Girls Cross Country Team Competes at State Meet

By Mary Lawrence Huffman 

Junior Emilia Callery running hard 

On Saturday, October 29, the Girls Cross Country Team competed at the state meet at Wickham Park in Manchester Connecticut. There were 146 competitors in the Class L race, with junior Emilia Callery commenting that, “The run was super hard but I think that everyone gave it their all and I’m happy with the team’s final performance.” Callery finished in first for Darien with a time of 22:26, with junior Kimberly Olvany, freshman Sarah Gallagher, and freshman Kelly Richter also having great races. The Girls Cross Country Team finished in 14th place overall. Many of the runners are now looking towards preseason training for the indoor track season.            

        

Boys Cross Country Team Competes at State Meet

By Mary Lawrence Huffman

On Saturday, October 29, the Boys Cross Country Team competed at the state meet at Wickham Park in Manchester Connecticut.  Senior captain James Johnson came in second place with a time of 16:40, and junior Alex Klarer came in sixth place with a time of 16:55.  Johnson and Klarer had very impressive performances both time-wise and given the fact that there were 177 runners competing in the Class L race.  Senior Jimmy Conroy, junior Griffin Ott, senior Michael Borecki, and senior Jackson Huffman also ran well.  Johnson says, “The team didn't run as well as everyone had hoped.  Alex and I had great performances going second and sixth respectively.  The team thought that we could get a solid second place but we ended up getting fourth.  The race was positive in that it looks like Alex and I have a good shot at qualifying for New Englands next week at the open meet based on the times that we ran.  In the end, we're just looking forward to having a great indoor season.”

 Johnson and Klarer will be competing at the state open meet at Wickham Park again on Friday, November 4.

Many Darien runners at the start of the race 

Girls Soccer Falls to Staples in FCIAC Quarterfinals

By Mary Lawrence Huffman

Senior Emma Lesko playing hard (Courtesy Darien Times). 

On Friday October 28, the Girls Soccer Team lost to Staples after a hard-fought match.  The team was behind 0-2 at the half, and could not catch up despite Emma Lesko’s goal, losing 1-4.  The Staples players set out to stop two Darien girls, junior Katie Ramsay and senior Emma Lesko, preventing Darien from getting any shots on goal in the first half.  Senior captain Maggie Skeats comments that, “We had the wind against us in the first half, which unfortunately made a difference.  We also weren’t winning the 50/50 balls, which were crucial to the game.”

Although suffering from a crushing loss after a fantastic regular season, the Girls Soccer Team has a chance to redeem themselves at the first round of states on Monday, November 11th.

Darien Falls to Fairfield in PK's

By Sam Hickey

Last Thursday, October 27th, the Blue Wave varsity soccer team took on FCIAC powerhouse Fairfield Warde in the FCIAC quarterfinals. After coming off a strong 5-3 win against Bridgeport Central, Darien looked to enter this important post-season game with some much needed momentum. Darien was the first to score near the end of the first half. Junior Blake Sommi was able to chip the goalie off a great pass from senior Ben Bidell. Fairfield Warde then equalized with about 11 minutes left in the game. The game then moved into overtime where Fairfield Warde scored off of a free kick to make the score 2-1. Then in the most clutch fashion senior Pablo Martinez scored with only seconds left in overtime. With the score at 2-2 the game moved into penalty kicks. The score went back and forth with each team’s goalies making important saves. Then with the score 2-2 senior Sam Pfrommer was denied by a great diving save from the Warde keeper. With the season on the line junior David Volzs had to make a save, but was unable to get clean enough contact to keep the ball out of the net. So just like that Darien’s FCIAC run was cut short in terribly unlucky fashion.

When asked about his team’s performance senior Nathan Mayerhoeffer had this to say, “I thought we played well under tough conditions. We really gave it our all and I thought we deserved to win this game, but penalties is really a toss-up ”.

