Under the commercial lights of East Rutherford’s American Dream Mall, Westfield did not waste much time to make a statement. Within just the first three minutes, Westfield took control of the game. Senior Louis Ciullo absolutely buried the first goal for the Blue Devils, capitalizing on chaos in front of the net. The goal paved what would become a strong-willed 4-1 victory over Saint Peter’s Preparatory School.
Last time Westfield played a New Jersey private school was No. 1-ranked Delbarton, according to nj.com, just the previous week, when the reigning champs struggled to find their usual success in a tough 7-0 loss. It is safe to say that Westfield must have approached this private school match with a chip on their shoulder and a desire to prove why they are labeled one of the state’s most dominant programs.
The Blue Devils outshot the Pirates 45-12 in a game where Westfield controlled the ice, intercepting and immediately breaking up any offensive attempts by their opponents. When asked about what kind of message this performance against a private school sends to the state, senior co-captain Nick Benson answered with confidence, “This private school plays in the top division. We know they are going to be competitors, but really, Westfield can skate with anyone.”
Westfield has outscored their last three opponents 13-5, which serves as a critical part of building momentum as they prepare for a deep state tournament run in the coming weeks. “This was the perfect type of win we needed. This team was physical, so a good win over a physical team like this is what really gets [the team] going for states,” said senior co-captain Andrew Lisnock, who netted two goals on the day. Lisnock has cemented himself as a key part of this productive Blue Devil offense that has continuously terrorized the state, which naturally put him in the position to pass 100 career points earlier this season.
Head coach Joe Bertucci appeared more than content with how the game went, titling the outcome a “stepping stone in the right direction,” and outlining what the team set out to do entering the matchup. “We wanted to make sure we are going into the playoffs healthy and with confidence.”
It is worth mentioning that the reigning public school state champions were missing some of the usual names that appear on the stat sheet, such as senior assistant captain goalie Troy Conover. Conover has remained the Blue Devils’ consistent netminder for back-to-back seasons now, but for this game, Bertucci and his coaching staff instead opted to start junior Matthew Grillon, who held his own, tallying 12 saves and allowing just 1 goal. Whether the choice to start the junior just aligned with the coach’s priority of maintaining a healthy team prior to states, or simply exercising the team’s depth, Westfield was just as dominant with Grillon between the pipes. “His confidence today was just amazing,” boasted Benson.
Also prominently absent from the game were senior Tyler Bergman and junior Colin Furey, both of whom look to recover in time for the final stretch of their last season as Blue Devils. The team will now look to capture another McInnis Cup as they position themselves to be a top seed for the tournament.
