Girls Basketball 6th in FCIAC

-By: Jack Bushell-

The girls' basketball team is ranked 6th in the FCIAC with a record of 3-1. The three wins have come from beating Harding, Bassick and New Canaan in overtime. The girls need eight wins to make the FCIAC tournament and as of right now this option looks promising. The team is led by seniors Taylor Wells, AnnaRae Anderson and captains Liz Calby and Leanne Stone.

The teams' next game is at home against Wethersfield at 3pm today(12/28). Wethersfield went to the class L state finals last year and started the season ranked 7th in the state. This game is part of the LaVista Tournament, which is a local tournament dedicated to Tony LaVista who was a coach and educator for both Darien High School and New Canaan High, he died suddenly at the age of 39. Come watch the girls take on Wethersfield at home in the Main Gym.
(picture taken by John Boulton)

First Win Eludes Boys' Hockey

-By Ian Sullivan-

The vigorous Darien vs. New Canaan boy’s hockey rivalry left the Blue Wave on the losing end of the post-Christmas match at home on Saturday. (12/26) The New Canaan Rams started off strong, scoring on a power play late in the first period. However, the Blue Wave came roaring back when junior Garren Fritts assisted junior attack man Dylan Torey’s goal. This evened the score at the end of the second quarter. With six minutes to go, New Canaan scored another goal securing the 2-1 victory. The New Canaan Rams out shot the Blue Wave of 35 to 18. “We did suffer a tough loss, but right now we are starting to play like a team and are starting to put it together for a whole game,” junior assistant captain Douglass Miller said. The 2-1 Rams handed Darien its fourth loss of the season. The Blue Wave hopes to seek its first win at 2pm on Wednesday (12/30) at home against Notre Dame-West Haven.

Photo of junior Douglass Miller taken by John MaGuire

Wrestling Gets Forfeit Win

-By: Brian Curry-

Wrestling received an early Christmas gift from Staples when the Westport squad faied to show up in Darien for a match on Tuesday. (12/22) This victory gives Darien added momentum when it returns to Westport on Dec 29 to face Staples, if they show up, along with Norwalk, and Trumbull. Darien has to do it all over again on Dec 30 at Trumbull. Then Darien faces Brien McMahon in Norwalk on Jan 6.

Darien's next home match will be on Jan 9 against Bethel, Seymour, Putnam Valley and Granby Memorial at 10am in the DHS main gym. Be sure to give support for the Wave's wrestling who will show up and bring along their "A" game as well. (junior Lars Remole pictured)

Ridgefield Snaps Wave

-By Jay Alter-

Blue Wave girls’ hockey lost 3-2 to Ridgefield at Darien Ice Rink on Monday. (12/21) Ridgefield snapped Darien’s three-game winning streak to put its current record to 3-1. Sophomore Sara Shaker and senior Aimee Rich both put the puck through the net to register Darien’s only two goals. “Unfortunately, we didn’t play at our best in the beginning but at the end we played our hearts out,” sophomore Sara Shaker said. The girls have a chance to recapture a win after the break when they face Staples at Shelton Ice Rink on Jan. 4.

Gasparino Breaks School Record

-By Meg Murphy-

Girls’ Indoor Track and Field team had a busy weekend. The top runners, jumpers and pole vaulters competed Friday night (12/18) at the New Haven Invitational. The Darien team took sixth place out of the 31 that scored. Senior Christy Gasparino took first in the high jump, jumping 5’4 inches. Junior Elizabeth Crafford placed fourth at the pole vault, with a height of 9 feet. An exciting moment for Gasparino was not only taking second place, but breaking the school’s triple jump record by jumping 33 feet, 9’5 inches. The record was previously held by class of ’08 grad, Nina Palmer, with a jump of 32 feet, 11.25 inches. The following day, the rest of the girls set off for the Reindeer Relays in Wilton. Gasparino took first place in both the long jump and high jump, jumping 16 feet and 5 feet, 4 inches respectively. And that’s not all; she also placed second in the 45 meter hurdles with a time of 7.72 seconds. Freshman Katie Farren took fourth place in the mile with a time of 6 minutes and 9.6 seconds. Also taking fourth, was the 4x750 team run by junior Tricia Vossler, Farren, junior Katie Grozier and sophomore Meredith Ott. With the loss of so many graduated seniors and some injured key runners, the girls’ track team has a tough season ahead of them. Check back for more updates throughout the season.

Wave Hopeful for First Home Game

-By: Connor McCarthy-

This week Blue Wave varsity hockey will be have its first home game, which surprisingly is taking place at night. (12/23) The 8:30pm game will be against Trinity Catholic at Darien Ice Rink. After the team’s first loss and a registered bollocking from Hamden, the varsity team will be looking for a good win to kick off the season, and to recover many student fans that may not have been thinking of attending games this season. A team lacking in seniors, the Wave is looking to upset Trinity. Juniors Richard Gregory and Garren Fritts, sophomores Nick Bruno, and Cam Murray, and freshmen Domenick Luongo and Brendan Hathaway all look strong on the ice and will hopefully be able to beat this Trinity side. As always, Senior Willy Love with be manning the goal. Junior Christian Nielsen, who plays JV, said that the coach (Larry Vierra) is looking for “less penalties, and a faster pace of the game.” Hopefully the Blue Wave can pull off a win, and students are encouraged to go to the game – in fact, to all future home games.

Bone Leads Bulls to Victory

-By Charles Spivey-

The Bulls topped the Spurs 30-24 at YMCA House Basketball on Sunday. (12/20) The Bulls now move to 2-0 while the Spurs fall to 1-1. Senior Stevenson Bone provided the Bulls with some outside shooting range while junior Jake Weil stole the show pulling down rebounds and putting up points in the paint. The next big match-ups take place on Jan. 10. The Spurs face the Knicks at 4pm and the Bulls face-off against the Bobcats at 3pm at Middlesex Middle School.

Celtics Pre-Christmas House Win

-By Mikel Marku-

The Celtics got an early Christmas present with a big win over the Timberwolves at Middlesex Middle School on Sunday. (12/20) In just the second week of the 11/12th grade YMCA house basketball season, the Celtics played well enough to beat the T-Wolves 45-31. Senior Travis Fitzpatick commanded the floor dropping 15 points and had many assists. The injury prone T-Wolves didn't have top senior player Reilly Harmer due to a knee injury. Junior Parker Lange jumped in to help. Senior and power forward for the Celtics Christian Holmes said, "I thought the team played well, we had a lot of chemistry. Travis a great floor manager and (junior) Graham Maybell looked like Kobe by hitting shots with a hand in his face." The 11/12th grade YMCA House season will resume after winter break on Jan. 10. Games start at 2pm and continue till 5pm at Middlesex Middle School. (pictured senior Charlie Taylor)

Wave Boys' Track off to Fast Start

-By Jake McCauley-

The Darien Boys' Indoor Track team competed at two separate events over this weekend. On Friday (12/18), the Wave sent athletes to the New Haven Invitational. At the event, junior Kevin Keller (pictured) broke the school record in the triple jump, recording a jump of a whopping 43' 3.5". Keller placed 3rd in the event. Also performing well at the meet were senior Jake McCauley and junior John Conley. Both athletes competed in the mile, finishing 3rd and 5th respectively. Both currently have the fastest qualifying time for the 1600m in the FCIAC division.

