The Darien wrestling team will look to notch its first won of the year this weekend when they meet up with Joel Barlow, Ellis Tech, Platt Tech and New Canaan at home on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

While the team has struggled so far, head coach Joe Vano sees this weekend as a turning point for his team.

"I think we match up pretty well. We're still trying to find our identity, but we always struggle in the beginning," Vano said.

Vano favors a schedule that puts Darien's toughest matches early in the year, giving his team an indication of where they need to be to compete with the rest of the field.

However, he thinks the time for a turnaround is now.

"We should finish pretty well. A lot has to do with match-ups and

winning coin tosses. But this week with the teams we're facing, we're looking to go 4-1," Vano said.

Vano sees the Blue Wave winning against Joel Barlow and Ellis Tech, citing those teams as schools that Darien matches up well against.

Platt Tech, however, will be a challenge.

"Platt tech is going to be a tough one. Last year, Platt won but depending on injuries and kids making weight, it should be a close one," Vano said.

A former high school teammate of Vano's coaches Platt,

"It's a good matchup. We're both similar. There's not a lot of depth in weight classes but they [Platt Tech] fill every weight. We forfeit 103 pounds so the kids know they have to make up those forfeits, but they wrestle hard," Vano said.

As far as New Canaan, Vano thinks they can be a challenge for the Blue Wave.

"New Canaan is tough this year. They don't have many superstars but they're consistently good throughout and fill every weight class," he said.

Differing from the other sports, Vano said that the wrestling teams get along well and even practice together as state playoffs approach.

However, the camaraderie goes out the window once the match starts.

"As soon as you get on that mat, friendships are over," Vano said.

This weekend will show Vano whether his team can put together the consistency he craves from his wrestlers.

"It's kind of frustrating to see you go from wrestling great one match, to not so well in another," he said.

"Once we get a win underneath our belts, the kids will feel more relaxed. There's a lot of pressure on their shoulders but I try to tell them just to wrestle like you do in practice," Vano went on to say.

Regardless, Vano is confident of his team's turnaround chances.

"Once we get a win under our belt, we'll start winning a lot more matches," he said.