For 80 minutes, the Wilton and Greenwich boys soccer teams played at full tilt Thursday, with the action going end to end.
Greenwich, however, was the only only to get the ball across the goal line.
Jonathan Aguirre drove to the back post to collect a corner kick and tuck it into the corner of the Wilton net with 11:15 left to play, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 win at Kristine Lilly Field. Wilton goalie Will DeSantis was shielded on the play and never saw the shot.
It was the first loss of the season for Wilton, which is now 5-1-2. Greenwich, meanwhile, improved to 6-2.
The contest was full of quick throw-ins, long runs up the field, and deep passes by both teams. In a matter of seconds the ball went from in front of one team’s net to deep into the defensive zone of the other team. But the game remained scoreless until Aguirre’s goal as both teams did a great job of guarding the final third of the field.
“The coach was pleased with the way we played tonight,” said Wilton defender Patrick Prinner. “We played hard and created numerous scoring chances; we just didn’t get one to go into the net. Playing the way we did tonight should help us for the rest of the season.”
Prinner had a solid game as central defender, coming up with several slide tackles to take away the ball from charging Greenwich players. On the offensive side, Jack Brandt was all over the field for the Warriors, firing several shots on goal or just wide or over the net.
“The kids gave an outstanding effort tonight and I’m proud of them,” said Wilton head coach Jim Lewicki. “They battled the entire game and showed no ill effects of Tuesday night’s [2-2] tie against Ridgefield. We need to learn from this game. Efforts like this will translate into wins.”