The Darien Blue Wave (CT) defeated the visiting Greenwich Cardinals (CT) by a final score of 17-9 in a big FCIAC matchup at Darien High School on Tuesday.
The win moves Darien to 12-1 on the season. Greenwich suffers its second loss of 2013 and falls to 11-2.
The game was a rematch of the 2012 FCIAC final, also won by Darien.
After falling behind 3-1 six minutes into the contest, Greenwich settled in and found their game. Utilizing a motion offense and deft ball movement, the Cardinals went on a spirited 5-1 run that turned a two-goal deficit into a two-goal cushion at 6-4 with nine minutes left in the half.
The run was spearheaded by senior Emily Johnson (Denver), who finished the game with a team-high four goals. Johnson was dominant at times in the middle of the field and on the offensive end dodging to the goal.
The teams would then trade goals after the big Greenwich run, and Dairens defense in what would foreshadow the second half came up with a big stop on a long Cardinals possession to end the first half to keep the score at 7-6 in favor of Greenwich.
The second half would begin with three quick Darien goals, the first off the stick of junior midfielder Emily Stein (Northwestern), who finished with a game-high six goals in an impressive offensive effort. Stein is a strong player and excellent finisher.
After a goal from Johnson cut the Blue Wave lead to one at 9-8, Darien went on a huge run, scoring six straight goals in a 15-minute span that put the game out of reach.
Junior midfielder Ellie Bennett (Dartmouth) was excellent on draw controls, limiting Greenwich possessions and enabling the second-half surge for the Blue Wave, who would outscore the Cardinals 11-2 in the frame en route to the 17-9 final.
The teams essentially split control of the game, each owning a half. Greenwich was excellent in the first, displaying great team speed and a poised motion offense. However, the second half was dominated by Darien, who dictated play and time of possession while finishing well on their set pieces. Greenwich was sloppy with the ball especially in their own end and could not get much going offensively when they did posses. Meanwhile, Darien was precise with their passing and moved the ball very well, leading to quality chances and goals.
Be sure to check back for much more from this one, including a video recap.
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