Staples Boys Soccer Triumphs Over Darien In CIAC Match
Above, bottom right: Greyson Downes leads the celebration after his goal putting Staples on the board and in the lead.
It was a beautiful fall afternoon on Monday at Wakeman Field, as the Staples Wreckers earned a hard-fought 2–1 win over Darien. The game was anything but easy, with Darien sitting deep, defending in numbers, and looking to threaten through set pieces.
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ABOVE: In a match where inches can make the difference, Darien’s keeper is barely beaten by Downes’ shot fired on goal.
Staples started brightly, controlling possession and showing patience in the buildup despite Darien’s compact low block. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Greyson Downes finished calmly after a clever assist from Lucas Alarcon, giving the Wreckers a well-deserved 1–0 lead.
Wreckers Soccer fans line the fence, closely watching the intense action on the pitch as the Wreckers fought the Blue Wave in the CIAC match..
Gabe Duque was brought down in the box in the 2nd half earning a penalty that he confidently converted himself to make it 2–0 Staples.
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Darien battled back in the second half and pulled one back from a set piece, setting up a tense final stretch. Their goalkeeper produced several big saves to keep them in the game, but Staples showed maturity and discipline to see out the result and secure all three points.
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It was a gritty and composed performance from the Wreckers, who found a way to break down a tough opponent and manage the game late on.
TOURNAMENT UPDATE: Staples defeated Ridgefield, 2-0 at home on Thursday, November 6th.
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Staples Girls Soccer Shutouts: Danbury 2-0, Newtown 4-0
Staples Girls Soccer continues it’s successes in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Tournament with shut-out victories over Danbury and Newtown, advancing their quest for another state tournament championship.
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Staples take the pitch after halftime of the Danbury game.
On Friday, October 31 the Wreckers avenged a scoreless tie in Danbury with a decisive victory at home. Head Coach Barry Beattie spoke with WestportLocal, saying, “It was a strong performance from the girls as they dominated possession and controlled most of the game. They were able to create a lot of clear chances to score.”
He continued, “Willa (Junior Willa Shamie, center back) took her goal well from a corner by Alexa (midfielder, sophomore Alexa Fan Aken) which she lost her mark and headed home.”
Beattie told us, “The second half saw us create more chances but Alexa made the difference by scoring a great goal from the edge of the box.”
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On Tuesday, November 4th, the girls once again dominated with a 4-0 shout-out of the #5 ranked Newtown Nighthawks on their home pitch in the second round of the tournament. It was another stellar Wrecker performance, with Coach Beattie telling us, “We started well and created many good chances. The goals we scored were all great quick moving play. Alexa Van Aken scored twice assists were Maddy Johnson and Riely Gullans.”
Players celebrate another decisive victory over Danbury.
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Coach Beattie added, “Toni Rizzi scored late in the first half off a great Neave Mulvey cross. The second half we were able to make a lot of changes and give good game time to others. Sami Selig scored the last one off an assist with Maddy Grey.”
The #12 ranked Stales girls will next face the #4 Amity Regional HS Spartans in Woodbridge on Saturday at 1:00 PM
The MOMbies Invasion Of Westport’s Vineyard Vines!
The MOMbies take over Vineyard Vines!
Photos by J.C. Martin, Story by Joy Martini For WestportLocalPress. Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
It seemed like an ordinary Saturday. Until…One of Westport’s favorite stores, Main Street’s Vineyard Vines, was invaded by the ghoulish MOMbies. There appears to be no casualties and if reports are correct, store employees and customers all left with their brains fully intact. (And smiles on their faces.)
The MOMbies. Who are they? What are they?
Ten years ago, Fairfield’s Terry Davis had an idea. Wouldn’t it be a hoot to gather a bunch of friends and do a flash mob dance to Thriller during trick-or-treating in their beach area neighborhood? It was just an idea to shake up Halloween and show the kids that moms can be fun. You could say the idea took hold. Following their break-out performance, the terrifying troupe which now numbers over 50 Fairfield moms, partnered with the Cancer Couch Foundation, which funds metastatic breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. In their decade of dance, fully costumed as zombies and professional choreographed, the MOMbies have become a seasonal – and national, sensation!! Best of all with an anonymous matching donor, to date the MOMbies have raised nearly $750,000.
Each year, in addition to their dance performances, the MOMbies zombie up and hit the road to visit their corporate supporters. And that brings us to last Saturday and the march of the half-dead down Westport’s main drag. “We absolutely love visiting our special supporters and are so grateful for Vineyard Vines’ longtime generosity. This is where preppy meets petrifying!” noted Terry Davis, MOMbies founder and creative director.
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Join In The Fun On This Sunday!
Their main performance will be this Sunday, October 26th at Elicit Brewery in Fairfield with shows at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm. The free and family friendly show also will include a dance party, raffle prizes, a zombification station and other tricks and treats.
For more information, or to donate, visit mombies.org. You can also follow the ghouls:
@mombiesorg on Instagram, and @MOMbies on YouTube and Facebook.
To see them in action, check out YouTube: MOMbies in a Minute:
Family Fun At Earthplace Fall Fest
Earlier this month Earthplace, one of Westport’s true gems for children and families held their Fall Festival.
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There were plenty of fun activities for kids and their parents to enjoy. Everywhere you went there were games to be played, crafts to be created, and an opportunity to get close-up and personal with some of Earthplace’s wonderful wildlife.
A perennial favorite, the “corn pit” kept kids engaged for quite some time as the jumped, dove and “swam” in hundreds of thousand of corn kernels. They found several clever ways to enjoy this very busy attraction.
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The donut on a string presented a challenge for kids looking for a treat, but only with a bit of work. Kind of like an Earthplace version of bobbing for apples (a boomer reference no doubt).
There were plenty of fun activities for kids and their parents to enjoy. Everywhere you went there were games to be played, crafts to be created, and an opportunity to get close-up and personal with some of Earthplace’s wonderful wildlife.
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The eagle nest also drew quite a lot of attention as kids channeled their inner builder spirit, assembling tree limbs and sticks to created a larger than life “eagle nest” as they learned about many interesting facts about our national symbol and how they live.
.Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
.Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery
Food vendors were also on hand, including Paradise Island Food which offered authentic Puerto Rican food from their elaborate food truck and buffet.
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