Page 142 - WHS FH 2014 Memory Book - Megan Cunningham

Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Field Hockey: Wilton Wraps up Top-Seed for

FCIAC Tourney by Racing by Staples

By John Nash

WESTPORT — If it wasn't for the scoreboard
at the far end of the field, all of those in
attendance at Monday night's FCIAC field
hockey game between Wilton and Staples
would have assumed they were bearing
witness to a highly competitive, back-and-
forth matchup between two of the FCIAC's
top teams this season.

While the game was all that -- the Warriors
were sitting atop the league standings while
the Wreckers were fourth -- the scoreboard
told a vastly different story about the final
outcome: Wilton 6, Staples 0.

With the win the Warriors clinched the No. 1
seed for the upcoming FCIAC playoffs, which
begin on Saturday. Wilton, the three-time
defending Class M state champs, has never
won an FCIAC title in field hockey.

"We've had trouble scoring in a couple of
games and we've learned our less the hard way," said Wilton coach Deirdre Hynes, whose team only scored
eight goals in its last six games, posting a 4-1-1- mark in the process. "We knew we had to focus on our basic
skills and finishing and that paid off today."

And it didn't take long. While the Wreckers opened the game with possession of the ball, Wilton soon took it
away and headed in the direction of the Staples goal cage.

Fifty-eight seconds after the game started Wilton's Delaney Chase fed the ball to Katherine Campbell, who
finished her shot for a 1-0 Warriors lead. Midway through the game, Wilton doubled its lead.

Megan Cunningham carried the ball up the left sideline, pushing it to Chase inside the circle. Chase fired a shot
on goal, which appeared to have ricocheted off a stick before banging into the back of the cage to make it 2-0,
Wilton.

"I think it's a mental step back," said Wreckers coach Ashley DelVecchio, whose team slipped to 9-3-0-1. "I
think they see the name of the school and they have heard from other players how good these teams are and it
breaks them down mentally. Once they score, it just gets worse."