It was the first Friday Night Lights of the 2022-23 school year and the DHS Stadium was filled with fans. All these people were there to watch the boys soccer team host the Fairfield Ludlowe Falcons in this early season FCIAC contest.

Starting the action early in the 6th minute of play, Owen Comey sent a good ball to the wing, and James Kennedy moved the through ball to his twin brother Matthew Kennedy who would take it into the box and take the shot. Kennedy would rifled it right past Alex Parent’s left shoulder giving the Wave the early 1-0 advantage.

That was just the beginning of the Kennedy duo night as we fast forward to the 14th minute. Trevor Pegg on the right wing pass into the box found an open Matthew Kennedy who finished it right through the 5-hole of Parent scoring his second of the night and putting Darien up 2-0.

Darien’s keeper Tommy Branca would make 4 key saves in the first half but the Blue Wave Defense as a whole played an outstanding match. Gaurav Parwal, Jeff Nduati, and Trey DeSanctis were all a part of that defensive effort that kept Ludlowe scoreless for the first 74 minutes of play.

Moving into the second half with the Wave still up 2-0. James Kennedy would send a pass out of the scrum to senior Bobby Whittaker who was waiting and powered a shot top left corner for his first of the season. Looked very similar to the magic Whittaker produces on the ice, going stick side top shelf.

The Wave would go on to add another in the 60th minute when James Kennedy would score off the corner kick to give Darien the 4-0 advantage. James finished the night with a goal and 2 assists to his name.

Fairfield Ludlowe finally cracked the score column in the 62nd minute when Matt Mennozzi went on a break and was one-on-one with Darien’s goalkeeper Edwin Rapp. The upperclassman Falcon sent one to the back of the night cutting the defected down to 3.

But after 80 minutes of play, the Wave would celebrate victoriously. Darien now leaps back to .500 on the young season and will shift their attention to Brien McMahon on Tuesday. It was a good match by the boys in blue and black and they sent the fans home happy Friday night.

DARIEN 4,

LUDLOWE 1

LUDLOWE 0 1 — 1

DARIEN 2 2 — 4

Scoring: D – Matthew Kennedy (6′); D – Matthew Kennedy (14′); D – Bobby Whittaker (54′); D – James Kennedy (60′); L – Matt Mennozzi (74′).

Goalkeepers: L – Alex Parent 8 saves; D – Tommy Branca 8 saves; D – Edwin Rapp 4 saves.

Records: Ludlowe 1-3-0; Darien 2-2-0