STAPLES VS. TRUMBULL

STAPLES VS. TRUMBULL 2016 CLASS L BOYS' LACROSSE STATE TOURNAMENT: FIRST ROUND

WRECKERS 9, EAGLES 4

When the Class L boys’ lacrosse state tournament seedings were announced last Thursday afternoon, the road to a title for the fourth-ranked Staples Wreckers looked nearly impossible. Matchups with nationally-ranked Ridgefield and Darien loomed on the horizon, but the Trumbull Golden Eagles appeared to be a turnstile en route to higher profile opponents.

The Eagles, however, played nothing like a simple roadblock, and instead provided Staples with its first test of the state playoffs, a 9-4 home victory for the Wreckers.

“At the end of the day, we prepared, our coaches got us prepared for this game, and we got the W. That's all what matters I guess,” captain Matt Johnson ’16 said.

PHOTOS: (Top Left) Tanner Wood '17 gets ready to fire a shot, (Top Right) Sam Ahlgrim '16 sizes up a defender as he carries the ball into the box, (Bottom Left) Goalie Jake Bova '16 crashes to the turf after an acrobatic save, (Bottom Right) Spencer Biebel '17 attempts to make a move as Max Lonergan '18 defends.

OFFENSIVE ATTACK: Johns Hopkins commit Evan Zinn '18 found the back of the net once in Staples' victory.

Defender Josh Willis ’16 opened the scoring just over five minutes into the first quarter, scooping up a loose ball in the midfield and sprinting to an open net.

Then Michael Reale ’16 turned it on.

Reale fired three straight goals in less than four minutes, notching a hat trick and giving Staples the lead. The Wreckers would extend that lead to 6-1 at the half on a pair of scores from Evan Zinn ’18 and Ross Goldberg ’16.

After 24 minutes, it appeared the Wreckers would cruise on to the state quarterfinal, but the Eagles had other plans.

"We prepared. Our coaches got us prepared for this game and we got the W. That's all what matters I guess." —Matt Johnson '16

Trevor Argenese ’17 found the top right corner after a left alley dodge and Jacob Liebowitz ’17 grabbed a bouncing ball and rifled one in from 10 yards out to cut the deficit to 6-3.

"We played a little sloppy, credit to Trumbull, they came out here fired up, they were playing for their season,” Johnson said.

The lead would dwindle to two before Reale loaded up from the 15-yard line and gunned one past Jake Bova ’16 to make it 7-4, and before the final horn sounded the Wreckers would score twice more.

PHOTO LAPSE: Ross Goldberg '16 scores in the fourth quarter to extend the Wrecker lead.

Staples will face fifth-seeded Ridgefield in the quarterfinal, who advanced after a 22-2 victory over Conard Wednesday.

“I think we're ready, we know what we have to do, gonna come out to practice tomorrow pretty fired up, get a W hopefully Saturday," Johnson said.

SHS Goals: Michael Reale (5), Ross Goldberg (2), Josh Willis, Evan Zinn

UP NEXT: CLASS L QUARTERFINAL

STAPLES STADIUM | (5) RIDGEFIELD AT (4) STAPLES

PRIMER: Fourth-seeded Staples (15-2) hosts fifth-seeded Ridgefield (14-2) with a trip to the Class L semifinal on the line. Entering the tournament, each team was nationally ranked in the USA TODAY Super 25 poll. The Wreckers picked up an opening round victory versus (13) Trumbull, while the Tigers dispatched (12) Conard.

PREVIOUS: Staples knocked off the Tigers 7-6 under the lights on May 1. The Wreckers trailed 6-1, but exploded for six unanswered goals in the second half for the team's first victory versus Ridgefield in the last six years.

QF: STAPLES VS. RIDGEFIELD LOCATION: STAPLES HS STADIUM DATE: SATURDAY, JUNE 4