Westfield’s impressive 17-10 win over Eastern in the Group 4 Championship perfectly reflected their season. Despite blowing out their competitors, Bergen Tech and Hillsborough, in the first two rounds of the tournament, the rest of the road to the championship was not easy. To get to the championship the boys had to play tough teams such as Ridgewood, for the second time this season, and also Bridgewater-Rartian, winning both games in sudden-death overtime.
Although the outcome of the season was what the boys had worked for all along, the beginning of the season was not what they had hoped for. Starting off the season with a tough loss to St. Augustine, the Blue Devils turned it around, winning their next game against rival Summit and picking up a winning streak, propelling their season. They breezed through their opponents in an eight-game win streak, beating easier teams such Cranford, Wall and Scotch Plains-Fanwood, but shocking fans after defeating Seton Hall Prep, Montclair, Delbarton. and Chatham. Though this streak did not last, losing two devastating games in a row to both Pingry and Ridgewood, it came time in the season for the Union County Tournament.
Due to their outstanding performance thus far in the season, with a 7-3 record, the Blue Devils were able to get a bye, leading them to the semifinals as their first game of the tournament. In a comeback after the first quarter, Westfield was able to defeat New Providence, bringing them to the Union County Tournament finals. In the most shattering loss of the season thus far, the boys were unable to win the county championship, losing by just one point, scored in the fourth quarter by Summit.
Following their 16-9 loss to one of the best teams in the state, Don Bosco Prep, the Blue Devils were able to come back in their final regular season game of the season, winning 10-8 against Ridge. After losing two games in a row, this win against Ridge set the boys up for the rest of their extremely successful season.
Out of all the highlights for the season, a huge one, according to senior captain and Cornell commit Michael Marshall, was later in their season. “One my teammates and I would agree upon was our sectional final win over our group rivals Ridgewood. I’ve never experienced a feeling like that in lacrosse, and it was an unreal day.” This win occurred on June 6 with an overtime score of 10-9.
Although there were many successes this season, true success stems from failure and learning from it. “There was a tough patch in the middle of our season which began with our second loss of the season to Pingry after a seven-game winning streak. We experienced a bit of a drought after that game, but we stuck together and trusted in our practice and effort,” said Marshall.
Going into the 2025 season, the Blue Devils will definitely have some work to do, as they lose star players such as captains Jack Paris, Marshall and Princeton commit Cody Lam. However, their strong foundation of outstanding juniors such as Garret Ferguson, UMass Amherst commit Colin Coyle, Billy Gerne, Sacred Heart commit Christian Gilford and starting goalie Corey Gilford bodes well for another victorious season.
On June 13, the boys played their final game of the season against Summit in the Kirst Cup final round. Their season ended with a loss 7-5 against the Hilltoppers. Although ending in a loss, Westfield cannot forget the groundbreaking season the team had.
As next season approaches, Corey Gilford said, “I hope to see dedication and heart from everyone next year. I want the lacrosses teams from freshman to varsity to all be close and have a good bond because that helped us become successful this year.”
Marshall hopes for a similar fate for his former teammates. “I hope that they continue to find more success. I hope all the underclassmen take what they learned through experience this year and create victory next year by getting even better. I want them to win their county and repeat the state title and fight for the Kirst Cup again.”
