By Andy Hutchison

The Staples High girls’ soccer team begins the season in defense of not one but two championships from a year ago. The Wreckers are coming off an FCIAC title and a Class LL state co-championship (shared with familiar FCIAC foe Wilton).

After defeating the Warriors in the conference’s pinnacle matchup these rivals finished in a deadlock in the state’s final contest.

“We are aiming to build a good rhythm in the regular season so we can build towards a playoff run. The main goal is being in the mix to defend our titles,” Coach Barry Beattie said.

“We are returning a lot of the players so the team will have a strong core with a few great additions,” the coach added.

Captains are center defenders Sami DeWitt and Charlotte Franklin, center midfielder Coco Crombie and center forward Evelyn Chudowsky.

Among others to watch are goalkeeper Cami Kolek, left midfielder Annabel Edwards, center midfielder Talia Moskowitz, and right midfielder Katherine Shackleford.

The Wreckers have 22 returning players.

St Joseph of Trumbull, Fairfield Warde and Fairfield Ludlowe will all be very tough games, Beattie anticipates.

Staples began the campaign with a scoreless tie against Ridgefield on Sept. 9. The Wreckers will visit New Canaan Monday, Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Greenwich visits Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.

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.