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The third-seeded Greenwich High School boys soccer team was faster, stronger, dominated time of possession and vastly outshot Wilton High on Friday. But Wilton was better in the only category that mattered: the score. The Cardinals had a whopping 19 shots on goal with 15 corner kicks, but could not solve Wilton keeper Mike DeSantis in 100 minutes of play, as Greenwich was upset, 1-0, in double overtime.
"You'll probably never see a more one-sided game in your life and still see a loss," Greenwich head coach Kurt Putnam said. "But this game is about scoring goals. [DeSantis] played the game of his life. I can't come up with any reason we lost other than we just didn't get it across the line."
Reg Jones, Frankie Agrest and Phil Collins each had four shots on goal, but none found the net. Four other Cardinals had three shots on goal. The game came down to one unlucky bounce that caught Greenwich keeper Mike DiGrigorio out of position, allowing Wilton's Evan Owen to score the game's only goal.
Even when Greenwich caught DeSantis off guard, it could not get the ball in the net. DeSantis made a diving attempt to save the ball with five minutes remaining in regulation. The ball squirted out, right to Izzie Hernandez, who lined up a sure chip shot. Wilton defender Kevin Houska appeared out of thin air, however, and made a game-saving stop with his chest. It was the most frustrating moment in a hair-pulling kind of game for Greenwich.
"Sometimes you need a loss of this magnitude to truly appreciate the wins," Putnam said. "It's a learning experience for next year for our sophomores and juniors, and it's a learning experience for life for our seniors."
The Cardinals have to dwell on this crushing loss for a week, while waiting for the state tournament. Greenwich wasn't the only team upset Friday, as all four FCIAC quarterfinal games went into overtime.
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