The Darien girl’s soccer team was coming off a statement tie on Wednesday in which they tied the Staples Wreckers 0-0 at DHS. The Wreckers were an early favorite for the conference, and the Wave played near-perfect defense in that match. Fast forward a couple days to Friday Night when the Darien Blue Wave (3-2-2) welcomed in the Greenwich Cardinals (3-4-0) for a clash under the lights.

Darien’s first look came in the 8th minute of play. Junior Sadie Stafford found a hole in the defense and sent the through ball to junior Presley Sutter, who booted a shot on net from the 20-yard line. Greenwich keeper Isabella Gage watched it in the air as it bounced off the crossbar. This wouldn’t be the last long-range shot the Wave would take in the match.

Anna Von Kennel had the ball in the midfield in the 15th minute of play and was looking for Sadie Stafford on the offensive end. Stafford collided with Greenwich’s Caroline Lawrence, and the foul was called on Lawrence. This gave Darien the direct free kick just outside the box. Senior captain Katelyn Secor lined up to take the free kick, ran up, and powered the shot on the net. Off the crossbar, coming straight down and bouncing out, Greenwich started playing the deflection until a whistle would stop them. The referee signaled a goal on the kick as the ball hit beyond the goal line, and the backspin brought it out. Darien had nabbed the 1-0 advantage in this one.

The Cardinals would get an opportunity in the middle of the half with Skylar Aysseh keeping a ball in setting up Julia Acosta to kick a shot on goal. Darien’s keep Jillian Fox would leap up and, and using both gloves knock the ball over the top of the net. This gave the Cardinals a corner kick.

Julia Acosta from the corner into the scrum hits off the head of Skylar Aysseh and fooled Fox to her left. The match was tied at 1. Both teams were able to capitalize on the free and corner kick looks all night, with all four goals coming from those situations.

Entering the half it was a 1-1 tie. The match was living up to the expectations, two evenly matched defensive squads.

The Wave received another corner kick in the 53rd minute. Keely Fox put it into the scrum, and the head of Katelyn Secor send the ball towards the net. Receiving help from the boot of Greenwich’s Ali Pennella, and rolled into the net for the Darien score.

Pennella, after the partial own-goal received a free kick four minutes later outside the box. Pennella, the all-FCIAC first teamer last year, used her strength and went for it all, sending the direct ball. A beautifully placed ball in the top left corner of the net saw Fox just watch it as it hit the netting for the Cardinal equalizer. 2-2 with 20 minutes to play.

The following 20 minutes would be more of the defensive stalemate in which both Jillian Fox and Isabella Gage saw the shots but made the big saves. After the 80-minute mark, both teams would walk away with standings points and the 2-2 tie.

“I’m happy with the showing tonight,” Darien head coach Leigh Parsons said after the match. Darien converted on a long free kick and crucial corner kick for their two scores, while pressuring the Cardinals goalkeeper all match.

Darien had tied their second consecutive match and will now enter a four-game road stretch that doesn’t see them returning to DHS until October 15th. The girls will travel to Danbury, St. Joseph, New Canaan, and Danbury over the next two weeks in big matches for the FCIAC standings.

DARIEN 2,

GREENWICH 2

GREENWICH 1 1 — 2

DARIEN 1 1 — 2

Scoring: D – Katelyn Secor (8′); G – Skylar Aysseh (26′); D – Katelyn Secor (53′); G – Ali Pennella (57′).

Goalkeepers: G – Isabella Gage 9 saves; D – Jillian Fox 7 saves.

Records: Greenwich 3-4-1; Darien 3-2-3