The fall season has flown by and we’re less than two weeks away from the start of the FCIAC girls soccer tournament.
Staples, St. Joseph, Ridgefield and New Canaan lead the pack which is battling for the eight tournament berths, with Staples and St. Joseph already owning tickets to the dance.
Here’s a look at the top 11 teams which are still in the hunt.
1 – Staples Wreckers (11-0-3, 36 points)
Remaining Games: At New Canaan (10/19); Home vs. St. Joseph (10/22)
The unbeaten Wreckers picked up an important win on Friday when they defeated Darien 3-1, after playing to a scoreless tie with Ridgefield on Tuesday. They’re on the brink of clinching a quarterfinal home game and currently own the top spot in the standings. But with just two games remaining, Staples has a maximum of 6 more points available and could be passed by St. Joe’s or Ridgefield.
2 – St. Joseph Cadets (11-0-1, 34 points)
Remaining Games: Home vs. Ridgefield (10/15) and New Canaan (10/17); At Darien (10/19) and Staples (10/22)
The Cadets are also undefeated with their lone tie coming in a 1-1 game against Warde back on Sept. 15. Their last four games are as tough as they come, as St. Joe’s will face the rest of the FCIAC’s top five over the next eight days, starting with a showdown at home against Ridgefield at 4 p.m., Monday.
3 – Ridgefield Tigers (10-1-1, 31 points)
Remaining Games: At St. Joseph (10/15) and Norwalk (10/16); Home vs. Westhill (10/19) and Warde (10/22)
The Tigers had a couple of streaks come to an end on Saturday, as they surrendered a goal for the first time this season, and also suffered their first loss, 1-0, at New Canaan.
Ridgefield, which played to a scoreless tie with Staples last Tuesday, has another tough one on tap as it squares off against the Cadets at St. Joseph HS on Monday. The Tigers will also host a pair of playoff contenders — Westhill at Warde — to close out the schedule.
4 – New Canaan Rams (9-1-2, 28 points)
Remaining Games: Home/Dunning vs. Trumbull (10/15); At St. Joseph (10/17); Home/Conner vs. Staples (10/19); and Home/Dunning vs. Westhill (10/22)
Talk about a big week. New Canaan topped the rival Blue Wave 1-0 last Tuesday in Darien, and followed that with another 1-0 victory over previously-unbeaten Ridgefield on Saturday at Dunning Field.
The Rams are as hot as anybody, with six wins and a tie in their last seven games, but can’t afford to let up, as they’ll face four playoff contenders in their final four games. That starts with Monday’s home game against sixth-place Trumbull at 4 p.m.
5 – Darien Blue Wave (8-4-1, 25 points)
Remaining Games: At Westhill (10/16); Home vs. St. Joseph (10/19) and Norwalk (10/22)
The Blue Wave had a rough week, dropping a pair of games to fellow playoff contenders New Canaan 1-0, and Staples 3-1.
They’re still in great shape for a playoff berth and will try and get back on a winning track when they play at Westhill on Tuesday. Darien still has a shot at an FCIAC quarterfinal home game, but will likely need to win out in order to move up the ladder.
6 – Trumbull Eagles (8-4-0, 24 points)
Remaining Games: At New Canaan (10/15) and Trinity (10/16); Home vs. Central (10/18) and Danbury (10/22)
The Eagles have split their last four games, but are in great shape for a playoff berth. After Monday’s contest at New Canaan, they’ll face a milder schedule than the rest of the playoff contenders, with games against winless Trinity and Central and a home contest against the 4-9 Danbury Hatters.
7 – Wilton Warriors (7-3-2, 23 points)
Remaining Games: Home vs. McMahon (10/16); At Stamford (10/19) and Ludlowe (10/22); At Warde (TBA)
The Warriors have been a bit of a run the past few weeks, going 5-1-1 with the only loss begin a 1-0 defeat against Ridgefield. They picked up an important victory on Friday when they beat Trumbull 2-0, and have another big one on tap against McMahon on Monday.
Wilton is in control of its playoff destiny, but needs to lock it down in the final four games, three of which are against playoff contenders.
8 – Brien McMahon Senators (6-3-3, 21 points)
Remaining Games: At Norwalk (10/15) and Wilton (10/16); Home against Warde (10/20) and Central (10/22)
The Senators remaining games are a mixed bag. They’ll face Norwalk and Central — two teams which have combined for just two wins this season — but also take on Wilton and Warde — two teams which are in the thick of the playoff race. Their playoff fate in is on their own hands.
9t – Warde Mustangs (5-4-2, 17 points) and Westhill Vikings (5-5-2, 17 points)
Warde’s Remaining Games: Home vs. Ludlowe (10/17) and Greenwich (10/18); At McMahon (10/20) and Ridgefield (10/22); Home vs. Wilton (TBA)
Westhill’s Remaining Games: Home vs. Ludlowe (10/15) and Darien (10/16); At Ridgefield (10/19) and New Canaan (10/22)
Both Warde and Westhill are just four points behind McMahon for the eighth playoff spot, with the Mustangs holding an advantage in possible points with five games remaining. Warde also plays at McMahon on Saturday, Oct. 20, and can help its own cause.
Westhill, meanwhile, has four games remaining and three of the four are against teams in the top five. The Vikings would need to get hot and knock off a couple of those teams in order to jump into the top eight.
11 – Ludlowe Falcons (5-6-1, 16 points)
Remaining Games: At Westhill (10/15) and Warde (10/17); Home vs. Norwalk (10/19) and Wilton (10/22).
The Falcons are a game under .500, but are within striking distance of the eighth and final playoff spot. They play three teams which are in the hunt, and will need to finish strong to have a shot at the dance.