WESTPORT — Stick around soccer long enough and invariably you’ll hear a coach or pundit waxing poetic about the value of set pieces — especially in knockout games.
The Staples girls soccer team found this out the hard way last season, losing to Ridgefield in the Class LL final on a pair of goals from dead-ball situations. The Wreckers learned from it and used it as an opportunity to hone their own prowess on set plays this season.
Those skills were on full display Friday afternoon in Staples’ 3-0 victory over FCIAC rival Trumbull in a Class LL quarterfinal played at rainy Bedford Middle School. The fifth-seeded Wreckers scored twice from set pieces in the first half and advance to next week’s semifinals against No. 1 Glastonbury.
“Coming into this season we were really focusing on set plays,” said Reese Sutter, who scored a 30-yard rocket that made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute. “We’ve been really practicing our kicks.”