By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–Staples girls soccer, as always, will look to compete with the best the FCIAC has to offer, and that also happens to include some of the best teams in the state. So buckle up for another season of competitive action on the pitch between the Wreckers and their rivals.

Three of the four Class LL semifinalists were conference foes last fall with champion Greenwich along with Ridgefield and New Canaan all representing the FCIAC deep into the playoffs; Amity of Woodbridge reached the championship game.

Then there is perennial power St. Joseph of Trumbull which defeated Greenwich in last year’s FCIAC title game and has played in four straight pinnacle conference battles.

“St Joes are always good and I expect nothing to change with them. Greenwich are current state champions so there’s a little added pressure there but they have a great team and will be back at the top,” Staples Coach Barry Beattie said.

That said, the Wreckers are always in the conversation and looking to come out on top, be it in the conference or state.

“The team would love to make FCIACs and states with the aim of sneaking in to win one of the championships,” Beattie said.

Last year’s team earned the No. 12 seed and fought Amity before falling 1-0 in the state quarterfinals.

Captains are Sienna Schwartz (midfield), Emme Dorfman (forward), Willa Shamie (defender), Addie Talbott (defender) and Alexa Van Aken (midfield).

Other key players back on the field for the Wreckers include Neave Mulvey (left midfielder), Rikki Frankel (goalkeeper), Sami Selig (forward) and Kathryn Fontana (forward).

“The team is returning 21 players who have been in the mix of the FCIAC. They have been working all summer and look fit and ready,” Beattie said.

A personal goal for the coach, who has won six combined FCIAC and state titles and earned conference, state and New England Coach of the Year accolades during his career with Staples, is to get to the 200th win of his Wrecker career. Beattie is just seven wins away from that milestone.

The season begins today, when Ridgefield visits Bedford Middle School’s Wakeman B turf field at 4:15 p.m. Among games to circle on the schedule are the Oct. 1 visit to St. Joseph and an Oct. 8 home game with Greenwich, both at 4 p.m.

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 hockey team. He has won numerous writing awards, including regional and national first-place honors.}}