By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — Sometimes the hard work and domination does not show in the end. On the flip side, however, persistence pays off. 

It was quite an unusual 1-1 tie for the Staples High and Danbury girls soccer teams Saturday morning.

Danbury jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Caroline Dickson’s goal in the first half-minute of action. From that point on, it was all Staples as the Wreckers piled up shots on goal and corner kick opportunities.

“It’s coming,” Staples Coach Barry Beattie told his players in encouragement with each passing near miss that sailed just wide or was corralled, or deflected away, by Danbury goalkeeper Mali Nepeman (11 saves).

Finally, Reilly McGeehan got Staples even when she blasted home a shot from the right side, placing the ball just inside the far post with 15:08 showing on the scoreboard clock.

The goal was a pretty one and exemplified teamwork at its best with a series of slick passes, culminating with Coco Crombie’s touch, setting the stage for McGeehan. Parker Pretty and Neva Mermagen also factored into the setup.

Staples continued to apply pressure. It was as if the field was tilted. The visiting Hatters finally got out of their own end and created a late-game opportunity. Staples keeper Cami Kolek made a small handful of stops.

Both goalkeepers received a little help from field players earlier in the contest. Crombie had a head deflection off Natalie Chudowsky’s free kick cleared off the goal line by a Danbury defender in the waning seconds before halftime.

Earlier in the half, it was Staples’ Charlotte Franklin making a sliding play to deny a shot that was on its way into the goal.

The Wreckers created chance after chance in an effort to get the equalizer. 

Katherine Shackelford, Annabel Edwards, Chudowsky, Mermagen, Crombie, Gabriela de Brito and Olivia Kovics all generated opportunities with runs deep into the Danbury end and crosses into the 18-yard box. Edwards took a majority of Staples’ 12 corner kicks, most in the second half.

Falling behind early did not seem to faze the Wreckers.

“She scores against me every time,” Beattie said of Dickson, referring to her tendency to put one in the net from the opposing side in club and high school games he coaches.

“Aside from that I think we dominated the game. Their goalie had an unbelievable performance. She made save after save after save after save,” Beattie said. “I think they played well after we conceded the goal.”

Beattie was more than pleased with the overall effort, led by Crombie and Edwards, but noted that his team needs to get off to a quicker start.

“I’m okay with these speed bumps as long as we learn,” the coach said.

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