On a cold, rainy Saturday morning, Westfield boys lacrosse went back and forth with Ridgewood in a game highlighted by big hits and streaky scoring. Ultimately, Ridgewood escaped with a 6-5 overtime win on a top-corner finish.
Coming into the game, Westfield knew they had to play fast and be energetic from the opening whistle. The Blue Devils did just that, as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead to open the game. Junior tri-captain Koby Waldman said, “We’ve been coming out slow the past couple games, so we wanted to come out fast, which I thought we did a fine job of.”
Similarly, junior goalie Tyson Varner said, “In past games, we haven’t been as energetic as we were this game. We haven’t really played a full four quarters with our full amount of energy, and today we played a good amount of the game with full energy, and I feel like that reflected very well.”
Westfield’s mentality wasn’t their only difference in this game. Head coach Boomer Wetheimer said, “Ridgewood is a big-time opponent, so we were looking to do something new. We came out with a different defense to slow down their scoring, which we did. We just wanted to do some minor things that we weren’t able to execute today.”
With about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Waldman netted two goals in less than a minute, putting them up 5-4 and completely flipping the game. He said, “It felt great. I thought that was going to be the momentum we needed.”
Throughout the game, the referees made several questionable calls, leading to frustration among both players and spectators. “You control the controllables. Whatever [calls] the referees are going to make, good calls and bad calls, no matter what, you just have to go on,” said Wertheimer.
In overtime, both teams fought hard for possession, with the Blue Devils and the Maroons defending each other effectively. Ultimately, Ridgewood capitalized, scoring the game-winning goal.
Something the Blue Devils knew they needed to improve in this game and will work on for the next was clearing the ball from defense and giving the offense opportunities. Wertheimer said, “I think what we have to do is work between [the 30-yard line] and [the other 30-yard line]. We have to make sure that we’re clearing the ball well and transitioning from defense to offense.”
Despite the loss, the Blue Devils showed high energy and strong effort throughout the game, especially compared to previous matchups. Westfield’s fast start and ability to respond quickly in key moments further highlighted their capability to compete and keep up with top teams.
The Blue Devils will look to bounce back from this loss as they travel to play Rumson-Fair Haven at 6:00 p.m. on April 28.
