Three games into the season, the Greenwich High School boys soccer team is a perfect 3-0 and resembling a squad that’s on a mission.

After starting the season with victories against Brien McMahon and Fairfield Ludlowe, the Cardinals registered another win against an FCIAC foe on Tuesday, this time against one of their biggest rivals.

And senior captain Lucas Luzuriaga helped lead the Cardinals to their latest win. Luzuriaga’s goal 29 seconds into the second half lifted Greenwich to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Staples in a typical, physical FCIAC matchup at Cardinal Stadium.

Luzuriaga, a forward and one of the Cardinals’ four captains, put the finishing touch on a quick play in transition, resulting in the game’s lone goal.

On the game-winning goal in the 41st minute, Greenwich junior midfielder Jose Ramirez sent a cross down the right sideline to junior winger Maximo Ferrario, who then moved the ball to Jacob Galvez. The senior’s shot on goal deflected off the body of Staples junior goalie Nick Sikorski and positioned near the left post, Luzuriaga knocked home the rebound, giving Greenwich a 1-0 lead.

“It went out to Maxi, we passed down to Jacob, he attempts to shoot it comes out right there, then I just have to get my foot on it,” Luzuriaga said of his winning goal. “It’s always nice to score against a rival team.”

Said Greenwich veteran coach Kurt Putnam, who guided the Cards to FCIAC titles in 2017, 2013, 2007 and 2005.

“It was a lovely transitional game and the whole build up to the goal was really nice. Lucas was Johnny on the spot. I changed his position at halftime to go up front. So maybe he becomes a little bit of a goal poacher for us as well.”

The visitors had a good chance to tally the equalizer off a free kick late in the second half. The kick bounded off the wall Greenwich set up and Staples attempted a shot from close in which deflected off the cross bar.

“I thought the first half was ours, we just need to get shots on goal,” said Staples coach Russell Oost-Lievense, whose team is 1-2 following the loss. “As we said at halftime, make sure those first five minutes of the second half, you get yourselves back in the game and that’s what we didn’t do.”

The Wreckers’ roster includes a lot of juniors and sophomores.

“We have a young team and we have a lot to learn,” Oost-Lievense said. “For us, it’s about just commitment and wanting it.”

Nico Figueroa, a senior, earned the shutout win in goal for Greenwich, which posted a 4-1 win over Brien McMahon in its season-opener, before edging Fairfield Ludlowe, 3-2, this past Saturday. Junior Nick Sikorski was effective in net for the Wreckers (1-2).

The Cardinals received another stellar defensive effort, with brothers Nick Carvalho, a senior captain and sophomore Pietro Carvalho helping lead the way.

“I think we played very good in the back especially in the middle,” Nick Carvalho said. “In the middle, we figured out how to play it to the wings and make some runs. We just tried to keep the game calm and just played our game.”

With GHS holding a 1-0 edge, sophomore Mikah Kim, Ramirez, Ferrario  and Galvez created chances for their squad, which was also sparked in the midfield by senior captain Gordy Cartwright.

“The key aspects of winning the game was keeping the ball, because we knew Staples was going to be a hard team,” Ramirez said. “We knew in the middle they were going to be physical and we just had to communicate a lot in the middle and just keep the ball. In the beginning of the game, it was kind of hard to keep the ball in the middle. But we rotated the ball and found the goal.”

Both teams registered six shots in the first half.

“I thought the first half was ours, we just need to get shots on goal,” said Staples coach Russell Oost-Lievense, whose team is 1-2 following the loss. “As we said at halftime, make sure those first five minutes of the second half, you get yourselves back in the game and that’s what we didn’t do.”

The Wreckers’ roster includes a lot of juniors and sophomores.

“We have a young team and we have a lot to learn,” Oost-Lievense said. “For us, it’s about just commitment and wanting it.”

The field was a bit slick duo to sporadic rain showers throughout the game.

“The conditions were hard it started pouring in the middle of the game, it was very slippery,” Luzuriaga said. “Staples was a physical team. But we came ready for it and we were the better team today.”

Up next for Greenwich is a road game against Norwalk, another conference rival. It will be a rematch of last season’s FCIAC championship game, won by the Bears, 1-0.

“Onwards and upwards to Norwalk,” Putnam said. “The team is working really hard. They have found a groove of work rate.”

“What has impressed me the most is how we’ve rebuilt as a team,” Nick Carvalho said. “As we practice more and more often, the chemistry builds and we get to know each other better.”