 Senior Ben Bidell was a catalyst in this FCIAC postseason game. (Courtesy Darien Athletic Foundation)

Girls Blue Wave Swim and Dive Closes the Dual Meet Season Undefeated

By Taylor Davis

Junior Isabel Blaze swimming the 100 fly (Courtesy DAF).

Coming off with a victory against Greenwich, their biggest competitor, on Tuesday, October 25^th, the girls Swim and Dive team rode the wave to success with a win against Wilton. Senior Phoebe Slaughter reflected on the meet saying, “Wilton had strong swimmers but we had more depth among swimmers which gave us higher places and more points.” Senior Leigh Harrison won the 100 breastroke, junior Kaki Christensen won the 100 and 50 freestyle, and junior Isabel Blaze won the 100 fly. The team also swept all of the relays coming in first in the 200 medley, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relay. The team is undefeated and won their two hardest meets of the season proving that they have the ability to take the triple crown. This meet was the closing to the dual meet season, and now the team swims into the championship season hoping to “win states, FCIACSs, and state opens, however states is our main priority,” junior Katie Martin said.  

On November 1st, come support the girls Swim and Dive team in the FCIAC swimming trials against Greenwich at 4:30 PM!

Darien Football Takes Care of Business Against Danbury

By Jack Tierney

On October 21st, 2016 the Blue Wave Boys Varsity Football team replicated the success they’ve had over the past two years against Danbury. They won 41-16 and continue rolling to 6-0 on the season and 4-0 in the FCIAC. The team was without their head coach Rob Trifone this week (currently under suspension) but he was able to set up such a strong staff that the team didn’t lose a step. Junior Cornerback/Slot Receiver Alex Dehmel commented on the game saying “we started off slow but once we got a drive going we really started to move the ball on offense”. Offensively Brian Peters, the senior QB, has been leading the way averaging over 200 passing yards a game. That statistic stands out the most because Peters is leaving most games early due to Darien’s dominance.

 Danbury may have been a slightly weaker opponent but Darien looks to carry this momentum at Wilton High School next Saturday (10/29). Come out and support!

Junior feature back Mitchell Pryor stretching out for a pass, showing off his athleticism (Courtesy DAF).  

Boys XC Places 5th at FCIACs

By: Claire Borecki

On Wednesday, October 19th, the FCIAC Boys Cross Country Championship was held at Waveny Park in New Canaan. With temperatures reaching into the 80s, it was a difficult race for everyone involved, but Darien refused to disappoint. Staples dominated with 27 points, while Danbury had 61, Trumbull 97, Warde 99, Darien 109, followed by Ridgfield, New Canaan, Greenwich, Ludlowe, Wilton, Westhill, Norwalk, Stamford, and St. Joseph. Staple’s Zakeer Ahmad lead the pack with a time of 15:49.42 in the 5k race, with top Darien runners junior Alex Klarer and senior James Johnson placing 9th and 12th (16:24.97 and 16:35.66, respectively). Seniors Jimmy Conroy and Griffin Xie, junior Griffin Ott, and seniors Michael Borecki and Jackson Huffman all had impressive runs, contributing to the strong 5th place finish. Danbury was defending their title as FCIAC champions, but were easily defeated by a strong Staples team.

The CIAC Class L Championships will take place at Wickham Park in Manchester, CT on Saturday, October 29th.

Staple's Zakeer Ahmad leads the pack.

Girls Varsity Field Hockey's Successful Senior Day

By: Arden Cohen

Senior Day huddle before the game (Courtesy DAF).

Senior day was a huge success for the girls varsity field hockey team, who shut out McMahon 4-0 at home on Tuesday, October 18th.  It was a great day for the seniors who contributed 2 of the goals. Senior Izzy Howe had one goal, and one assist, sending the ball flying into the top left corner on a chip shot. Emily Gianunzio also had a goal. Juniors on the team, Sally Cassidy and Kiki Tropsa, contributed immensely, each putting one in the back of the net. 

