With under five minutes left in sudden death overtime, junior midfielder Emma Blake received the ball down the sideline. Quickly penetrating towards the corner, three defenders hustled over to her in an attempt to force the ball out of bounds. Swiftly chipping the ball over the Livingston defense, sophomore attacker Kayla Reyes knocked the ball in to win the game 2-1.
Reyes said, “We played very hard and strong all the way to the end and it was a very tough game.”
After a multiple game losing streak, Westfield was in desperate need of a win. Although it was not their best performance of the season, the Blue Devils did not give up on the game and kept the momentum high.
“We’ve lost a couple of times in overtime and I think winning this today really uplifted the team,” said sophomore attacker Riley Carr.
Both the Blue Devils and Livingston played a scrappy game filled with many falls and elbows thrown. On seemingly obvious calls, the referees did not blow the whistle. The aggression was allowed to continue.
Head coach Corrine Varhley said, “I think today that the girls needed to adjust to variables that they can’t control… things like the referees and what type of calls they are making.”
Early in the first quarter, Carr provided the girls with a 1-0 lead over Livingston. Carr said, “We really wanted to get the first goal off because usually when you get the first goal, the energy is just really brought up and you just play so much better.”
This energy was once again present midway through the second quarter. Livingston pushed their way through the Westfield defense, forcing a clear path to the net to tie the game. Senior captain and goalie Maddie Caherly did not fear the challenge. The Livingston offense mustered up one of the greatest shots of the game, but the shot was no match for Caherly’s skill, blocking it with no hesitation.
Even with Caherly’s save and the exciting goals that were scored, the team did not showcase the extent of their talent. A lack of communication was the driving force behind their key mistakes.
Caherly said, “I think communication can always be worked on. It’s the foundation of everything we do on the field.”
The girls will take on West Essex at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at home. This opponent will be yet another challenge for the girls in their attempt to revive their winning streak.