The Wave also sent athletes to the annual Reindeer Relays at Wilton High School on Saturday (12/19). Junior Kevin Keller broke another school record, however, this time in the long jump. Keller jumped 21' 4"' and broke the record. He should be a significant competitor for the Wave at the FCIAC and State meets in the jumps. However, Wave throwers felt a bit bitter about their performances. "Yeah man, I had high expectations going into the meet. But, messed up. It was my first indoor meet, I didn't really know what to expect," senior Mikel Marku said.

Darien's next meet is at Wilton High School at 9:30am on Jan. 2. The Wave will face competition from various FCIAC schools, including arch-rival New Canaan. The team hopes to continue meeting qualifying standards for both the State and FCIAC meets, as well as to send as many athletes as possible to the post-season events.

Wave Skates Hard as They Fall to Hamden

-By: Christian Nielsen-

Boy's Varsity Ice Hockey went down in its season opener against the defending D1 state champions the Hamden Dragons on Wednesday. (12/16) The first period was filled with fast-paced play on the Hamden ice, with the majority of time spent in Darien's end. No goals were scored in the first period, even with power plays for both sides. The second period started off much like the first and junior Richard Gregory finally found the back of the net with a go-ahead one timer from the high slot, with 8:19 left in the period. The 2nd period ended in favor of the Wave, leading on the scoreboard 1-0. Hamden came out flying in the 3rd period and managed to score off of a wrist shot from the high slot at 13:19 period. With only 1:41 left in the third period and the score tied, Darien drew a penalty shot off of a thrown stick that enabled Hamden to finish off the game on top, with the final score 2-1. Darien will face off against West Haven on Saturday. (12/19)

Wave Beats Harding With Fast Break

-By: Kevin Cassidy-

Darien Girls' varsity basketball slammed Harding at home on Friday (12/18) night 61-15. The Blue Wave jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never looked back. The Wave took a 36-10 lead going into the half against the Bridgeport squad. The Blue Wave showed off its powerful fast break offense, Harding was unable to match. Senior captains, Liz Calby and Leanne Stone lead the way with 12 points each. Junior star Julia Boulton said, "it was a good team effort." Assistant coach Raquel Welsh went on to say, "that even the sealed the deal early, they never stopped playing hard." The girls will face off at 3pm at home against Wethersfield on Dec 28.

Girls' Basketball Wins Thriller in OT

-By: Jack Bushell-

Girls’ basketball delivered what the boy varsity could not: a win over New Canaan on Wednesday night. (12/17) The girls' won in an overtime thriller 69-71. Upperclassmen and the younger members started to mesh in this third game of the season. Senior captain Liz Calby was a force joined by freshman Meg Marren who started strong in her first high school game. Junior Nicole Buch caught fire from beyond the arch hitting four from beyond the three-point line. This marks the teams' second win on the road. A scary moment was when freshman Kate Bushell collided with a girl in the open court and hit the floor hard. The trainer on site went over and Bushell did not play for the rest of the game. The team is also without junior Susan Biggart who has been sidelined the rest of the season with an ACL injury that happened during a game at Bassick on Dec 9. The girls’ next game will be at home against Harding on Friday. (12/18)

Rams Run Over Wave

-By Jack Bushell-

The boys' basketball was not strong enough to stop the New Canaan Rams at home on Wednesday. (12/16) New Canaan's "Bomb Squad" showed up in full force winning 55-79. Although the Bomb Squad was there, they did not have a great deal of good cheers. The Wave had just about 10 turnovers, which was sure one of the main reasons they went down. The one shining star was senior captain Phil Stueber who had seven blocks along with a good deal of points. The Waves' next game will be held at Harding High in Bridgeport on Friday. (12/18)

House Kicks Off with Four Sunday Games

-By Sam Nelson-

The long anticipation is over. 11th and 12th grade YMCA House Basketball is under way. Eight teams were in action at Middlesex on Sunday. (12/13) The first game was won by the Bulls against the Knicks. Following this game the Hornets beat the Celtics. The third game of the day saw the Spurs best the Bobcats. Rounding out this week of games is the Lakers beating the Timberwolves.
The match-up between the Celtics and the Hornets could be a reoccurring one deep in the playoffs. The Celtics, coached by Bruce Rogers, have a solid senior core, consisting of Travis Fitzpatrick, Justin Miller, and Charlie Taylor. The Hornets, coached by Richard Miller, have senior Mike Wohlberg to lead the way, and former junior member of the varsity team junior John Foster. But don’t count out the Bulls, who have a strong core of big men, with juniors Jake Weil and Tyler Pruden. This past game between the Hornets and Celtics could be a championship preview of the championship.
House Basketball has been the talk of the school over the past week. It has become popular, and people not playing are really missing out. Junior Zack Sherwood, an avid lover of House is unable to participate due to an injury. Some compare Zack to Greg Oden, lots of potential, but often injured. “House is a lifestyle, and when it’s brutally taken away from you, you don’t know what to do with yourself” Zack said.
House Basketball is serious business, and it’s finally here.

Girls Swim and Dive Team Elect Captains

-By Katherine Minion-

The Darien Girls’ Varsity Swim Team has picked its captains for the next season. The team voted junior swimmers Lindsay Tyler, Amy Sanborn, Catherine Treesh, and diver Adrianna Baker to be the new captains. “I’m very excited to lead the team next year and welcome all the new freshmen,” Tyler said. Baker says, “I know we’re losing a lot of seniors, but from what I’ve heard we have a considerable number of freshmen coming in so that should be really fun.” The team anticipates a successful season with these four girls as their leaders!

Pictured are upcoming captains Lindsay Tyler (left) and Catherine Treesh (right) and one of this season’s captains, Andrea Smelser (center).

Golden Eagles Swoop in for Win

-By: Christian Panier-

Girls’ varsity basketball caved to the power of Trumbull in a Friday night showdown. (12/11) Coming off of a strong win over Bassick on Wednesday, the girls’ faced the Golden Eagles in the main gym. Led by senior captains Liz Calby and Leanne Stone, the girls hoped to carry the momentum over from the season’s first winning game over Bridgeport. Although the game started off with DHS trailing by 11 at the close of the first quarter, the Wave rallied back with an 8 to 0 run to kick-off in the second quarter. With the Eagles only up by seven at the half, the Blue Wave was still in contention. Turnovers and fouls gave Trumbull the upper hand during the third quarter as a physical match-up ensued. The Wave was only able to put up three points during the entire fourth quarter, making the final score 52-34. The Wave is hoping to regain its momentum heading into Wednesday’s away game against the New Canaan Rams at 7 pm.

