The stakes were high and the tension was eminent between both teams as Old Bridge found the back of the net, tying the game 1-1 with 20 minutes to go in the second half. However, the Blue Devils were unphased and immediately responded as junior Courtney Smith found sophomore Cayla Panaro in front of the net to punch it in for Westfield to re-claim the lead.
After tying a highly-contested game against Scotch-Plains Fanwood, Westfield took on Old Bridge in an out-of-conference game Saturday afternoon, coming out on top with a 2-1 win. The Blue Devils picked up right where they left off, finding the back of the net quickly when senior co-captain Emilie Cadigan scored early in the first half, assisted by sophomore Gella Hollins.
Senior Catherine Oliveira said, “I think we started off with a lot of energy in the first half which was kind of what we lacked at SPF, that energy and that fire.”
The Blue Devils were able to get many high-danger shots throughout the game, but most were stopped by the impressive performance from the Old Bridge goalkeeper Jessica Lane, who came away with a whopping 18 saves.
Panaro said, “I think we had a lot of good moments where we really connected and moved the ball, and then when we were able to drive sideline down to the endline we created a lot of good opportunities.”
Going into halftime, the Blue Devils were up 1-0 and had much of a fight left to give in the next 40 minutes of the game.
Despite the goal conceded mid-way through the second half, the defense held strong and allowed minimal shots to be taken on junior goalkeeper Phoebe Klag.
Oliveira said, “It’s definitely hard because getting scored on is a different way we need to react. I feel like we bounced back from it well and we all knew that we had to score and try to keep possession as much as we could, and we made sure that they didn’t get any opportunities.”
One of the biggest differences for the Blue Devils in their matchup against Old Bridge was the absence of key seniors and members of the offense, Molly McDermott and Ava Jasina. However, the team prevailed and performed exceptionally throughout the entire game, creating many scoring opportunities and keeping the Old Bridge defense on their toes.
Head coach Alex Schmidt said, “With two players down in the attack, I think players stepped up today. I was super happy for Courtney and Cayla. Great assist, great goal, so we’re excited for them.”
The game concluded the regular season for the Blue Devils and moved their record to 11-0-2. Westfield has a lot to be proud of and even more to look forward to heading into counties.
Schmidt shared that their game against Old Bridge sealed the senior class’s streak of never losing a regular season game at home, showcasing the strength of the seniors on the team and the confidence that gives them as they finish out their final season.
