As time winded down, Westfield only led 1-0 in the Group 4 State Semi-Final. With a spot in the state final on the line, tensions were at an all-time high, and this game was far from over. That’s when junior Callie Schmidt stepped up to the moment to take a vital free kick just outside the box. With the sun working in her favor, Schmidt hit the crossbar, forcing the ball down in front of the static Montclair goalie, who stood startled as senior captain Audra Toth came barreling in after the rebound and finishing for her second goal of the match, widening the lead to 2-0. Toth said, “I knew nothing was getting in between me, the ball and hammering it into the back of the net.”
Westfield ultimately beat Montclair 4-0, scoring three goals in just 12 minutes. Toth contributed with the first two goals, followed by a goal from junior Mary Lane and a 25-yard snipe from junior Ashley Yenawine.
Coming into this matchup, the Blue Devils knew Montclair senior Morgane Zinn, number 26, would be their biggest difficulty. Zinn, a Richmond commit, was a key playmaker for the Mounties. Senior captain Erin Hazard became best friends with Zinn throughout the game as she face-guarded her the full 80 minutes. As evident in the score, Hazard locked her down on defense while getting into her head and shutting her down entirely.
Head coach, Alex Schmidt, praised Hazard, saying “Every game the players get scores out of ten and if we could give like a 10 plus, I mean for Erin to shut her down, she’s a D1 athlete, super fast, and Erin was just, lights out.” He continued saying, it was a “phenomenal day for Erin.”
Hazard knew she had one job versus Montclair, to solely lock down 26. Hazard said “We knew she was a fast player, she is very athletic. Her speed is her skill and her weapon, so my goal was to stand right on her back and make sure that she couldn’t turn. We knew if she turned, she would explode with speed.”
The combination of lockdown defense and strong offensive opportunities led to a full team effort. Hazard said “I talk about it all the time, this program is built on trust and love from day one. It really takes all 21 of us to be as successful as we have been this season. Being a senior, it means so much that the team is able to come out with such high intensity from every single person.”
After Toth’s early goal for the Blue Devils, they kept the momentum the entire game. Coach Schmidt said, “Getting an early goal from Audra was phenomenal.” Offensively, coach Schmidt said the team watched this goalie and knew she let up a lot of rebounds which helped the team capitalize on opportunities.
As the time winded down, the Blue Devils stormed the field, feeling all the emotions, as they realized their season was still alive. Toth said, “Our momentum is flying right now, we are playing our best soccer at the highest energy, and most importantly at the right time of the season.”
The Blue Devils will now advance to the Group 4 State Finals on Saturday vs Eastern at Franklin High School with a 12:30 p.m start time. This matchup is sure to be an interesting one as the Vikings are having a very impressive season with an 18-6-2 record.