Pictured: junior Julia Boulton #14 & freshman Meg Marren #21

Girls' Ice Hockey Shuts Down Fairfield

-By: Daniel Campbell-

The girls’ hockey team got off to a good start on the way to defending its state title with a 2-0 home win over a combined team of Fairfield Ludlowe and Warde on Wednesday. (Dec. 9) Junior Emma Tuz scored the team’s first goal of the season several minutes into the second after a pass from fellow junior Lauren Perkins. The final period produced another goal, this time by senior Aimee Rich on a rebound. “Winning the first game of a season is never a bad thing. It was definitely not as solid of a victory as we’d had against Fairfield in years past, but it’s still early in the season,” junior Taylor Holcomb said. The team’s next game is at home Saturday (Dec. 12) against Notre Dame of Fairfield at 6:40pm.

JV and Varsity Maul Bassick Lions

-By: Jack Bushell-

In the first game of the season, both the girls' varsity and the junior varsity beat the Bassick Lions in Bridgeport on Wednesday. (12/9) The varsity final score was 74-29 and the junior varsity game was 52-11. In a game where Bassick certainly did not get home court advantage, the Wave won handily with dominating defense. Seniors Leanne Stone, Liz Calby, Taylor Wells and AnnaRae Anderson led the varsity team to a great win. Varsity Coach Gary Peterson has two new coaches that will coach the JV and Freshman teams. Brian Byrne(pictured right along with Amy Bigart #11) is the coach of the JV team and Pete Perillo is the coach of the freshman team. The men have a longtime professional partnership. They worked together at Notre Dame High School.
Pete's freshman squad took the night off tonight as Bassick could not field a freshman team. Assisting Peterson on the varsity bench will be second-year coach Raquel Welsh, who ran the New York Marathon this past month and qualified for the Boston Marathon. The Girls' basketball team looks strong this year with both of these convincing wins. The girls hope to make it two in a row with a win over Trumbull at home in the main gym at 7pm on Friday. (12/11)

(Kate Bushell pictured with the ball)

*Follow this link to read more about Raquel's Marathon run: www.darienps.org/neirad/0912raquelwelsh.php

Girls Join Wrestling Squad

-By Lisa Randall-

The DHS wrestling team is starting its season with some unexpected new members: six girls have joined the team. Juniors Cindy Gaete, Lili Balian, sophomores Stephanie Gaete and Meg Ritcher and freshmen Natasha Green and Hayley Rissalo are going to the mats. The girls will wrestle from weight classes ranging from 103 to 145. “We haven’t had a 103 since Joey Testa who graduated in 2007. Now we’ll have four, maybe five,” junior wrestler Connor Beaumont said. Beaumont also said, “Considering we have a lot of new kids as well as experienced veterans”, he expects that the team will have a successful season. “From weight classes 119 to 145 we are a power house,” he added. Beaumont’s sister and team manager junior Abby Beaumont said that the loss of Class of ’09 grads Matt Liguori, Tom Bassford, and James Geddes will impact the season but not enough to cause a dramatic setback. Captains this season are seniors Justin Marks (pictured above), Jon Lewis and juniors Dimitri Chagares and Lars Remole.

Berizzi Joins D-1 Loyola Swimming

-By Kathryn Saulitis-

The season may be over for the Darien girls swim team, but it is far from over for senior Sam Berizzi. Sam was one of the captains of the powerhouse girls swim team, and will continue swimming on the division 1 level at Loyola University in Maryland. It is clear that talent in the water runs in family, as Sam’s aunt made it to the U.S. Olympic swim team. Inspired by her aunt, Sam started swimming at the age of six for the Darien Piranhas and the Club Innis Arden in Greenwich. Sam has stuck with it for so many years because she says, “I really love the sport just because of the racing and the friends I have made throughout the years.” Sam’s years in training showed this season, as the team had a record of 8-1. The one loss was to rival, Greenwich, which Sam says, “was a tough meet” Sam only lost one event throughout the duel meet season, but she credits her success to her team by saying, “I could not have done any of it without the support of my team and the large senior class that brought us to victory in both the FCIAC and State meets.” The FCIAC win was especially impressive, because Darien girls swimming has never taken home the title.
Sam was a part of more than just those two titles, she, along with seniors Cali Ceglarski, Katie Rohn, and Katie Orem, was also a member of the freestyle relay that broke the Class M record at States. Along with crediting her team for her success, Sam also credits her coach, Marj Trifone. Sam says, “Marj was very compassionate to everyone throughout the entire season which made us achieve our goals. We couldn’t have made it this far without our coach pushing us every day.” As for her future, swimming at the collegiate level, Sam knows it will be tough and time consuming but to her it is worth it because she says, “I enjoy the sport because of what I get back and achieve from it.” With Sam’s determination to win and passion for swimming, it is clear that she will find success in Maryland.

High Hopes for Boys' Swim Team

-By Ian Sullivan-

After an impressive 7-3 record last year and placing third in the grueling FCIAC conference, the boys' swim team hopes to continue its legacy through the 2009/2010 season. After the departure of senior captains Sam Archibald, Peter Waters, Phil Treesh, and Robby Nevin, seniors Wesley Dean and William Plunkett have assumed their captaining roles. “We lost some strong point scoring seniors last year, but we are looking to increase our depth this year with our many incoming freshman. I know we look good out of the pool, but how we do this year depends on how we look in the pool,” Dean said. Although their season doesn’t begin until early December, many swimmers have participated in the swimming program offered by the YMCA that was recommended by Coach Matt Czaplicki. The recent success of the girls swim team finishing first in both FCIACS and States, has fueled the boys swim team to match its accomplishments in the coming months.

Picture Info: Senior captain William Plunket (center) in the pool along with co captain Wesley Dean standing before the block. Photo by Grant Nelson.

A Not Very Happy Thanksgiving for the Blue Wave: Turkey Bowl

-By: Jack Bushell-

In a low scoring game, Darien lost to New Canaan in the annual Turkey Bowl with a score of 14-7. The game was played at New Canaan High School on an overcast day. The Wave's defense played extremely well. The team recorded a sack, many tackles for losses and some big hits, most notably by juniors Peter McDonough and Jarrett Gatling. Darien ran the ball more often than throwing it, even on long 3rd down plays. However, this running pattern may have lost the game for the Wave. After the first half, New Canaan shut down the run, stopping Darien's offense. New Canaan had a great special team day with a blocked field goal and great punt coverage. The Rams' special teams kept Darien from scoring and was a major factor in the Wave's loss. The turning point came in the 4th quarter when senior kicker John Gardner put his knee down to field a poorly snapped punt attempt (in high school football when a player's knee goes down, that is where the ball is down as well). This gave the Rams great field position inside the Wave's 30-yard line and the Rams easily capitalized on the possesion. The Wave seemed to come back strong with senior captain George Benitez hitting junior Anthony Donato for a couple big pass plays. The Wave was inside the Ram's five-yard line when they forced a fumble and Benitez gave the ball back to the Rams sealing the game and the season for the Blue Wave.

