The stadium erupts on both sides of the field but for different reasons. After a controversial Summit goal, officials had to go back and review the play, as well as inspect the net. As parents and players waited anxiously for the verdict, the referees declared it a goal putting Summit up 1-0.
Late in the first half, a Summit shot on goal was saved by goalie Sofia Busocio, however, the ball slipped out of Buoscio’s hand and went straight to an offensive Hilltopper, allowing them to score. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the goal due to the angle in which the ball fell into the net. There was a belief amongst the Blue Devils that the Hilltoppers missed the net while the Hilltoppers believed the ball may have entered the net and went through a hole in the side. After officials reviewed the play and inspected the net they called the goal fair, putting the Blue Devils down 0-1.
In a high-tension rivalry conference matchup between Westfield and Summit, the Blue Devils stood in an unusual position. Throughout the first half, Summit dominated the game with Westfield unable to find their connection and momentum. Through the trials and tribulations of the game, Westfield emerged victorious in the last six seconds of the first overtime, beating the Hilltoppers 2-1.
Summit applied heavy pressure on the Westfield offense minimizing their opportunities to make plays and get shots off on goal. Head coach Alex Schmidt said, “During halftime, we talked about throwing that first half in the river and coming out confident.”
Walking out of the locker room into the second half, the Blue Devils’ desire and drive to win the game was tangible. The girls stepped onto the field ready to fight back and put a point on the board. Co-captain Audra Toth was the first player to achieve this goal. She said, “I found myself not marked for the first time throughout the game right in front of the box so I knew I had to put the ball in the net and get the team back on the scoreboard.”
After the Blue Devils tied up the game, each team was fighting hard on both sides of the ball to try and finish a shot. Ultimately, the second half ended in a tie, forcing the game to go into overtime.
Westfield came back onto the field with the same hunger in their eyes. Sophomore Ava Jasina ended up being the Blue Devils’ hero. The sophomore was fouled just outside the box and capitalized on her opportunity. The ball soared over the heads of the defenders and into the goal just above the goalie’s hands, causing the bench and the stands to erupt in excitement. Jasina said, “I’m just so proud of our team because we’ve overcome so much, and fought so hard for each other.”
The Blue Devils will face the Hilltoppers yet again under even higher stakes on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Arthur L. Johnson High School, for the Union County Tournament Championships. Jasina said, “Our adversity today really speaks to who we are as a team and we’re all just really excited to go and play on Saturday.”
