By Tim Parry

Jeff Brameier-coached Darien boys lacrosse teams have won 11 FCIAC titles over the past 25 years, including four of the past five. The Blue Wave saw its fourth consecutive title slip away last season, when it was upset by Greenwich in the semifinals last season, and the same thing almost happened last night against another upstart team.

Playing in its first-ever FCIAC title game, Ridgefield stormed back from a 4-0 deficit and took a five-all tie into halftime.

But a 6-2 surge in the fourth quarter - in which the Blue Wave was able to control possession and keep the ball away from Ridgefield star Matt White - gave the Blue Wave a 13-9 championship game win over Ridgefield at McMahon’s Jack Casagrande Field.

“We practive against that kind of zone all the time,” Brameier said. “It’s one thing to get the shots, but you have to hit the spots against a very good goalie [Brad DePrima].”

Darien may have got comfortable with the early lead, which quickly evaporated in the second. In fact, White gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead with 7:29 left in the third quarter, and it looked then like Ridgefield’s momentum and determination would help carry it to the title.

But the Blue Wave hung tough and stayed focused.

“When a team takes a lead on you, especially in a championship game, you’ve got to find a way to regroup and not panic,” Brameier said. “It takes a lot of character, pride, and leadership. These kids have been there so many times that they know what it’s like to be in the heat of the battle.”

The third quarter may have not started off the way the Blue Wave had hoped, but they knew their mission.

“As soon as the third quarter came out, we knew we had to work hard and fast and bury them, and that’s what we did,” said Blue Wave junior attack Tyler Foley, who scored three goals and was named the game’s MVP.

But in the fourth quarter, the Blue Wave was able to win faceoffs and keep possession of the ball in its end of the field, which made White (three goals and two assists) a non-factor. Darien defenders also got the ball out of Ridgefield sticks at crucial times, and capitalized by getting ground balls.

“Our offense came together great today,” said Darien senior goalie Jameson Love. “They were a little slow at the beginning, and we were letting up on defense, not closing off the defense like we’re supposed to, but in the end our offense just pulled through and won it for us.”

And Love did give due credit his defensemen, who were able to keep all but one White breakaway shot in the fourth quarter to the outside.

“This was definitely one of our top two games of the season, with the Greenwich game being the other,” Love said. “This is definitely getting us ready for the state tournament. The way we played today shows that we can play with anybody.”

Next up for Darien: a Saturday CIAC Division II tournament home game against today’s Guilford/Barlow winner. Ridgefield will host either Trumbull or Staples in the Division I tournament on Saturday.