Freshman Diver Breaks Two Hands

-By Samantha Wood-

Freshman diver Caroline Ashcraft has sustained two broken hands, 10 popped knuckles, and several cut fingers after one dive went wrong at the Connecticut State Open Meet in Hamden last weekend. The accident happened during her reverse one-and-a-half tuck dive on Nov 20. As of now it is unclear how long Ashcraft will be out of action. For the full story on Ashcraft’s injury, see Neirad Enilno live Dec. 1.

Girls Volleyball 'Sets' Up State Win

-By Charles Spivey-

Girls' varsity volleyball team dominated Farmington High School 3-0 to win yet another state title in class L in Berlin, Conn on Saturday. (11/21) This victory brings the girls a 25th straight game this season in which they have won by a score of 3-0. (Saying they dominated the competition would be an understatement!) Volleyball ends the season 25-0 under coach Laurie LaRusso. With just Corrine Somni, Sarah Gorski, and Colby Billhardt graduating the team is likely to once again be a dominant force next fall. That is not say these three senior captains presence won’t be missed in 2010.
(picture supplied DHS home page)

Jumping Trio Tries Triple

-By: Dan Campbell-

Besides moving up to the Class L division this year, the boys' indoor track team will be faced with another change this season. For the first time in school history, the boys will have the opportunity to participate in the triple jump. "The triple jump is a three step approach where the runner hops, steps, and then jumps into the sand pit" junior Kevin Keller (pictured) said. Keller will be one of the three triple jumpers along with fellow junior Stockton McMullin and senior Brent Eppley, both of whom are captains this season. The basic idea of the event is to use the "hop" and "step" phases of the jump to gain more speed and power, making the final "jump" fly further. Due to the fact that this is the inaugural year for the triple jump, whichever jumper has the longest jump will be the school record holder. McMullin said the three were "planning to do really well in the jumping events and all have pretty good jumping skills, so we're excited to compete for the record."

Sean Gill Prepares for Indoor Season

-By: Mikel Marku-

Senior track captain Sean Gill has high expectations for this year’s indoor track season, which kicks off this month. This is Sean’s first season as a captain. Sean (pictured right) hopes to pass on what he learned from past captains to get the Blue Wave its 8th consecutive FCIAC East championship. But there are big challenges with the move to the more competitive L division. “Moving to Class L makes the qualifying times are a lot harder to get, so that means we are going to have to work that much harder to get people into states,” Sean said. Another goal for the team is for the Wave to beat New Canaan. “It’s very important to beat them,” Sean said. The Wave’s first meet is December 19th at Wilton.

A Sweet 3-Peat for Field Hockey

-By: Jack Bushell-

Girls' field hockey snagged its third straight state title against New Canaan 3-0 on Saturday(11/21)! This is the team's third title in three years. The game took place in Wethersfield Conn. Both teams had to travel quite far, but it was worth it for the Blue Wave. Prior to this win, the girls had also just won the FCIAC title as well: better make room in the trophy case! The team went 22-0 during the entire season only giving up five goals during that stretch. The offense also played a huge role as the team scored 104 times. Senior Aimee Rich was the core of the defense shutting out the opponent 18 times, which is more games that some of the other teams have won. The entire defense only let the opponent shoot 72 shots on goal for the season, meaning when the opponent shoots they only have a 14.4% chance of scoring. Defense definitely wins championships as proven by the field hockey team. Congrats girls!!!

(picture taken by Steve Buono)

Field Hockey Gears up for Third Straight State Title

-By: Darius Majd-

For the second year in a row, the Darien Blue Wave field hockey team will enter the CIAC class M state championship as the undefeated favorites this weekend. The 18-0 Blue Wave will face off against top rivals New Canaan Rams. The Wave handed the 15-2-1 Rams their only two losses of the season, and neither were close. In the regular season, the Blue Wave prevailed 4-1, giving up one of only five goals they have conceded this year. The second contest, in the FCIAC championship, was just as one-sided as the Wave trounced the Rams 3-0.

The finals will take place on Saturday at 10am at Wethersfield High School in Weathersfield Conn.

Pictured: Senior Captain Anna Heck

Breakaway Talent Hits the Ice

-By Sam Nelson-

Junior Doug Miller(pictured) is moving fast up the DHS hockey ranks. He will join senior Mike Foresta as assistant captain on the team this month. It took a lot of work to get to this position. Doug has been playing defense in hockey since he was five. Doug’s first real experience came at just eight years of age on the Mite B travel team. Looking up to Joe Sakic, a former player for his favorite NHL team the Colorado Avalanche, Doug made his way to the top. Fast forward to 2009: “the goal for this year is to win FCIACs and to win States.” Looking for Doug on the ice will not be very hard, as he is number 24, and a great defender. Doug loves his position of defense he likes making the long breakout pass and creating a breakaway for his team.
You can check this ice star out at the first game on Dec. 16, at 6 pm against Hamden High School at Hamden Rink. The first home game takes place Dec. 23 at 8:30 pm against Trinity Catholic High School at Darien Ice Rink.

Gymnastics Gearing Up

-By Laura Durham-

Junior gymnastics captain Charlotte Morgan has had to overcome quite a lot before her reign has even begun this month. There will only be 10 girls competing this year. The squad lost seven graduating seniors, and there are only five incoming freshmen: Lauren Medwid, Andrea Tishman, Caroline Congdon, who will serve as manager due to injury, Beau Taylor, and Marya von Schmidt will be joining the team this year. Also, when they begin to practice on Nov. 30, the gymnastics will need to transition to a new coaching style. Middlesex Middle School gym teacher Tovah Vincent who has been the coach for the past several years unfortunately moved further upstate. Selina Tavella, also the Weston High School coach, was hired to coach the girls. Charlotte believes Coach Tavella will help the team run smoothly. The gymnastics team will have under a month to prepare for their season because their first competition is on December 22. Neirad wishes all of the girls a safe and successful season!

Girls' Swimming Wins States

-By Kevin Cassidy-

The Girls' Varsity Swim Team won States on Tuesday night. (11/17) The team competed on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University for the CIAC Class M Championship. After a close loss to Wilton last year the Blue Wave was able to take back the championship. The girls slipped past New Canaan with a score of 873.5 to 840. Junior standout Lindsey Tyler said “We really wanted to do it for the seniors”.
The team was lead by seniors Katie Orem, Sam Berizzi, Katie Rohn, Cali Ceglarski, Paige Gasparino, and Kelsey Harrison who all picked up big points in the Blue Wave victory. We congratulate the team on their FCIAC and CIAC victories.

