Staples Boys Lacrosse Team Making A Name For Itself

With the undefeated Staples High School boys' lacrosse team off to the best start in the program's history, senior co-captain Austin Waiter has noticed at least one change.

"We actually have fans now, so that's good," said Waiter, who has been rock solid in goal for the Wreckers. "We didn't really have that many fans, so now everyone talks  about it in school."

Funny how that works. Everybody loves a winner, and there's plenty to love about the Wreckers, who are to a 10 -0 start following Monday's 10-5 win over previously unbeaten Weston.

Over the years, FCIAC lacrosse has been like a cartel, dominated by the same handful of teams.

Staples never really has been regarded as a lacrosse school, but the Wreckers are trying to change that perception.

"Last year, we put Staples (lacrosse) on the map, and I think this year our goal was to win something big," added junior Kip Orban, another co-captain and the team's leading scorer. "Kind of step foward and put our name up there with Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton."

The seeds for the Wreckers' success this season may have been planted at the end of last  year, when, as a No. 15 seed, Staples took No. 2 seed Newtown to overtime in the first round of the state tournament before losing, 9-8.

"Last year we only had one senior on the team," said senior Jack Ambrose, the Wreckers' other co-captain.  "We were allowed to bond. It makes a lot of difference bonding on a varsity field than on a JV or freshmen (field).

"It kind of stunk last year only having one senior and us having to step up a year earlier, but it really helped in the long run."

The flip side of that, of course, is that Staples only graduated one senior.  Still, the Wreckers needed a big win before they were going to be taken seriously, and they got it in their season opener  when Orban scored in overtime to give Staples an 11-10 victory over Ridgefield.

You don't want to put too much emphasis on one game, especially the first game of the seasonn, but that victory over Ridgefield looks more impressive with each passing day. Since that loss, Ridgefield, the defending FCIAC champion, has reeled off eight straight wins.

"They're are still so talented," Ambrose noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if Ridgefield went undefeated the rest of the year. We just played really well on that day, caught them off guard, but Ridgefield has a ton of talent."

The win gave the Wreckers a ton of confidence, and they've been on a roll ever since. Since beating Greenwich, 7-5, on April 17, Staples really hasn't been tested, winning its last six games by at least five goals. 
 
Waiter, thinks the Wreckers are indeed changing people's opinion of the Staples' program.

"I think we're changing everyone's mind," he said. "(After) the first win over Ridgefield, I think every looked at us like,  'Oh, maybe it was an upset, maybe it won't happen again.' We just kept going, so now we're proving ourselves."

The Wreckers have come a long way. In Waiter's freshman and sophomore seasons they won six games each year, then improved to 10-8 last season.

This year, they already have reached double figures in wins with still regular-season games remaining. Staples next contest is Tuesday at Bridgeport Central.

In 2009, Ridgefield broke through to win the first FCIAC lacrosse title. Now the Wreckers are wondering why this year can't be their turn.

Some observers may point out that Staples doesn't play Darien and New Canaan in the regular season, but the Wreckers could run into one - or both - down the road in the FCIAC playoffs.