Greenwich High School’s varsity boys lacrosse team’s 2025 season began with a highly impressive two-goal win over FCIAC opponent Staples, which was ranked sixth in the nation at the time, but the Wreckers returned the favor in convincing fashion when the rivals met again in the quarterfinal-round of the CIAC Class LL Lacrosse Tournament on June 7th.

Playing a zone defense, the Cardinals held the Wreckers potent attack and offense in check for most of the first half and trailed the third-seeded hosts by only two goals heading into halftime.

Yet Staples found its form offensively in the third quarter, scoring four unanswered goals on its way to recording a 10-2 victory over sixth-seeded Greenwich in the CIAC Class LL Tournament quarterfinals. Staples (17-4) proceeded to edge FCIAC champion Ridgefield, 10-9, in the Class LL semifinals on June 10th and will play fourth-seeded Darien in the state tournament’s championship game June 14th at Fairfield University.

The Cardinals, who as always played an extremely tough schedule, finished their season with a record of 11-8. Greenwich also qualified for the FCIAC Tournament, where they lost to Darien in the quarterfinals.

Some of the highlights of Greenwich’s season came in its season-opener against Staples on the road, as it earned a 7-5 victory versus the nationally-ranked Wreckers. The Cardinals also posted a 7-6 home win over Wilton, another conference rival and pulled out 9-8 victories against FCIAC foes Fairfield Ludlowe and St. Joseph.

“It was a great season,” Greenwich coach Bobby Lutz said. “We had a win against Staples early and a win against Wilton late, which is two Tier I victories, which is good for this team. We had seniors who had good seasons, they’re a great group of kids and they’re going to be missed.”

In the opening round of the CIAC Class LL Tournament, the Cardinals coasted to an 18-6 win over Stamford, the No. 11 seed, on June 7th. Senior attack Mikey Brecia recorded a game-high seven goals to go along with four assists to power GHS.

Junior midfielder Boden Farmer recorded a hat trick with two assists, while senior attackman Guy Germain also had a hat trick for the Cardinals against the Black Knights. Junior attack Dean Kim assisted on five goals and senior attack Chris Marinaccio tallied twice in the winning effort.

Senior attack Colin Zeller, junior attack Trent O’Neil and freshman midfielder added one goal apiece for the Cardinals, who received one assist apiece from junior defender Teddy Johnson and senior Brady Lisjak. In Greenwich’s 10-2 loss to Staples in the Class LL Tournament quarterfinals, junior attack Dean Kim and senior midfielder Guy Germain each had one goal for the Cardinals.

The Wreckers took a 3-1 lead into halftime, then extended it once the second half began. Junior Charles Clark converted a shot from five yards out, giving the Wreckers a 4-1 advantage with 10:25 remaining in the third quarter. Clark scored again off a shot from 10 yards out after dodging his way free for an open shot, making it 5-1 at the 6:38 mark of the third quarter.

The hosts took a 7-1 lead into the final quarter after Greenwich held them to three first-half goals behind its effective zone defense.

“The point was to try to do something different, so we threw in the zone, because they hadn’t really seen it all year,” Lutz said. “So, we wanted to mix it up a little bit. We had some prep time and some really good practices going into it. As far as the 6-on-6 zone goes, they didn’t really score a lot of goals.”

“They had some transition goals, which is where they got most of their good looks,” Lutz continued. “So, as far as game-planning it was effective. But it was just a little too much to come back.”

The quarterfinal-round state playoff game marked the final one in the careers of the Cardinals’ large group of seniors, including Brescia and Zeller, who were among the squad’s captains.

“Mikey is one of the best players I’ve ever coached, as is Colin,” Lutz noted. “The two of them are not only leaders on and off the field, they are leaders in the locker room. They are senior captains. In my many years of coaching, I’ve coached a lot of great kids and I will put those two up against some of the best I’ve ever coached.”

“They will be really, really difficult to replace,” Lutz continued. “It’s going to be fun to watch them play at the next level in college. Overall, it was a great group, we had 21 seniors. Now, it’s up to the younger kids to try to step up and replace them.”

Indeed, contending in the FCIAC year after year is a challenge for every team in the outstanding conference.

“We have young talent, but they’re going to have to work really hard in the offseason, because there is young talent everywhere,” Lutz said. “It’s not about being good, it’s about being great. Just when you think you have a great team, there’s another team that’s just as good. We battle in the FCIAC with some of the best teams in the entire country. It’s not just the top teams in the state, it’s the top teams in the country.”

Staples, which is playing Darien in today’s Class LL title game, experienced one of its rare losses on the season against Greenwich when the season began back in April.

“Our first game of the season, Staples was ranked sixth in the nation,” Lutz said. “They had something to really play for, not just because they wanted to get to the semifinals – they wanted to avenge that loss. Give them credit, they came out and played hard and enjoyed the victory. We wanted to prove that it wasn’t a fluke and we had a good game plan, but they played really well and they’re a great team.”

Zeller and Brescia reflected on their successful, standout Cardinal careers.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Zeller said. “The amount that I learned from the coaches, these players – about life, the lessons they taught me – are going to last a lifetime. It’s been a great opportunity to be a part of a team this close and it’s been special.”

The Cardinals put all they could into the season.

“We came into the season knowing that it came down to hard work, we came into the preseason knowing we were going to have to work for this and that’s what we did,” Zeller. said. “We had to trust in the coaches and the coaches had to trust in us and that’s what contributed to some of those big wins we had throughout the year.”

“Obviously, it was not the outcome we wanted,” Zeller said of the loss against Staples. “We’re not super happy with the performance. We had a couple of guys who are dealing with injuries, so that didn’t help us. But overall, we had a good run.”

Said Brescia: “Being a part of this team – it’s meant the world to me. I can’t say enough about coach Lutz, the staff and the community. It’s been a privilege to be a part of it for four years. It’s been a great time here and I can’t believe it’s over. I’ve been so honored, it’s been an awesome experience. It’s been a privilege to be a leader of these guys. It’s something I really cherished. I look forward to coming back and seeing them be on top next year.”