Blue Waves Hockey Beats Westport

Blue Wave Fall Hockey Team beat Staples High School with a final score of 4-2 on Saturday. The game was played at Terry Connors Ice Rink in Norwalk. Darien came out flying with a quick goal scored by junior Christian Nielsen off of a two on one fore-check. Continuing the assault on the Staples' goaltender, junior Garren Fritz followed up five minutes later with a breakaway goal, ending the first period with Darien on top 2-0. After making his way through four opposing players, senior Luke Shea dialed in a backhanded goal at the start of the second period. The puck seemed to remain in Staples' zone for the remainder of the period, and with three minutes remaining sophomore John Baker sniped a shot to close the period on a high note for Darien. With the help of some unfortunate penalties, Staples managed to capitalize and score two goals during the third period, ending the game with a score of Darien -4, Staples -2. Next week Darien gets a by to the semi-finals against a team that has not yet been named.

Turkey Bowl Next Week

-By Ben Preston-

Thanksgiving Day won’t just be a day for stuffing and turkey, but also for the fiercest rivalry in Connecticut football. With only two games remaining in the regular season, the Blue Wave is preparing for its toughest test: New Canaan. Varsity football must win its last two games to make States. New Canaan’s perfect season was ruined by Bridgeport Central last weekend. This means Darien has to capitalize on the success Central had over the advanced passing attack of New Canaan. “We need to shut down the pass game. Our secondary needs to play well. They have done a great job causing turnovers and can hold New Canaan,” junior Anthony Donato (pictured) said. Anthony believes the defense can hold New Canaan’s offense to little points while Darien’s run game will take control of the game. “The offense has been rolling son, we got to be nice. Got to score some points,” Anthony said.
Be sure to check out the Thanksgiving game on Nov. 26. The game kicks off 10:30am at Dunning Stadium in New Canaan. Tickets will be on sale at the front desk beginning Thursday morning. (11/19) The cost is $3 students; $5 adults; seniors citizens are free.

Indoor Track Prepares for the Season Ahead

-By: Justin Pryor-

Indoor track and field may not officially start until after Thanksgiving, but the captains are already in full preparation mode. Senior captains Brandon Tripodi (pictured) , Sean Gill, Jake McCauley, Brent Eppley and junior Stockton McMullin are getting ready for the official start on Nov. 30.
The biggest change for the team this year is that indoor track will now compete in the class L division because of the bigger freshman class, instead of the smaller class MM division. This new L division is for schools with larger a student population. Tripodi said his role as captain will be to help the boys train harder in the upcoming days before the season begins to meet the new challenges of the tougher L division.
Brandon said the team has good potential with “good distance, middle, and short distance runners.” Brandon also said that “what would make us a better team is if we could get more kids in the school to do the other events [shot put, high jump, long jump, and pole vault].”

Darien Shuts Down Norwalk

-By: Brian Curry-

In front of a small crowd on a wet Saturday night (11/14) at Norwalk High School, Darien football held on to defeat Norwalk 22-3. The big win improves Darien’s record to 7-2 overall and 6-2 in the FCIAC division. The win also marks the Wave’s sixth straight win after getting off to a disappointing 1-2 start. Senior quarterback George Benitez had a solid day, rushing for a single eight-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and also icing the game for Darien on a 22-yard touchdown pass to senior wide-out Alex Wildish in the fourth quarter. Darien’s defense held Norwalk to a lone three points for the entire game, and was the key to its the victory. The defense also forced Norwalk turnovers, and also forced two safeties on errant Norwalk snaps, one in the first quarter and another in the fourth. The win not only keeps the Wave’s playoff hopes alive, but also gives Darien added momentum heading into its next contest, the big showdown against the New Canaan Rams. That game will take place at 10am on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, at New Canaan High School.

Girls' Swim and Dives Heads to States

-By Katherine Minion-

The Darien Girls' Swim and Dive moves onto the Class M State Championships on Tuesday. (11/15) They will go up against archrival New Canaan at an event held on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University. A big factor in helping the Darien girls beat New Canaan is to perform well in the State trials on Saturday (11/14) and to get in the best heats possible for the championship meet. Junior swimmer Lindsay Tyler says, “We really want to keep it up since we won FCIAC’s, and New Canaan is our biggest competition.”

Pictured: Seniors Katie Orem, Cali Ceglarski, and junior Amy Sanborn. Photo courtesy Darien Times.

Girls' Varsity Soccer defeated in the first round of FCIACs

-By: Andi Cara-

Girls' varsity soccer went down to Fairfield Warde in the first round of the FCIAC tournament in double overtime this week. The game ended 3-1 with junior Georgie Highton scoring the lone goal off a pass from senior Rachel Kannigan on Monday (11/9). Junior goalie Charlotte Phillips dominated with a total of six saves in the net. However, the girls' efforts were not enough to ward off Warde on our home turf. Senior captain Liz Calby said "it was a really hard game and everyone worked their hardest but two overtimes were a lot." The girls returned home exhausted and disappointed but content with the hard work they put in this season.

Diving Puts 4 in top 10 at Class M Championship

-By: Jack Bushell-

After a strong win at the FCIAC meet, the girls' swim team divers competed in the Class M diving championship in Plainville on Thursday (11/12). Senior Alex Leinroth came away with the State Champion title when it was all said and done. Other strong finishers include junior Alexandra Ashcraft who finished 4th; freshman Caroline Ashcraft finished 5th and junior Adriana Baker finished 8th. The winning should continue next season with only Leinroth graduating in June. The entire swimming team will compete on Saturday (11/14) at Branford in the class M qualifying meet at 2pm. Congrats to the entire team in its successes so far this season.
(for more information on Alexandra Ashcraft please see http://darienps.org/neirad/0911lexi.php)

Field Hockey Wins in OT!

-By: Jack Bushell-

The Blue Wave made it to the next round of the state tournament on Thursday (11/12) with a win against the Wilton Warriors. The Wave won in double overtime with a score of 1-0 at home. The winning goal came from junior Ellie Riegel with junior Leslie Gill on the assist. The team had already beaten Wilton twice this season. Both games ended in a 3-0 score.

The Blue Wave saw a different Wilton team this week. "This was the most exciting field hockey game I have ever watched," DHS Athletic Director John Keleher said. In recent wins, the girls beat their opposition handily, with the goals against average amounting to .2 per game. The girls now face Daniel Hand High School from the shoreline town of Madison. The location has not been determined.

Girls' Swim Team Wins FCIAC Title

-By: Jack Bushell-

The girls' swim team won the FCIAC title beating favorite Greenwich at Greenwich High School this weekend. This was a big win on Saturday (11/7) since Greenwich has landed this title for the past 11 years. The Wave beat them by eight points. “It was a CRAZY win,” senior Tamaki Silver said just to keep it simple. Twelve seniors are on the team - a presence that will be missed next year. The swim team has always been close to the title but never won. Since Darien High School doesn’t have a pool it is hard for the girls to practice, unlike Greenwich where they have a pool on campus. This was no matter to the swim team who pulled off a great victory and a “crazy win”. Make sure to congratulate the girls and their coaches on a job well done.

