Wilton's Katherine Costanzo (8) and Darien's Ashley Stockdale (13) battle for the ball during a field hockey game in Darien on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.
Dave StewartThe Darien field hockey team moved one step closer to the CIAC Class L final with a 4-2 victory over Greenwich in the quarterfinals on Friday in Darien.
The top-seeded Blue Wave scored once in each quarter and had a 3-0 lead before No. 8 Greenwich netted two straight goals to make it a one-score game with 9:13 remaining.
Darien senior Ryan Hapgood gave Darien some breathing room with a goal assisted by Kate Bock with 4:12 to play.
Darien (21-0-0-0) will take on No. 4 Glastonbury (15-3-0-0) in the semifinals at 6, Tuesday, at Amity. The Guardians have defeated Norwalk 2-0, and Hall 5-0 in the first two rounds.
The other semifinal is between No. 6 New Canaan (16-4-0-0) and No. 2 Wilton (17-2-1-0), who will play at 6, Tuesday, at Norwalk High.
Darien has allowed just six goals in 21 games this year, with three of those coming from Greenwich. The Cardinals are also the only team to have a lead against the Wave this season, when they scored the first goal in an eventual 2-1 Darien win on Oct. 19.
In Friday’s quarterfinal, Kaci Benoit, Bock and Hapgood scored the first three goals, all with assists from Stockdale to give the Wave a three-goal lead early in the third quarter.
Greenwich’s Donnellan then broke through for a goal, the first allowed by the Darien defense since the last game against the Cardinals and also the first the Wave has allowed in five postseason games.
Although the Cards crept to within one in the fourth quarter, they could not get the equalizer and Darien nailed down the win.
David.Stewart@hearstmediact.com; @dstewartsports
CIAC Class L quarterfinals
No. 1 DARIEN 4, No. 8 GREENWICH 2
Greenwich 0 0 1 1 - 2
Darien 1 1 1 1 - 4
Greenwich: Kate Donnellan 1g; Julia Lattuada 1g.
Darien: Ashley Stockdale 3a; Ryan Hapgood 2g; Kate Bock 1g, 1a; Kaci Benoit 1g.
Records: Greenwich 13-5-0-0; Darien 21-0-0-0.