Greenwich High girls lacrosse team puts forth strong effort in loss to powerhouse Darien at Cardinal Stadium; Cardinals victorious against Norwalk, Northwest United

By David Fierro on May 12, 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

**Photo by David Fierro**: Members of the Greenwich High School girls lacrosse team gather during a timeout of their game against Darien on May 9, 2024, at Cardinal Stadium in Greenwich. The Blue Wave won, 10-6.

Two victories and a close game against powerhouse Darien added up to a successful week for the Greenwich High School girls lacrosse team.

The Cardinals went 2-1 on the week, recording one-sided victories over Norwalk High School and Northwest United Lacrosse, then hosted FCIAC rival Darien and gave the Blue Wave a tough game.

Greenwich upended conference opponent Norwalk on Tuesday, 20-6 and rolled past Northwest United on Saturday, 20-1, on Senior Day. Thursday saw the Cardinals host Darien, with the visitors earning a 10-6 victory. Darien has a record of 11-3-1 on the season.

**Photo by David Fierro**: Greenwich High’s girls varsity lacrosse team in action against Darien at Cardinal Stadium.

“We came out here very excited to play Darien at Greenwich, which doesn’t happen very often,” Greenwich coach Tara Clough said. “We usually play there. Our theme was believe – believe that we can do it. We kept that theme throughout the game and we had players step up with their communication and leadership on the defensive end.”

Against Darien, senior captain Emma Abbazia recorded four goals and one assist for the Cardinals, who have an overall record of 9-6. Sophomore twins Giselle and Sophia DiPietro each had one goal for Greenwich, which received seven saves from senior goalie Katie Janis.

Darien was paced by three goals by junior Annabel Adams, one goal and four assists by sophomore Anna Von Kennel and one goal and three assists from senior Kelly Holmes. Said Stafford, a senior, scored twice and had four draw controls for the Blue Wave, the defending FCIAC Tournament champion. Darien defeated New Canaan for the FCIAC title in 2023.

Greenwich’s Emma Abbazia, right, on defense for the Cardinals against FCIAC foe Darien at Cardinal Stadium. Katie Janis gets ready in goal for the Cardinals, who were defeated by the Blue Wave, 10-6.

The Blue Wave led the Cardinals 4-2 midway through the second quarter, then after GHS tallied, Darien scored, making it 5-3 at the 2:47 mark of the second quarter.

The score was tied at 5-5 with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter after Greenwich scored a pair of goals. Following three quarters, the score was knotted at 6-6.

However, in the fourth quarter, the Blue Wave outscored the Cards, 4-0, to claim the victory. Holmes had a key goal in the final period for the victors.

Members of the Darien High School girls varsity lacrosse team during a timeout against Greenwich at Cardinal Stadium.

“Darien is very strong, very deep, so I’m really proud of the success we had on the field,” said Clough, who credited the defensive communication and teamwork exhibited from senior captain Grace O’Connor, senior captain Cate Adorney and junior Flynn Tauber.

“Coming into it we knew they had a strong, more mature circle and we threw a bunch of matchups in and figured out what would work for us and we won a bunch of more draws than we thought we were going to,” Tauber said. “We really worked together and kept the dynamic positive. We all brought each other up when something went wrong and I think that’s what kept us in it. We’re a young team compared to them, but the attitude is what kept us in the game.”

Greenwich High School hosted Darien in FCIAC varsity lacrosse action at Cardinal Stadium on May 9, 2024.

Abbazia, who is headed to the University of Maryland where she will play lacrosse, had four draw controls, while sophomore midfielder Leighton Collier had one draw control and one caused turnover for GHS.

“The team played really well we went into the game with a good game plan and we executed it, we just fell short at the end,” Collier said. “I think there’s a couple of things we can clean up and work on and definitely come out stronger.”

“It was a good game and we always like playing Darien, because they’re a good team,” Collier continued. “It was intense, every single play had a meaning and had pressure behind it. It was intense, but it was fun.”

On May 7, Greenwich topped Norwalk, 20-6. Abbazia posted five goals and three assists, while junior Aubrey Roth also had five goals and three assists in the winning effort.

Senior captain Emma Abbazia leads the Cardinals in scoring again this spring. She was one of the seniors honored on Senior Day.

Giselle DiPietro had five goals, while Sophia DiPietro recorded a hat trick for the Cards, who received one goal apiece from Collier and Lily Nogacki. Janis made six saves in the Senior Day victory.

In the Cardinals’ Senior Day victory against Northwest United on Saturday, Abbazia registered a hat trick with three assists, as did Roth. Adorney, O’Connor and senior Mary Kate Frey added one goal apiece in the win.

Greenwich visits non-conference opponent Guilford on Tuesday, then will compete in the FCIAC Tournament, which begins on Thursday. Seedings for the FCIAC Tournament have yet to be announced.