McCauley Leads XC to Best Finish in State-Opens

-By: Jack Bushell-

Senior cross country captain Jake McCauley(pictured) cleaned up again on Friday. Boys cross country made its way to the State-Open race at Wickham Park in Manchester. The boys placed 9th: the best DHS has ever done in this statewide meet! McCauley led the team yet again placing 25th as an individual in the 5k race. 25th place is good enough for McCauley to run in the New England Championship (11/14) at Wickham Park. The winning team of the day was Xavier from Cromwell. The difference between the "state" and "state-open" race is that every team and person in the state is eligible to compete in a state-open race once meeting certain times. The best the boys had ever performed is 11th at this meet.

Congratulate McCauley and the rest of the cross country team of its great success this year.

Varsity Football Slams Westhill

-By: Meg Murphy-

The varsity football team has definitely stepped up its game in the second half of the season. The boys beat Westhill 37-0 this Saturday 37-0. (11/7) Senior quarterback George Benitez (pictured) scored 12 points, while junior Graham Maybell scored 6 points on the home turf. Sophomore Clay Barker ran the last touchdown adding an additional 6 points to the board. Senior kicker John Gardner completed 4 PATs and 3 field goals, making him the lead scorer of the game with 13 points. This win leaves the team with a 6-2 record.
Come watch the DHS football team at its final game before the Turkey Bowl this Friday night at Norwalk High School.

Volleyball Heads to FCIAC Final

-By: Jack Bushell-

The girls' volleyball team is in the FCIAC tourney yet again and looking to remain champs. After defeating Danbury 3-0 earlier this week, the team beat Staples at Ludlowe in the semi-final match on Thursday. (11/5) Senior captain Corrine Somi described the win as “not an easy win, they (Staples) did not give up like other teams do”. The DHS team is still pretty young with only three seniors on the squad: Corinne Sommi, Sarah Gorski and Colby Billhardt. The girls will face the winner of the Windsor/Woodstock game at 5pm at home on Thursday. (11/12) The team will put its skills to the test in the state tourney after the completion of the FCIAC.

Field Hockey Heads to States

-By Jay Alter and Kevin Cassidy-

The Blue Wave scored in the first three minutes on a goal by junior Ellie Riegel and never looked back. The girls defeated New Canaan 3-0 to clinch its third straight FCIAC Championship on Thursday. (11/5) Riegel scored two goals and junior Sophie Watters added one goal in the rainy match-up. Riegel went on to win the MVP award. Senior goalie Aimee Rich also pitched another shutout to help the Blue Wave. “It felt really good winning the game, we all worked really hard for this win, and we hope to do the same in States,” senior captain Taylor Wells said. (pictured) The Blue Wave now heads to the state tournament where they face the winner of the North Haven/Waterford game at home at 2pm on Tuesday. (11/10)

Girls' JV Loses to Westhill in Final Game

-By: Connor McCarthy-

The girls' JV soccer team met Westhill for its last game of the season on Monday at Middlesex Middle School. (11/2) They went in with a strong need to win, as Westhill knocked the Varsity team out of FCIACs on Oct. 29. Unfortunately, their ardent desire was not reflected in the first half. Stamford scored three goals early on. After a brief half time and a few motivational words from both JV coach Allyson Spencer and Varsity coach Jon Bradley, the girls stepped on to the field with feelings of passion and aggression that quickly paid off. Junior captain Lisa Randall (pictured) scored from the top of the box after a corner kick. Following the goal, Darien heightened its offensive attack while Stamford concentrated on defense and both teams held their own. The second half reflected a hard fought game and a final score of 3-1. While the loss was not a great way to end the season, the girls are proud of their playing in the second half and had a great overall season.

Girls' Field Hockey Continues Winning Streak

-By Claire Dickson-


The Darien Girls' Field Hockey added another win to its undefeated record on Tuesday (11/2), shutting out the Wilton Warriors in the FCIAC semi-finals. The first goal was scored early, in the first five minutes, by junior Sophie Doering off of a beautiful pass off of a corner from junior Sam Johnston, spurring the Wave girls to pick up its game even more. Junior Ellie Riegel scored the second goal of the first half on another corner, dodging past three Wilton players to score another goal for the team. With a good lead in the first half, the Wave focused on its passing game for the second. Their ability to successfully switch fields was fantastic and the girls' confidence scored. Finally, senior Anna Heck (pictured) finished the game off by driving the ball and scoring the team’s third goal. All in all, it was a great game for Darien, but they haven’t finished yet. They still need to beat their arch rival, New Canaan, in the FCIAC Finals on Thursday (11/4) at 6:00 pm in New Canaan.

Boys' XC Wins States

The Boys' Cross Country team accomplished a feat that no other team has done before. The Wave won the State Class MM Championship meet at Wickem Park last Saturday (10/31). Led by senior Jake McCauley, the Wave beat runner-up Guilford by 13 points. McCauley placed 2nd in the race. Also stepping up huge for Darien was senior Alex Reynoso. Junior John Conley fell during the first quarter mile of the race, yet, Reynoso saw this and ran a huge race. He placed 7th overall earning All-State honors along with McCauley. Rounding out the Wave finishers were Willem Sandberg, Charlie Baird, Michael Johnston, and David Watson. The Wave will take on the rest of the state in the State Open Championships this Friday, 2:00 PM, at Wickem Park. We wish the boy’s good luck with the rest of their success-filled season.

Girls' Soccer Loses to Westhill 1-0

-By: Lisa Randall-


The Girls' Varsity Soccer team met Westhill at DHS for its final game of the regular season this week. The girls already qualified for the State Championship. However, this Oct. 29 game was the determining factor to qualify for FCIACs. Unfortunately, the Stamford girls scored midway through the first half. Darien fought hard, but was unable to come back leaving the final score 1-0. Perhaps aiding the defeat was the absence of injured senior captains Kelly Mahoney, Cat Thomas and Alex Budd. Mahoney was the most recent to join the sidelines when she tore her ACL playing Ridgefield last week.
Despite the defeat, the girls kept their spirits high to celebrate Senior Day with a ceremony on the stadium field on Thursday. (10/29) Senior soccer players honored include captains Mahoney, Thomas, Budd, Liz Calby and Rachel Kanigan as well as Abigail Sickinger, Leanne Stone, Madison Hughan, Mackenzie Jones, Meredith Jordan, Ann Fucigna and Francesca Chiamulera. (pictured)
Stay tuned to see how the girls do in States. We wish them the best of luck!

