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Stamford's under-13 girls soccer team defeated the Fairfield Fury, 1-0, to reach the State Cup final in the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association fall tournament. Stamford will play Simsbury in Saturday's final at 9 a.m. at Newington High School.
Eliana Shaulson scored Stamford's goal. She fired the ball into the net after Cristina Belmonte lofted a corner kick into the box. Her shot cleanly beat the Fairfield goalkeeper, and the defense did the rest.
Fairfield defeated Stamford 3-0 during a regular season game. Coach Sean Segovia changed the formation to stop Fairfield's star striker, using four defenders, five midfielders and one striker. With goalkeeper Alex Lemekha protecting the net, Fairfield couldn't dent the Stamford defense.
"The girls really wanted this game, and it showed. They played the best they ever played,'' team parent Dawn Rogers said. "We all know that Keith Segovia was with them in spirit. It was Keith's dream for the girls to win the Connecticut Cup." Keith Segovia, Sean's brother, died at the age of 31 in January after a lengthy bout with cancer. A former Stamford High star and professional player, he had coached for several years in the Stamford Youth Soccer Association.
Saturday's game will be Stamford's third straight trip to the State Cup final.
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