The Wilton High girls soccer team got its third straight win by blanking Darien, 1-0, on Wednesday night at Kristine Lilly Field.
After winning just one of their first four games, the Warriors (4-5) have shut out their last three opponents.
Against Darien, Wilton clearly dominated play in a game that the hosts could have won by a much wider margin.
"Yeah, we were getting a little frustrated because we have been having a problem finishing,” said Wilton senior co-captain Caraline Higgins. “But we stayed focused and composed and we knew we would get one in the net.
"I’m very proud of how far we have come as a team since the beginning of the season," added Higgins. "We have a lot of young players that didn’t have varsity experience and it took some time to get the chemistry down. It’s all coming together now and I’m excited about the rest of the season."
The game’s only goal came five minutes into the second half. Ashley Vitarelli tracked down freshman Lindsay Groves' through ball on the wing. Vitarelli settled the ball and shot to the far post to beat the Darien goalie for a 1-0 Wilton lead.
The Warriors had gone on attack right from the opening kick-off. Freshman Ally Dejana had several chances on the wing after receiving passes from Paisley Eagan. But Dejana either couldn’t get past the Darien back line or had a shooting angle that was too wide. Eagan was working hard getting the ball through the midfield area, looking to set up her teammates.
In the eighth and ninth minutes, Vitarelli took corner kicks, but none of her teammates were in position to score.
The Blue Wave didn’t mount any sustained pressure on the Wilton goal, but they did have a golden opportunity to take an early lead.
In the 10th minute, two Darien players got past the Warrior back line, forcing Wilton goalie Hana Previte to race out toward the Blue Wave player with the ball. The Darien player took a shot that flew past Previte but hit squarely off the post and went back into the field, where it was cleared by the Warriors. That would prove to be the Blue Wave’s only scoring threat.
“We played more consistently today, and I’m very pleased with the play of the team,” said Wilton head coach Freya Coombe.“The defense, midfielders, and the front line all gave a great effort tonight.”
Coombe has been moving players around and giving different players playing time in order to find the right combination.
“We look at three things to determine who we put on the field," said Coombe. "Who’s working hard in practice, who’s given a great effort in previous games, and how certain players will help us in the match-up against our opponent. And, of course, the overall chemistry of the whole team on the field goes into the decision."