Original Story: Without a clear-cut favorite to win the championship, the FCIAC’s girls soccer tournament promises to be a thriller, and will get underway with four quarterfinal match-ups today, Friday, Oct. 27.
The game is available on the FCIAC’s home page and at HAN Network’s website by clicking here. It will also be simulcast live on Frontier Communications’ Vantage Sports Network (Chs. 600/1600).
The game will also be available on demand after its completion by clicking here.
Here is the full quarterfinal schedule for Friday:
No. 8 Wilton (9-6-1) at No. 1 Staples (12-3-1), 3:30 p.m.
No. 7 Brien McMahon (10-4-2) at No. 2 St. Joseph (11-1-4), 3:30 p.m.
No. 5 Darien (11-2-3) at No. 4 Ridgefield (11-2-3), 4 p.m.
No. 6 Trumbull (10-3-3) at No. 3 Warde (12-3-1), 4:30 p.m.
The last time Darien and Ridgefield met on Oct. 2, the Tigers shut out the Blue Wave 2-0 at Darien High School. Ridgefield’s Kathryn Barlow and Megan Klosowski found the back of the net while goalkeeper Lauren Castle earned the clean sheet.
The Tigers enter the playoffs as the fourth seed with a 11-2-3 record and 36 points and were rewarded with a first-round home game.
Ridgefield has won the conference championship the past two seasons and also reached the Class LL state finals each year, losing both times to unbeaten Glastonbury. After losing a number of last year’s starters due to graduation, the Tigers took the league by surprise with their strong defense and ability to finish. Expect to see senior captain Kathryn Barlow continue to shine as one of the league’s best defenders.
The Blue Wave comes into this quarterfinal as the fifth seed with a matching 11-2-3 record, falling behind the Tigers because of that Oct. 2 loss, and will look to turn the tables today.
Blue Wave goalkeeper Christine Fiore, one of the top keepers in the conference this season, will work to keep the Tigers from scoring. Look for captain Katie Ramsey to create scoring opportunities for her team. This game is set to be one of the most exciting matchups in the first round.