Midseason Update: JV Football

-By: Samantha Wood-

Blue Wave Football JV players made it clear their team is being overlooked as they reach the season midpoint. The team has four wins and one measly loss, compared to the 4-2 varsity record. Running back Mike Stovall (pictured right) and guard Brett O'Donnell (pictured left) agree their JV team has greatly improved since the beginning of the season, with each individual player stepping up his own game.

What has contributed to the success of the team this year? O'Donnell and Stovall say it is due to the general team morale, and the great camaraderie that the boys share. With this close-knit group, the players are able to "feed off each other and play well" explained the sophomores. To continue to keep up such a good record through the rest of the season, Stovall said, "We just have to stay focused, and make sure not to fool around as much." While his teammate O'Donnell added, "We can't get too cocky." Wise advice for a team who has yet to meet their toughest opponent, the infamous New Canaan Rams on Nov. 16. Not only is this team the Wave's biggest rival, they are also the "best team in the state," Stovall said. But before the Wave can drown the Rams, they must defeat the Bassick Lions on Monday (11/2) at 6:30 pm at Bridgeport Central High School. Make sure you go support the future varsity players of DHS!

JV Soccer Ends in a Tie

-By: Sam Nelson-

Boys' JV soccer faced off against Stamford High School on Wednesday (10/28) to end the season with a 1-1 tie match. The season record stands at 7-2-5. “It was a bad way to end the year; we should have come out on top with the victory,” junior Taiki Miki said.
Darien went into the game with seven wins. The match started off strong with a goal by sophomore Danny Rizzuto. With time winding down, the Black Knights scored on a free kick when junior David Bigelow was in the net. Sophomore Chris Smith was untouchable not letting any goals score. Junior Graham Hotchkiss, in the striker position , said this about the disappointing loss, “It was good effort, but in the end we just got unlucky.” The JV soccer season did not end with a win, but it could have been worse: they didn’t end with a loss.

Volleyball Undefeated as Usual

-By: Chrissy Wiegand-

Girls' volleyball team is just one day away from the end of the season. With two victories this week they are continuing a winning record. The team struck again with a 3-0 defeat of St. Joe’s High School yesterday. (10/28) “We played well against a team that was fired up and really brought their A game,” senior captain Colby Billhardt said.
The game left the girls with a solid victory, winning all three matches, but also with important lessons to lead them to success and fuel the fire to reach their goals. “I think half the reason why we had such a successful outcome on Monday was because we knew from the start that Ludlow was such a strong and talented team. We knew they were going to bring it, so we knew we had to step up our game and intensity if we wanted to pull through,” senior captain Sarah Gorski said.
Senior Colby Billhardt agreed: “Monday, we played a great game against Ludlowe, and we couldn't have done it without the passers in the back row, and Mackenzie Begley setting up a fast offense.”
Sarah Gorski said it was important to get it right off the top: “From the start we were all really cohesive and united on the floor – we had great communication especially coming from the back row. Ludlow played great--with so much heart and intensity, and they left it all out on the court,” Gorski said.
However, the senior captains are well aware the season is not over. “We still have a lot of work to do if we want to achieve our goals. We need to focus on controlling the things we can control and doing the little things in order to prevail. I think this year we have a lot of determination and strength. Even though we are a very young team, we are capable of achieving our goals!” Gorski said.
With yet another undefeated record within grasp, Gorksi doesn’t let all the hype of the volleyball legacy cloud her awareness of what is going on in the moment. “Our game against Ludlow was definitely one of the best matches of the season and it was so much fun to be a part of it,” Gorksi concluded.
Come cheer the girls at the last home game tomorrow (10/30) against Ridgefield at 5:30pm. “Friday we face Ridgefield, another tough team with a lot of heart so we will prepare tomorrow at practice, and we will leave it all on the floor Friday,” Billhardt said. (pictured Colby Billhardt spikes the ball next to Mackenzie Begley)

Boys' Soccer Misses States

-By Ian Sullivan-

Blue Wave Boys' Varsity Soccer couldn’t sting the undefeated Trumbull Hornets on Monday. (10/26) The boys lost 2-1 against the soccer powerhouse. It was senior day and a must need win for the Blue Wave. This defeat means the boys will not go to the state playoffs. The 3-8-3 record was not good enough to send them to the championship tournament.
Two well-placed goals by Trumbull’s ace that just went by the hands of senior goalie Robbie Schindler, gave Trumbull an early lead. However, in the second half the “Blue Wave came storming back,” junior Rupert Hansford said. Early in the first half, the Blue Wave struck back with a corner kick from junior Rupert Hansford, to junior J.P. Walsh to decrease the deficit to 2-1. Schindler was then replaced by senior Andrew Del Col, who according to Hansford, “kept the Blue Wave in the game.” The Wave hopes to rebound against Stamford at 4pm at the Black Nights home field on Wednesday. (10/28) A win won’t move them to States, but it will leave them with a victory for the last game of the season. (pictured Boys' Blue Wave Varsity Soccer team)

14 Straight

-By Justin Pryor-

Blue Wave field hockey keeps up its perfect season with a 4-1 win over New Canaan on Monday (10/26) to improve its record to 14-0. Senior Aimee Rich shut out the Rams while junior Sophie Doering had two goals in the game, and juniors Sophie Watters and Leslie Gill had one goal apiece. When asked about the success of the season junior Claire Dickson said, “Overall I think what makes this so enjoyable is the incredible coaching staff and the good chemistry that we have.” During the game though, junior Madeleine Gill was hit in the face with the ball, and is questionable for tomorrow’s game against Staples in Westport at 4pm. (10/27)

Gill Twins Make Waves on Field Hockey

-By: Darius Majd-

In spite of losing many talented seniors last year, the Blue Wave Varsity Field Hockey team has been dominant thus far thanks in part to the efforts of junior twins Madeleine and Leslie Gill. (Leslie, pictured left) The duo provided all of the scoring in a 4-0 win over Stamford this Wednesday (the Blue Wave’s 11th shutout in 12 games), with Madeleine notching a hat trick. Still, despite the combined success, the two keep each other very grounded, inspiring each other to get better all the time. When asked how it felt to start alongside her sister, Madeleine responded, “Leslie’s degrading comments motivate me to get better.” Leslie responded sarcastically, “Seeing her on the field makes me play worse.” But the competition doesn’t end on the field; the two also consider, among other things, the strength of their appetites to be very important. Madeleine said of the field hockey team, “I’m really in it for the pasta dinners; I set the team record with 15 cookies.” Leslie scoffed at the notion, saying, “I BY FAR hold the team record for cookies at a pasta dinner. At the Heck’s I had two meatball subs, three plates of pasta, four huge oatmeal cookies, eight molasses cookies, and four chocolate cookies.” Not to be outdone, Madeleine said, “That’s nothing compared to the time I downed and entire plate of brownies at the Riegel’s.” Though they may not agree on who can eat more, at least they both speak positively of their experiences on the field so far this year.
Oh, and if you're reading this today (Oct 25) be sure to wish them a happy 17th birthday!

