By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — Coming off a run to the FCIAC finals and Class LL State Tournament semifinals last fall, the Staples High girls soccer team aims to be in the mix of title contenders again.

There will be a bit of a new for the Wreckers as they tangle with top squads from the always-challenging FCIAC. Staples graduated 11 players from the roster last year.

“I think we’re deep in our roster, but we’re young,” Coach Barry Beattie said. “We’re young but I think we’re good enough to compete.”

Captains back in the fold to lead the way are center midfielder Natalie Chudowsky, left forward Annabel Edwards, defender Katherine Fitzgerald and goalkeeper Sam Henske. Defensive midfielder Daisy Chung is among the players who will be relied on to limit opposing team scoring chances.

The Wreckers will have to see who will emerge among a large group of underclassmen. Getting to the pinnacle, or at least being one of the teams to beat in the FCIAC, is common for the Wreckers, who most recently won it all in 2021.

Tough teams Staples will contend with include St. Joseph of Trumbull (which defeated the Wreckers in both the conference final and state semis and beat the Wreckers in the FCIAC title game two years in a row), Ridgefield and Fairfield Ludlowe.

Staples begins the regular season Tuesday, Sept. 3, with a visit to New Canaan at 6:30 p.m.

The home opener is Thursday, Sept. 5, when Brien McMahon of Norwalk visits at 4 p.m. Staples visits Ludlowe at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30.

The slate includes a non-conference battle with Notre Dame-Fairfield, the third game of the year, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7.

The rematch with St. Joseph will have to wait until Wednesday, Oct. 9, when the teams meet in Trumbull at 4 p.m. Ridgefield visits Staples Thursday, Oct. 17, in the regular-season finale, also at 4 o’clock.

(Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest CIAC updates.)

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