With record-low temperatures and chills shooting up the spectators’ spines, the Blue Devils skated into Warinanco and asserted their dominance with a 4-0 win over Summit.
The Blue Devils and the Hilltoppers have met two times prior this season in very close matchups; however, Westfield was victorious both times. Knowing that this has the possibility of being a close game, the Blue Devils had a game plan. Head coach Joe Bertucci said, “I think we’re playing good hockey. We know they play a game that tries to lure you to sleep and I think we’ve figured out what we had to do to execute breakouts and get the puck deep.”
The beginning of the game was like any of their other matchups. It was back-and-forth with each team fighting to stay alive and palpable tension in the air. Both teams were very aggressive and hungry, but the Blue Devils left their mark winning for a third time. After Westfield found their momentum the team was able to maintain the lead the whole time giving the Hilltoppers no opportunities to get on the board.
The Blue Devils came out hot and heavy at the start of the second-period break and immediately got after it. With a 1-0 lead senior captain Jack Conrod found the back of the net only a minute into the period. Despite a scrappy matchup, the Blue Devils were able to stay on top of the puck finishing out the second period with another goal by junior Andrew Lisnock.
The Blue Devils defense was on fire. Junior Tyler Bergman said, “We did a great job winning puck battles in the defensive zone and getting it out and up quickly which allowed us to really dominate.” While the defense was playing a very impressive game, the real star was junior goalie Troy Conover. Conover has had a breakout season and had a stunning 20-save shutout game taking pressure off the Westfield offense. “ Troy’s been tremendous in goal. We’ve really found our identity and have been able to lock down on defense,” said Conrod.
Winning this game, the Union County Tournament semifinals, sends the Blue Devils to the UCT finals once again. Westfield will play against Governor Livingston at 6 p.m. this Friday. Bertucci said, “It’s a good opportunity for us to win some hardware. It’s an important step in our season and it’s a good start to the playoff season and to gain some more confidence.”