However, the day was “bittersweet” for Howe: “Scoring on this day just added to how much it meant to me. I wouldn’t have been able to score had it not been for the seniors encouraging me to keep trying, even after my many whiffs." 

The girls’ next game is against Fairfield Ward this coming Wednesday at Tetreau/Davis Field starting at 4 PM, where they expect to come out on top. 

Darien Tops Westhill 2-1 in Rematch of FCIAC Semifinal

By: Sam Hickey

Senior Jason Flynn handling a tough pass on a day 

where he scored twice for Darien (Courtesy DAF).

On Tuesday, October 18th, Wave Boys varsity soccer took on Westhill at home only a year after losing to Westhill in OT in the FCIAC semifinal. The Wave looked to continue on a strong run of form following a 5-0 thumping of Trinity Catholic. However, this game did not start as Darien would have wanted it. Within a minute of kickoff, Wilton capitalized on their first chance of the game and took a 1-0 lead. The score would not stay this way for long. Darien then equalized only minutes later. The Wave dominated possession throughout the rest of the first half and into the second half where they were finally able to convert shortly after halftime on a goal from senior Jason Flynn. Darien’s defense held strong for the rest of the game to give the Wave some semblance of revenge after losing to Westhill a year before. When asked how Darien was able to pull out victory, senior Nathan Mayerhoeffer said, “We were able to control possession throughout the game. We had a number of chances and it was only a matter of time before we converted them."
Come support the Blue Wave varsity soccer team as they take on Bridgeport Central at home at 4 PM on Monday, October 24th!

Wave Football Downs Brien McMahon

By Cord Fox

This past Saturday, Darien Football played Brien McMahon high school at home. The Wave looked to improve to 5-0 on the season. They started the game while scoring a touchdown within the first two minutes. McMahon quickly answered, but after that it was all Darien. They scored on every drive and went into halftime with a 47-10 lead. The highlight and feel good moment of the game was when a McMahon senior lineman has mental disabilities had the opportunity to run the ball. He scored on the play and ran off the field to a big applause by both sidelines. The final score was 54-17.

The Wave are currently in the slowest part of the season as they face teams that are primarily in the bottom half of the FCIAC standings. Come support them as they face Danbury on the road this Friday night.

One of junior Nick Green's many tackles this season (courtesy DAF)

Boys Soccer Trumps St. Joes

By Carson Halabi

On Saturday, October 15,  the Wave Boys Varsity soccer had an outstanding 5-0  win against St. Joe’s at their field. Senior Sam Pfrommer scored two goals early in the game, not giving St. Joe’s a chance from the start. Captain Ben Bidell had a great game, scoring for the Blue Wave. There was show of talent from juniors Oliver Knight and Danny Koenitzer, who both scored later in the game. With their solid lead, the Wave was able to rest the starters, and get some other guys in.

“The team kept the offense going all game, and didn’t let up, earning us a big win", said junior Justin Van de Graaf. Check out the boys on Tuesday, October 18, at their home game against Westhill.

Coach Jon Bradley in action (courtesy Darien Times) 

Darien Soccer Edges Fairfield Warde 1-0

By Sam Hickey

On September 31 the Darien Blue Wave varsity soccer team took on Fairfield Warde at home. Following a strong 2-1 win over Norwalk, the Blue Wave looked to continue on a impressive run of form. However this game would not be so easy. Warde had control for the entire first half and the majority of the second half, but lacked the ability and composure to score. Darien had its chances, but also could not put anything in the back of the net. This set up a highly contentious finish with the score being 0-0 with only 5 minutes left to play. Then out of nowhere, after a moment of miscommunication in the Warde defense, Darien was awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Senior Sean Gallagher was able to then bend the shot around the post and past the goalie to the astonishment of all. With this one goal lead with only seconds left Darien was able to steal a game from Fairfield Warde.    

Sophomore John Trippitelli handing a tough pass 

When asked how he thought his team played senior Casey Brown responded, “This was a strong performance for this team. We were able to keep ourselves in the game and put ourselves in a position to win late and that's exactly what we did”. 

