The Blue Devils are on fire, coming off a Union County Championship, they showed no sign of slowing down and rolled through Phillipsburg 8-0 in the first round of the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament.
Westfield would not be satisfied with anything less than a sectional final game. Head coach Alex Schmidt said, “[We want] to get back to the section final. We’ve won it the past two out of three years. We also have a home-field advantage. I think it is a reasonable goal for us right now.”
On Monday, leading the charge for the Blue Devils was senior captain Audra Toth, who found the net three times for a hat trick. Toth said, “Every game that I get two, I know the third one is coming, so that was the goal today once I got my second goal. I feel like I’m contributing to the team which is awesome.”
Schmidt made it clear how important Toth has been to the program and how vital she will be in the team’s postseason run. Schmidt said, “She’s a great leader, great player and a great athlete. She’s been here for four years, so she’s the only connection to the state championship team that we had. She is invaluable.”
In addition to Toth, several other players lit up the scoreboard. Senior Brooke Morrison had two goals of her own, followed by one goal from sophomore Emilie Cadigan, junior Maya Nair, and junior Ashley Yenawine.
When the Blue Devils are able to control a game in such a dominating fashion, it’s typical to see players who don’t usually receive as much playing time. Generally, younger players who have not been part of the team as long go in and they were able to dominate the game which is a testament to Westfield’s deep bench and bright future.
Senior captain Erin Hazard said, “[The underclassmen] played awesome and really stepped up when we needed them. It’s so fun to see them excel because I know the potential they have, and when they finally get the chance to step on the field they play awesome, and always match the levels that the starters set.”
The Blue Devil’s unhesitant ball movement kept them in possession for what seemed like the entire game, making it an easy shutout for both goalies, Sofia Buoscio and Phoebe Klag, who each played half of the game.
As they progress in the sectional tournament, Toth said, “[We are focussing on] our ball movement and chemistry on the field, and then finishing our opportunities, because as we get later in the tournament, we’re going to have fewer and fewer.”
The first-seeded Blue Devils move on to the second round of the NJSIAA sectional tournament on Nov. 7, where they will face seventh-seed Ridge at 12 p.m at Gary Kehler Stadium.
