Darien comes back to defeat New Canaan in semifinals

For the second time this season, Darien High School has defeated New Canaan in intense overtime battles. This time, Connecticut’s top team defeated Canaan in the FCIAC semifinals on Tuesday, May 27, winning the game 12-11.

In a high scoring first quarter, Darien jumped out to a 6-4 lead. Then New Canaan seemed to figure out Darien’s weakness, beating the Blue Wave 3-1 in the second to send the game into the half tied at seven. The Rams continued to limit Darien’s offense in the third quarter, taking an 11-8 advantage into the final quarter.

The Blue Wave would not back down. Darien found a way to shut down New Canaan’s offense in the fourth. It took almost five minutes for Darien to score its first goal in the fourth. Then, almost another five minutes later, the Blue Wave struck again with just over two minutes left on the clock. After winning the ensuing faceoff, Darien marched down the field and tied the game up at eleven.

It looked like Darien might take the lead in the final seconds when Ian Burgoyne’s shot missed the net.

Darien took a timeout after winning the overtime’s opening faceoff to set up a play. After failing to connect on their first few shots, the Blue Wave gave Burgoyne the ball behind the net. This time, the junior midfielder would not miss. Burgoyne came around from behind the net and found himself in a position similar to his opportunity at the end of regulation. Hitting the back of the net, Burgoyne ended the game, giving Darien the 12-11 overtime victory.

Advancing to 18-0, Darien managed to keep its undefeated status untarnished in a thrilling comeback victory. The Blue Wave currently rank 5^th in the DigitalSports National Lacrosse Rankings.

Moving on to the finals, the Blue Wave plays Greenwich High School, a team that they defeated 10-4 earlier this year. At 16-2, Greenwich has had a successful season so far, ranking 12^th nationally.

The two Connecticut powerhouses meet on Friday, May 30 in the FCIAC finals.

Key Players:

Peter Lindley- 4 goals

Ian Burgoyne- 1 goal