Ruden Sports News

FAIRFIELD — The Staples boys lacrosse team’s comeback tour hit its final stop this afternoon, under an overcast sky at Sacred Heart University that the Wreckers turned into what they will always remember as the sunniest of days.

A year after losing to Darien by 12 goals in the FCIAC final, the Wreckers got their first and final chance at a postseason rematch, and boy did they take advantage of it. In an outcome that was slightly surprising outside of Westport but dog-bite-man territory both in the margin and the precision with which it was accumulated, Staples routed the Blue Wave, 12-3, for the Class L title, its first state championship.

Mason Schaefer scored 1:23 into the game on the opening possession and Gavin Rothenberg followed 19 seconds later. The second-seeded Wreckers were up 2-0. It proved to a foreshadowing of what was to follow.

“We played an almost perfect game,” said Henry Dodge, the Wreckers’ faceoff specialist who played the biggest role in the outcome. “We had a long memory about Ridgefield but we had an even longer one for Darien. They beat us last year in the FCIAC final, 15-3. This wasn’t the 15-3 we were hoping for but I’m really proud of all my boys. They played their hearts out all season, did everything the right today, didn’t do anything stupid and I love them for it.”

The second-seeded Wreckers (19-3) reached the final by avenging last year’s 4-3 opening round loss to Ridgefield during Wednesday’s semifinals, on Tyler Clark’s overtime goal.

Today was round two of payback.

“During this playoff run we had to show everyone the real Staples lacrosse team,” said Charlie Howard, who bolstered his team career record for goals with three today. “It felt good to come back and beat Ridgefield and now Darien. We weren’t us when we played them last year. This year we were us and able to get it done. We showed them who we are.”

Rothenberg finished with four goals while Derek Sale added a pair with an assist. Ryan Thompson had three assists. It wasn’t until the seventh goal that the Wreckers had a repeat scorer.”

Coach Will Koshansky had a perfect construct set up, predicated on execution. It also focused on Dodge.

“Darien is a team that does really well when it gets to go quick, gets to go fast,” Koshansky said. “Our gameplan was to take a minute off the clock at the start of every possession and over time that would frustrate their defense, frustrate their offense. We wound up getting good opportunities, just a minute or two later in a possession than is normal. Slow it down a little bit but generate really high opportunities.”

In the teams’ first meeting, Dodge had the edge in the first half on draw controls against the Blue Wave’s Tighe Cummiskey to stake Staples to a 9-7 lead. Darien scored the next seven goals on its way to a 15-10 decision as Cummiskey won eight of the first 11 faceoffs to start the second half.

Dodge held a 14-3 edge today as the Wreckers dominated time of possession.

“Henry Dodge didn’t surprise me,” Koshansky said. “Tighe is fantastic. He’s a very, very good Division I faceoff guy, but Henry Dodge, I have the most belief in that kid. I expected that he would have a performance like that in every single game this season.”

Dodge understood he played the critical part in his coach’s strategy.

“We had a master key today. And the key was play for your brothers,” Dodge said. “Play like it’s your last game. All season I’ve been compared to (Cummiskey), saying that he’s on my level. And I love being able to prove that wrong completely.”

The Wreckers were brilliant with the ball. Following their coach’s lead, other then the first two goals and a pair midway through the second quarter, where after Howard scored Dodge won the draw and fed Rothenberg for a goal 13 seconds later to make the score 8-0, the Wreckers used clock between goals and killed clock before halftime and for stretches in the second half, particularly late in the game.

It was a stunning outcome for the top-seeded Blue Wave (20-3), which had just one league loss, to New Canaan by a goal despite a stunning late comeback. Those rallies are a program trademark, but there were none today. Darien barely touched the ball in the first quarter and made a number of forced and unforced turnovers. Christian Alliegro scored twice and Matthew Minicus once for Darien, but there were never any goals in succession.

“They did a great job of possessing the ball and scoring when they had opportunities,” Darien coach Jeff Brameier said. “We got outcoached a little bit. They did things very well and their players played smart.”

Most everyone was waiting for the Darien eruption but it never came. As the Wreckers built up their 9-1 halftime lead it became apparent the margin was too big anyway.

This is the first time the Blue Wave has gone two years without a state title since the CIAC went from a two to three division format in 2006. There was one stretch when it won once in three years.

And now the Staples comeback tour is complete and there is a centerpiece for the boys lacrosse trophy case those in the program hope will continue to be surrounded by new additions.

“It feels amazing,” Howard said. “Having the first state title in program history. We’re never going to be forgotten, we were the first.”