The sun was blazing and the fans were loud, but the first quarter was quiet, with both teams struggling to find momentum. The Blue Devils had a number of shots, but couldn’t finish. With just 15 seconds remaining in the quarter, senior tri-captain and Lehigh commit Gilli Cohen finally broke through and scored her first goal of the game.
With a number of Division I commits, Oak Knoll is ranked one of the best teams in the state. However, in their 4-3 win on Tuesday, the Blue Devils proved their potential. While Oak Knoll might very well be a powerhouse, Westfield’s offensive and defensive perseverance, ability to possess and pass the ball swiftly and their constant communication showed that they are just as much of a force to be reckoned with.
The second quarter also started off slowly with back-and-forth possessions. With 3 minutes left, the Oak Knoll Royals were able to find the back of the net for their first goal of the game. However, the Blue Devils closed out the quarter on a goal, giving them a 2-1 lead.
Westfield stepped on the field with confidence, strategy and determination. “We went in knowing that we had to stay wide and clear through for each other,” said Cohen, who ended the game with a hat-trick. “We also saw that the Oak Knoll defense got lost in their communication, so we tried our best to set picks and work together, so that they would have to do the maximum amount of talking.”
While the Blue Devils had a clear game plan, they also had a strong mental approach. Head coach Katie DaSilva said, “It’s just more of the mental game. We know physically that we have the skill. We’ve scouted them, we’ve watched them. We knew what to expect. We stuck to the game plan.”
Senior tri-captain Maeve Wojcik, junior Logan Partridge and freshman Molly Wojcik had standout performances on defense. Maeve Wojcik and Partridge led in forced turnovers with four each, while Molly Wojcik followed with three. The Westfield defense, in combination with freshman goalie Mia Calderon-Brown’s six-save performance, held an impressive Oak Knoll offense to only three goals.
The Blue Devils constantly fed off of each other’s energy, creating momentum. Sophomore Kate Cymbor said, “I thought cheering for each other on the little things was really helpful. Draw controls, ground balls, forced turnovers, all that defensive stuff saves, which I thought really kept up our momentum.”
DaSilva added that the team is celebrating the win, but also “always still learning.” The Blue Devils will look to continue their success against the new No. 1 Chatham at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at home.
