WHS Boys Soccer Season Ends with a Nail-Biter

Despite a hard-fought game that went down to the wire, the WHS Boys soccer team's CIAC playoff run ended in the second round Thursday night after a nail-biting 1-0 loss to New Canaan.

At times the game looked almost like a tennis match, as the two teams traded runs into each other's territory and looked evenly opposed. Wilton seemed to control the middle of the field more, while New Canaan consistently made strong runs down the flanks.

Despite the cold weather and a chilling wind, it was a high energy contest. The stars of the contest could easily be said to have been the two goalkeepers, New Canaan's Scott Levene and Wilton's Michael DeSantis, who had eight saves on thirteen shots for the Warriors.

With just over twelve minutes left in the second half, New Canaan rifled a shot from just outside the box on a breakaway and DeSantis made a spectacular diving save to keep the score tied. But seven minutes later, with 5:41 left in the match, the Rams' Tim Pritchard gathered a loose ball in front of the goal and launched it into the upper 90 for what turned out to be the game winner.

The loss brings the Warriors' season to a close. They finish 5-8-4, while New Canaan heads on to the quarterfinals to take on Bristol Eastern.