By Andy Hutchison

TRUMBULL — After an 11-1 road win over St. Joseph of Trumbull on Friday, and blanking Trumbull High 9-0 Tuesday, the Staples field hockey team has walloped each of four opponents by an average of just under 10 goals to start this season.

The Wreckers also have beaten Ridgefield 10-0 and Stamford 8-0.

Talk about domination.

That’s life in the FCIAC for field hockey teams — most of them anyway — going against the formidable Wreckers.

“I’ve always pushed for it to be tiered. It needs two tiers,” Staples Coach Ian Tapsall said of the FCIAC, which boasts a powerful group of teams that traditionally compete for conference supremacy and state bragging rights along with others that simply can’t keep up with those juggernauts.

It would be more fun for teams to have same-level competition on a regular basis, providing better tests for those like the Wreckers if they played upper-echelon squads on a rotation basis instead of just once during the season.

Staples stands to be challenged when they head to the Proving Grounds in Pennsylvania for the MAX Field Hockey High School National Invitational Sept. 21 and 22. 

The Wreckers, 18th in the Max Preps preseason rankings, will take on No. 12 Palmyra Area Senior High School from Pennsylvania and No. 6 Camden Catholic High School from New Jersey. 

“It will be a good test for our girls,” Tapsall said. “It’s good for the reputation of the schools in Connecticut to do well against those guys.”

None of the FCIAC schools have a better ranking than the Wreckers, but there will be tougher tests to come later in the season with Darien, Greewich, and Fairfield Ludlowe on the slate.

Throughout September the games appear to be pretty easy for Tapsall’s squad.

Staples built a 7-0 lead through the first half of play and cruised past St. Joe’s. Lucy Hill scored three times, Storey Ahl hit the back of the cage twice, and Emma Larit, Leah Larit, Mary Stevens, Eve Dolan, Catherine Cirasuolo and Tyla Ozgen also scored.

Alex Hackett, Sofia Fidalgo, Emma Larit, Stevens, Cirasuolo, Ozgen and Emilie Russell all had assists.

Staples goaltender Paige Knesich made nice saves, including a diving effort.

In the home win over Trumbull, Fidalgo and Leah Larit both scored hat-tricks. Emma Larit, Alex Hackett and Cirasuolo also scored.

Hackett, Fidalgo, Emma Larit, Stevens, Cirasuolo, Ozgen and Russell all recorded assists.

“We’re scoring. We’re making chances. We’ve got some experienced, skillful players, fit players,” said Tapsall, adding that while his team is always strong on fast breaks and counter attacks, the Wreckers do have areas where they can make strides. 

“We can certainly improve on set pieces and be braver in front of the net,” he said.

The Wreckers look to continue their domination at 4 p.m. Monday with a visit to Westhill of Stamford. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest updates.)

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s.