Ruden Sports News

Trumbull’s Jaden Lima has been the personification this season of one of soccer’s harshest terms.

Unlucky.

Lima has hit posts, crossbars and been denied by acrobatic goalkeepers.

Today, at the most opportune time, the soccer gods shined on the junior attacker. Lima’s intended crossing ball at the start of the second overtime of the Class LL second round match with Darien instead went off course, landing high into the far corner of the net to give the eighth-seeded Eagles a 2-1 victory.

“It was our throw in, my teammate passed me the ball, I beat one of their players and honestly I was trying to cross it back post and got lucky and it went right in for me,” Lima said. “I was surprised as everyone else. It was a great feeling.”

The Eagles (12-3-3) move on to the quarterfinals and will face the No. 1 seed, unbeaten Notre Dame-West Haven, on the road Friday. This is the first time Trumbull has advanced this far in the tournament since 2019.

In a game where each team had spurts of control but over all was evenly played, Trumbull coach Sil Vitiello said sometimes a fortuitous strike or carom can prove decisive, and perhaps no one on his team was more deserving of the moment than Lima.

“He’s been knocking on the door all season and the ball wouldn’t bounce for him,” Vitiello said. “He picked the best time he could possibly pick, in an overtime late to get that break. He could have had four or five goals at least so far. The goalie was making saves, he hit posts. One finally found … it had eyes, right? It just kind of found its way into the goal. This time of year it doesn’t matter how they go in, as long as they go in.”

The ninth-seeded Blue Wave (10-5-3) stunned Trumbull when it scored just 37 seconds into play. Jack Flynn played a ball into the box and Briggs Davis finished with a one-touch for the quick lead.

But Darien, which has averaged just over three goals in its wins, was shutout through the remaining 99-plus minutes. Some of that had to do with the play of Trumbull goalkeeper Connor Hughes, who made several difficult saves.

Trumbull has allowed two or more goals just four times — most recently in a 3-2 loss to Stamford in the first round of the FCIAC Tournament — and is 0-3-1 in those games. The Eagles’ lone loss when allowing one goal was a 1-0 non-league loss to Conard.

“I thought in the first 20 minutes we had our opportunity to finish the game off,” Darien coach Jon Bradley said. “I think we came out very strong and then obviously they tied it up. We were superior the first 20, 25 minutes and their goalie made some great saves.”

Trumbull overcame a first-half deficit and defeated the Blue Wave, 3-1, in their regular season meeting. Bradley said the game plan coming in today was to contain Mateus Almeida, the Eagles’ dangerous finisher.

Darien was successful in that area, but the Eagles equalized 1:50 before halftime. A corner kick by Lima was headed out of the box back to Lima, who chipped the ball back toward the goal. Luca Solustri headed it in front and David Onianwa, off a scramble, with a backwards kick found the back of the net.

The score stayed that way despite some good opportunities. The best was denied in spectacular fashion by Blue Wave goalkeeper Daniel Jeffers. In the 64th minute, the Eagles’ Tom DiCorpo was stopped from close range. The rebound came out to Christian Moura, who seemed primed to put away a go-ahead score. But looking more like a hockey goaltender sprawling to the other side of the net, Jeffers sprung up and stuffed Moura.

The score stayed deadlocked until the best misplaced ball of Lima’s career.

Trumbull had won four of the previous five FCIAC titles, discounting the 2020 Covid season. It was eliminated early in the state tournament in three of those years.

The Eagles’ early league exit this year gave them time off and the chance to refocus for the state playoffs.

“I think it has affected us this tournament,” Vitiello said. “The extra rest, I’m not saying I want it. I wouldn’t give any of those championships back. I do think there’s something to it. We are in the quarters and we will start preparing tomorrow. Survive and advance.”