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If Tuesday's boys varsity soccer match between Greenwich and Staples High School could be summed up in one image, it was Staples midfielder Greg Gudis' free kick slipping through the legs of Greenwich goalkeeper Mike DeGiorgio and into the net. The two hottest teams in the league traded shot for shot in the first half of a physical, emotional game, entering the break scoreless. Then Greenwich simply ran out of steam, allowing the Wreckers to power past them to win 3-0 and take over second place in the FCIAC.
"I think that when we can play our style of game, we're one of the best teams in the state," Gudis said. "Greenwich is one of the best, too, but we got our way today. We got the best of them, but it would be great to see them again in FCIACs or states."
Staples came into Tuesday just a half-game behind Greenwich. Both teams played very physical with the first half littered with stoppages and free kicks. Staples did well moving the ball into the Greenwich box, but could not convert their efforts into a goal. The Wreckers came out refocused in the second half, and the Cardinals simply came out sluggish.
Gudis' fluke goal found the net at 12:35 into the second half. His second goal came with much more authority 11 minutes later with a searing kick from 30 yards out, right down the middle of the field. The shot bent left, out of DeGiorgio's reach, icing the game for the Wreckers. Max Hoberman added a goal after a free kick by Frankie Bergonzi.
Staples' win snapped Greenwich's eight-game winning streak and launched the Wreckers into a second place tie (9-2-1). The win does even more damage, though, because Staples now has the seeding tiebreaker should the two teams finish with the same record. Staples has three games remaining with the next coming against St. Joseph on Thursday.
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