maeve Flaherty, Remy Nolan, and Crofts kept the score close – along with brilliant point-blank saves from goalie Panagiota Tsilfides – but the potent Falcons' offense ultimately proved unstoppable.

Of note, Ludlowe sophomore Sarah Nesi netted five goals for the Falcons.

Commenting on the rivalry with Ludlowe, Driscoll said, "We both wanted it, and in the end they won, but I still count this as a victory." 

She added, "I'm so proud of our seniors and every single member of the team. Everyone contributed, and we've done better than we've ever done.  We did great."

Staples entered the state tournament as the 10th seed and promptly upset top seed Immaculate,  18-11,  in the quarterfinals.  The Wreckers then shut down third seed St. Bernard, 19-8, in the semifinals to advance to the championship game against Ludlowe.

In thinking back on the season and her team, Schager extended a simple, but heartfelt message: "I love these girls; it's been a pleasure to coach them."