The air was thick with tension as the Blue Devils battled rivals Scotch Plains-Fanwood, fighting for control throughout the game. After a hard-fought 80 minutes, the Blue Devils maintained a strong defensive line and solid ball control, keeping the contest competitive. Ultimately, a decisive goal by SPF in the second half gave Westfield the 1-0 defeat.
Prior to the game, with Westfield having a young presence on their team, it was essential for the captains to emphasize the importance of blocking out distractions in front of such a large crowd. Senior co-captain Alex Rokhsar said, “Right away, we had to try to hype up the team in the warm-up. Many of our players are unfamiliar with this field and the experience of playing at the varsity level. It’s a lot of pressure and a lot to handle mentally.”
The lone goal scored in the second half slid past senior goalie Simon Gunzberg after a lapse in communication from the team. Gunzberg said, “Communicating today was hard because of how loud the fans were. We lost a guy, and he got through, but overall, I think the communication was good. We didn’t lose the strikers for 99 percent of the game.”
Regardless of the disappointing results the Blue Devils faced, they went into the game with high energy and a positive mindset. “Getting our energy high in this game was beneficial after SPF got us two out of the three times last year,” said Gunzberg.
Despite the rivalry, head coach Eric Shaw took to this game just as he would in any other competitive match. Shaw said, “It doesn’t matter. SPF or anybody else, we’ve got to keep in mind the security of the team. In terms of results and for our state seed, that’s motivational for them, but they’re competitors and want to compete and win.”
In agreement, Gunzberg said, “It shows that we can compete with anyone in the state. Obviously, Scotch Plains is one of the top teams in the state, and we believe we are too. We can compete with anyone that we are put up against.”
Westfield entered the game with vengeance after taking a 3-0 loss last year to SPF. “Coming back from the loss in sectionals last year, we had to get revenge and come out strong, and that’s what we did in the first 40 minutes,” Rokhsar said. “We couldn’t find the back of the net today, but we know what we can do. These guys have the pressure, and we’re going to come back even stronger for whenever we see them in the counties.”
With several games left in the season, the Blue Devils look to carry their motivation and drive for a win as they will play Montclair at Gary Kehler Stadium at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
