Howard Sends Girls Lax into Title Game

Wilton senior Tessa Howard ended one of the most dramatic games in FCIAC girls' lacrosse history when it appeared the contest would go on forever.

Howard scored a sudden death goal 69 seconds into triple overtime, lifting the Warriors to a stunning 17-16 victory over top seed Darien on Monday night.

The victory propels the Warriors (12-5-1), who rallied from an early 7-0 deficit, into Friday's championship game against New Canaan on Friday at 5:15 p.m. at McMahon High School in Norwalk.

"I've never been on a team that's beaten Darien in my four years until tonight," Howard exclaimed. "Wow!" 

Liz Calby sparked Darien's early run with three goals and it appeared the top-seeded Blue Wave (14-4) were in control.  

"I don't know what happened to us other than some of the intensity was missing after we started out so well," Colby said.

Just past the midway point of the first half,  Rachel Lowrie finished a perfectly executed fast break with assists from Laura Johnson and freshman Casey Pearsall to start Wilton's comeback.

"We're really happy to have pulled this one out," Pearsall said.  "I think I'll remember this game for a long time."

The Warriors scored scored five of the next six goals. They got two more to make it a 7-3 game. After Calby got her fourth goal to make it 8-3, Wilton came back with two more, both from Lowrie, and what looked like a runaway a few minutes earlier was hardly that at the intermission. Darien led 8-5.

The Warriors started the second half just as Darien had in the opening half, going on a five-goal run.

Alexi Farmakis,  on a pretty feed from Pearsall, scored to make it 8-6. Howard and Pearsall then found the back of the net to tie the contest at 8. Wilton added goals from Tegan Helms and Farmakis again, giving the Warriors a 10-8 lead.

But Darien was hardly done. Ann Fucigna , Cally Seglarski and Corrine Sommi scored consecutive goals to put the Blue Wave back up, 11-10.

Wilton tied it on a goal from Megan Boepple and with four minutes remaining in regulation time, it was 11-all. The teams traded two more goals, with Wilton scoring with 45 seconds left in the regulation to force overtime at 13-13.

Pearsall opened the scoring in the first overtime just 11 seconds in as she sped by defenders, but the Wave countered with two consecutive goals from Seglarski for a 14-13 lead with 1:34 left.

But Farmakis tied the game and after goalie Maddi Kratz made a terrific save on a point blank shot, it was deadlocked after the first extra period.

The teams went into a second three-minute overtime. Wilton scored just 12 seconds in on a goal by Helms, but Darien tied it with nine seconds showing on the clock on a goal by Taylor Hardison.

With 1:51 showing on the clock in the third overtime, a sudden death period, Howard buried the game winner.

"Wilton won too many faceoffs," Darien coach Lisa Lindley said.  "I'm guessing some 85 percent, and that killed us." 

"We had so many opportunities but we simply just didn't play like we could have," Calby added.