Wave Field Hockey Ties with Staples

By Ellie Nelson

On Thursday, October 13th, Wave Girls Varsity Field Hockey took on Staples. The game was nothing short of exciting, ending after a 10 minute overtime with a final score of 1-1. The goal was scored by sophomore Katie Elders. Senior goalie Kallie Coughlin kept the Wave in the game with an astounding total of 13 saves. The team’s record now stands at 10-1-2, and they are in good standings and spirits as they head into postseason in the coming weeks.

“I think this game was a good indicator that our team always has room for improvement and practice, but overall it was a really good performance on both defensive and offensive ends,” senior attack Emily Gianunzio said. “I’m really excited for the rest of the season and I feel pretty confident about postseason, but it’s games like these that remind us that there is always something to work on.”

Come support the team at their next game on Tuesday the 18th at 4 pm on the stadium turf!

Senior Emily Gianunzio fights for the ball (Courtesy DAF).

Girls Varsity Field Hockey Routs Visiting Daniel Hand

By Madeleine Ostertag

Senior Leela Krishnan preparing to score against Hand (Courtesy DAF).

The Girls Varsity Field Hockey team took on two out-of-area teams at home this past week: Lakeland and Daniel Hand. On Monday, October 10th Darien beat Daniel Hand 4-0 after a 0-0 tie with Lakeland on Saturday. Darien dominated, keeping Hand on defense all game. At the half, Darien led 2-0. Senior Abigail Hancock scored her first varsity goal. Other goals came from senior Campbell Matheis’ assist to senior Leela Krishnan and junior Kendall Wisinski’s assist to junior Sydney Schrenker.
After a 15-save shutout on Saturday, senior Kallie Coughlin continues to maintain her command of the goal this season. While Darien settled for a tie on Saturday, Monday’s victory is sure to ease the pain of losing to Wilton on Tuesday, October 4th. “They [Daniel Hand] are a really well-ranked team so we were super happy to win by a lot. Everyone played well and it’s nice to see how all our hard work at practice is paying off,” Coughlin said. Darien now stands at 10-1-1.
Be sure to come out to support the girls as they play against Staples on Thursday at 4 p.m. on the Darien High School stadium field!

Girls Cross Country Team Competes at Ocean State Invitational

By Mary Lawrence Huffman

The Girls Cross Country Team traveled to Rhode Island to compete at the Ocean State Invitational on Saturday, September 24th, at Goddard Park. Sixteen runners competed in the Large School Division in the varsity and JV races. The course was 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) that was mostly flat on grass and dirt paths with moderate hills. Junior Kara O’Rourke said of the meet, “There are hundreds of teams and it is the biggest competition we have because with more runner the race is much more difficult. A tough race here will help our performance for the rest of the season, culminating in a great postseason.” Junior Emilia Callery led the team at 51st place with a time of 21:17, followed by junior Deirdre DiMauro with a time of 22:46.

 The Girls Cross Country Team is hoping to do well at its next meet at Fairfield Ludlowe on MONDAY, October 10th.

JV Girls Soccer Dominates Stamford

By Ellie Nelson

On Thursday, September 29th, the JV Girls Soccer team took on Stamford at home. The game was an incredible win for the team, shutting out Stamford 7-0. The game was an impressive offensive performance, including a hat trick from sophomore Cameron Appleby. There was also a notable performance from freshman Jordan Vaught and junior Hailey King, each player contributing a goal. The team currently has a record of 3-4, however the win served as a major confidence boost for the girls.

“We all really wanted this win and I think we can expect great things in our next couple of games” said junior Alex Swift. "Our coach Eric said our corners would be clutch and he wasn't wrong” agreed junior goalie Cassidy Duffy. If this past game is any indicator of how JV Wave Soccer will perform for the rest of the season, I would definitely keep an eye on them.

Come support the girls at their next game on October 4th at 4pm in Fairfield.

Sophomore Lauren Sulger with an assist (Courtesy DAF).