WESTPORT–Two of Connecticut’s finest soccer programs met this afternoon; both teams came out with guns blazing. 

Maddie Sansone’s free kick four minutes in whoosed past the goal. Cami Kolek had a great save moments later on a tough corner kick from Darien.

Darien quickly regrouped and shot a very good corner kick, which Sami DeWitt headed away.

Then controversy erupted near Darien’s goal. With Sansone on the attack, Darien’s goalie tried to cut down the angle and touched the ball out of the box. Referee issued a yellow card, unleashing a massive howl from the home fans, who’d expected a red card. Annabel Edwards took a screaming free kick, which was kicked just a tad too high and sailed over the goal.

Back in Staples territory moments later, Darien took a corner kick which was deftly headed away by Gaby Gonzalez.

Sansone kicked a corner to Annabel Edwards, whose shot on goal was deflected to Katharine Shackelford, who kicked the ball over the goal.

The offense kept pressing, with free kicks from Edwards and DeWitt, a shot from Sansone, a shot from Edwards, but no goals.

With less than six minutes left in the first half, Edwards shot a corner towards Gonzalez, who shot and scored for the first and only goal of the half.

Early in the second half, Neva Mermagen passed to Coco Crombie whose shot sailed just off the upright.

Then, in the coolest offensive play of the second half, Sansone struck the ball with her left foot into the top right corner of the net, 2-0 Staples. The gritty Blue Wave offense charged downfield, shot and scored a goal past the stingy Cami Kolek.

With the Wreckers backpedalling a bit, Darien had a free kick from the top of the box, which penetrated the line and got deflected into the goal. All tied, 2-2.

With 11 minutes left, DeWitt took a free kick, which led to a screaming, curving corner kick from Edwards which found the net and put the Wreckers up for good.

Next up is the quarterfinal round: #16-seed Farmington at home Friday at 2 p.m. Farmington is riding high after upsetting #1 seed Amity, so Staples (9th seed) needs to be ready for anything.