Staples' Girls Lacrosse Star Flaherty Reinstated By CIAC

Maeve Flaherty, the leading scorer on Staples girls lacrosse team, who was suspended by the CIAC for Monday's FCIAC semifinal game against Darien, has been reinstated.

Nine players from six different schools — including Flaherty and New Canaan's trio of Olivia Hompe, Elizabeth O'Sullivan and Wheatley Raabe -- were declared ineligible after they tried out for the Underclassmen Games of the Under Armour All Amercian Lacrosse Classic on May 15.

Hompe, New Canaan's leading scorer, was the only player of the nine to actually make the squad.

However, After hearing an appeal, the CIAC immediately restored the eligibility of the players, who now will be able to participate in the state tournament, which begins next week.

"On Monday, May 23rd, 2011 the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) was informed that nine student-athletes from six CIAC member high schools participated in a tryout on May 15 for the Underclassman Games of the Under Armour All American Lacrosse Classic," the CIAC said in a statement released Tuesday. "This participation was in violation of CIAC Student Eligibility rules pertaining to participation on outside teams during the CIAC defined sport season."

The CIAC did not offer a specific reason for restoring the players' eligibility. As punishment, the CIAC ordered the teams to forfeit any games in which the players played in after May 15.  Those forfeits will affect their state tournament seedings.

Without Flaherty, Staples' leading scorer with 51 goals and top faceoff threat, the Wreckers' suffered a 19-5 loss to the Blue Wave while New Canaan lost to Wilton, 14-11.

Staples will forfeit victories over Barlow and McMahon while New Canaan will forfeit a win over Fairfield Warde.

The Wreckers' record drops fron 15-1 to 13-3 while the Rams go from 11-5 to 10-6.