By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–Another season of girls soccer is about to get going for the Staples Wreckers and there is a tough test from the get-go.

In the opener, Staples hosts defending Class L Champion and FCIAC foe New Canaan Wednesday, Sept. 3 at the Wakeman turf field at 4 p.m.

Plenty of challenges

This stands to be a good barometer but there are plenty more challenging tests that await, including a late-season clash with a familiar rival. The Wreckers host St. Joseph of Trumbull Friday, October 10. Staples is coming off four consecutive runner-up finishes to the Cadets. Trumbull returns its core and stands to be very good. The Wreckers and Trumbull Eagles meet in Trumbull Saturday, October 4.

The Wreckers will, as always, look to be in the mix of teams competing deep into the postseason — both in the FCIAC and state. It will take the emergence of some newcomers and lesser-experienced players to help get the job done.

Young, talented

“We’re young but I think we’re talented. I’m always trying to be a contender. I’ll never lower that expectation, ” said Coach Barry Beattie, whose teams captured four FCIAC and two state titles between 2014 and 2021.

The initial goal is to finish top four in the conference to earn a first-round FCIAC tourney home game and get enough wins for a first-round state playoff contest. From there Staples will try to get hot at the right time. Some fortuitous bounces often help in the game of soccer.

Significant losses

Key losses from the lineup include standouts Natalie Chudowsky, Annabel Edwards and Katie Fitzgerald.

“The joy of high school is you can always get another player to step up and be the star,” Beattie said.

Staples’ coach will lean on captains Riley Gullens and Maddie Johnson (both strikers) along with Taylor Lunney (right midfielder) and Sadie Katzner (left defender).

The starting goalkeeper is Evely Bory and Addie Talbott is the backup. Other key players include right defender Emily Shiel and left midfielder Neave Mulvey, both of whom scored in a scrimmage against visiting Pomperaug of Southbury on August 28.

Andy Hutchison

^{_{Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories, since the 1990s. He is the sports editor at the Newtown Bee. He writes for the Monroe Sun. He was director of communications and radio color commentator for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (now Islanders) hockey team. He has won numerous writing awards, including regional and national first-place honors.}}