With 27 minutes left in the second half, junior Desra Sonnek-Schmelz sealed the win for the Blue Devils with her second goal of the game, making the score 7-0. Seven minutes later, the game was called due to mercy rule, with the Blue Devils continuing their dominant season and moving to 15-0.
From the first whistle, the Blue Devils dominated the field and showed Plainfield why they are the No. 1 seed in the sectional tournament. Westfield maintained possession and the ball was continuously on Plainfield’s half with junior goalkeeper Phoebe Klag having limited involvement in the game.
Just seven minutes into the first half, freshman Gella Hollins was able to get one in the back of the net, starting the streak for the Blue Devils. A couple minutes later she followed up with another. “I was happy I could contribute to the win and it was exciting to score in my first state tournament game,” said Hollins.
With three more goals in the first half by Sonnek-Schmelz, senior Ashley Yenawine and sophomore Victoria Corcoran, the Blue Devils were up 5-0 heading into halftime. From the start of the second half, they continued with the same energy and determination, leading with goals from junior Emilie Cadigan and another by Sonnek-Schmelz.
With their last game being the Union County Championship, in which the Blue Devils persevered 2-0 over Cranford, the team has remained humble and continues to treat every game the same. “The mindset is you always have to be really careful after you win a big game like the county finals,” said head coach Alex Schmidt. “It’s not to come out slow against a first round opponent like [Plainfield].”
Yenawine agreed, “We came into this game like it was anyone else, despite their record, we knew we had to come out hard. We wanted to put them away early if it was possible, which I think we did.”
The game offered valuable minutes for various players who were able to execute scoring opportunities and get themselves on the board. “We had a lot of players who maybe don’t usually get assists or goals today who got them, which is always nice,” said Schmidt.
Despite their undefeated season, the Blue Devils will go on in the sectional tournament with the same humility and determination they had from the start. “We have a good couple practices coming up, and all of the things that we do off the field really help us on the field,” said Yenawine. “Getting good recovery and resting our bodies is going to be really important as we go into the next challenge.”
The Blue Devils will face Newark East Side on Friday at 11 a.m. in the Quarterfinal Round of the sectional tournament, looking to continue their undefeated winning streak and take home the sectional title.