Girls Cross Country Places 6th

Girls finish the race strong as Darien gets 6th in the FCIAC race at Waveny Park in New Canaan on Thursday. (10/22) Junior Amanda Dobler (pictured below right) finished in the top 16 to medal as a member of the first team all FCIAC.

Darien XC Lands a 2nd Place Finish in the FCIAC

-By: Kevin Cassidy-

The Boys Cross Country team traveled to Waveny Park for the FCIAC Championship on Thursday. (10/22) Darien had a great showing placing in second out of 17 teams. Darien only lost to the favorite Danbury by five points. Darien runners senior Jake McCauley (pictured at bottom of story) and junior John Conley finished second and fourth. Other Darien runners, including senior Alex Reynoso and senior Willem Sandberg (pictured with McCauley below), ran well both finishing in the top 25. Willem Sandberg had a 40-second decrease in time from his previous best. Senior Jack Bushell seemed pleased with the team’s performance he went on to explain how “a Danbury runner ran better than expected but we are satisfied with the result”. The Boys Cross Country team has its next meet is States at Wickham Park in East Hartford on October 31st. We wish them the best of luck in finishing their season strong.
Yesterday, the First Team All FCIAC, was announced. Darien Runners senior Jake McCauley, junior John Conley, and senior Alex Reynoso were announced to the team. These runners also helped lead their team to the FCIAC championships. The Darien team also got its FCIAC East Chapionship trophy. We wish these runners best of luck throughout the remainder of their season! (also pictured above sophomore Charlie Baird and senior Brandon Tripodi)

Darien Falls to Danbury, Playoff Chances Dwindle

-By: Mikel Marku-


Darien boys soccer blew the game against Danbury on Thursday at home (10/22) where the boys lost 2-1. The game started off in the Wave's favor, with a goal by junior J.P Walsh off a corner kick. The Wave shut down the Hatters for the first half even without senior starting keeper Robbie Shindler, who didn't play because of a wrist injury. Darien began to lose control as Danbury dominated the ball possession in the second half. In the last 20 minutes Danbury scored two goals to wrap up the victory. Senior Per Bjornstad isn't phased by the setback. "We will beat Trumbull and Stamford, and make States," the quietly confident Bjornstad said. Darien needs to get two wins or a win and a tie to guarantee a spot in States. Come watch the Wave play Trumbull at home on Monday at 4pm. (senior Sean Fahey pictured)

Injury, Illness Hurt Girls Soccer

-By Laura Durham-

Girls’ soccer had a disappointing 3-0 loss against St. Joe’s in Trumbull on Wednesday. (Oct 21) St. Joe’s scored two goals in the first half, and the last in the second half. DHS is missing three players due to injury, and several girls are sick. Senior Meredith Jordan went in early in the game, but came out soon after due to an injury. Senior Alex Budd is also injured, and sophomore Leslie Yuen and senior Rachel Kanigan are ill. Due to absences, Coach John Bradley put in a few JV players. Despite the loss “the girls played well individually just not as a team,” senior Francesca Chiamulera said. Please come out and support the girls when they face-off against Ridgefield at 4pm at home on Friday. (photo supplied by Rachel Kanigan)

Maritime Rowers Rule Regatta

-By Andi Cara-


Maritime Rowing Club had another fantastic weekend of racing at Head of the Charles in Boston. The Norwalk-based club sent three boats to the largest head race in the world the weekend of October 17th. Despite harsh weather conditions (sub 40 degree weather, heavy rain and snow), senior Emily Pik and junior Christine Bragg of Maritime’s varsity eight boat, took home a gold medal after competing with 76 other crews from the United States and Canada. Seniors Michelle Bravo and Chrissy Weigand were members of the varsity 4+ that placed eighth out of 77 competitors. Juniors Andi Cara, Emily Crump and Alex Enzor raced in the same category placing 18th. All three boats did incredibly well on the hardest race course in the world and qualified for next year’s competition. The team has another large regatta this weekend in Philadelphia, Head of the Schuylkill and hopes to continue its winning streak.

Waves Ices Trumbull

-By Christian Nielsen-
In the latest fall league hockey game featuring our own Blue Wave against the Trumbull Eagles, Darien managed to come out on top with a 4-2 victory on Saturday at Terry Conners Ice Rink in Stamford. Early in the game Trumbull came out flying with a goal six minutes into the first period off a breakaway. The remainder of the first showcased some terrific opportunities for the Wave, but the next goal wasn't scored until early on in the second period, when freshman Brendan Hathaway capitalized on a power play to tie the game at one goal apiece.
With new found strength, defender sophomore John Baker scored on another power play towards the end of the second period to put Darien on top 2-1. Unwilling to give up three unanswered goals, Trumbull evened out the game at the beginning of the third period, making the score 2-2. three minutes later, senior Connor Sullivan scored off of a nice pass from junior Richard Gregory, giving the Wave back the lead with the score now at 3-2.
With two minutes remaining the Trumbull goalie was pulled, but to their surprise not soon after sophomore Cameron Murray scored an open net goal to cancel out any chances the Eagles had of winning.

Band Goes Onto the Field

Senior drum major Sebastian Kopp Leads the band onto the field for the halftime show. This is the first time in two years that the band has performed during halftime.

George Benitez Huge Stiff Arm

Quarterback George Benitez Stiff Arms a Trinity Catholic player for big yardage.

Wave Wins on Homecoming

-By: Brian Curry-

Darien boys varsity football notched arguably its best victory on Saturday over Trinity Catholic. The Wave ran right through Trinity taking the game 35-6. The win moves Darien's record to 3-2 and marks the first time the Wave have won back-to-back games this season.
On the first drve of the game, Darien marched down the field for an impressive effort that ended with a touchdown pass from senior quarterback George Benitez(#3 pictured) to senior wide out Michael Wohlberg. Then senior kicker John Gardner added an extra point, Darien took a quick 7-0 lead. However, Trinity Catholic, quickly answered after junior Tre Crumbley took the kick inside the Darien five yard line. From there, Trinity junior running back Mike Rivas took it to the end zone. After Darien senior Bobby Nolan blocked the extra point, Drien remained on top 7-6.

In the second quarter, Darien's offense began to tear up Trinity Catholic's defense. Senior running back Bobby Nolan helped Darien drive down the field, and then he took it to the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run. Then, after a Trinity fuble was recovered by junior Graham Maybell, Benitez took it in for another score on a 50-yard run. Darien added one more score before the half on a connection between Benitez and senior wide-reveiver Alex Wildish to give Darien a 28-6 lead going into the second half.

Darien continued its strong play into the second half as its defense continued stopping Trinity's offense. In the end Benitez threw for three touchdowns. The win gives Darien confidence as they travel to Massachusetts for a non-conference game against Attleboro at 4pm on Saturday(Oct 24th).