WESTPORT — The Staples boys soccer team picked the perfect time for their best performance of the year Monday.

Jonny Costello’s hat trick, Zach Gorin’s midfield dominance, Cormac Mulvey’s leadership on defense, Christian Rinaldi’s powerful goalkeeping — plus quick, smart and selfless play, strong physicality and a winning mentality all over the field — sparked the Wreckers to a 5-1 victory over Stamford on the Wakeman turf.

This was no ordinary triumph. The Knights entered the match 5-1-1; their only blemishes were a 2-2 draw with Darien and a 1-0 loss to Danbury. The Wreckers were 3-3; they came off a 6-3 defeat in Greenwich, and a lackluster 2-1 victory over winless Wilton two days earlier.

Monday’s game was nothing like those.

From the opening whistle, the Westporters played like a team with something to prove. In the first minute, Will Murray’s quick free kick to Costello on the right side was slotted across. No one was there, but the message was clear: Staples did not care about the visitors’ record.

With head coach Russell Oost-Lievense urging “Keep the ball moving!” his side did just that. They matched Stamford’s individual and team speed, and with each 50/50 ball they won and series of passes they connected, they believed in themselves more.

They utilized Wakeman’s width and depth well. Mulvey’s range, coupled with Gorin’s playmaking, balanced the defensive and offensive parts of Staples’ game well.

In the 18th minute, Costello pounced on a bad touch by the Knight keeper. The senior wasted no time turning and firing into an empty net for an alert and important goal.

Three minutes later, he and Brendan Allen nearly combined for another strike.

Then Allen forced the keeper into a punch save, on an out-swinging free kick. Unlike other times this year, Staples did not lose focus and squander the lead. Instead, they kept pressing.

In the 28th minute, Rinaldi made his first big save. One minute later, Perrin Root won a hard tackle, He turned and found Costello, who once again did not hesitate, bagging his second goal.

Stamford nicked one goal back on a well-taken penalty kick,

The Wreckers went right back to work. Max Hill’s shot with 10 seconds before halftime was just high.

The physical, yet skillful, play continued after intermission. Dylan Shackelford — a junior defender who gets better each match — won several important balls and sparked counterattacks.

In the 52nd minute, fellow 11th grader Josh Whitaker played an excellent ball across the box from the corner. The keeper conceded a rebound, and Emmett Nivaud was in exactly the right spot to tap it in, for a 3-1 edge.

Stamford continued to battle. Rinaldi came up huge twice, once on a free kick in a crowd, then again smothering a low corner kick.

Two minutes after Nivaud’s goal, Gorin launched a deadly corner kick. Mulvey — who comes forward on set pieces for his height — finished not with his head, but his foot, from close range.

There was more to come. Rinaldi’s full-body save on a breakaway sent an important message: Staples was not conceding anything.

In the 63rd minute, Gabe Duque hit Costello. The striker rounded the corner and slammed a no-angle shot into the far corner. The goal was as decisive as the 5-1 lead.

The reserves came on, with no letup. They saw the match out with the same confidence as the starters.

The Wreckers have two more home games this week. Against Central of Bridgeport on Wednesday marks the midway point of the season. Fairfield Warde comes to Wakeman on Friday. Kickoff for both matches is 4 p.m. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest updates.)