The huddle ended with a determined “Westfield!” shout and the players found their positions on the field. With just one minute remaining in overtime and the score reading 10-10, the clock winded down as the Blue Devils idly passed the ball around the perimeter.
Then, junior Billy Gerne took a few balancing steps, planted and whipped the ball from 15 yards out: past defenders, past the goalie and through the poles to meet the back of the welcoming net.
The crowd roared, sticks flew and white jerseys stormed the field to celebrate the hard-earned victory.
On Monday, at Kehler Stadium, home to the Blue Devils, No. 2 seed Westfield faced No. 3 seed Bridgewater-Raritan in the sectional semifinal. The two teams’ last meeting was in 2019, when Westfield won 9-8, but this year, both teams were unfamiliar. However, after an intense back-and-forth matchup, Westfield prevailed once again, securing their spot in the sectional championship against No. 1 seed Ridgewood on Wednesday.
On the hot Monday, Kehler hosted a series of small leads, questionable violations and brutal collisions. Yet, the pressure of the clock was the most prevalent issue.
“There was little time left on the clock, so it was now or never,” said Gerne. Westfield finally got their offensive chance after the Panthers won the face-off to begin overtime and maintained possession for the first three minutes.
Even with numerous attempts on goal, Westfield’s defensive rotations and constant communication finally led to a Blue Devil possession after a vital save by junior goalie Corey Gilford. “[We] never gave up, I caught the good shots and my defenders forced shots that I could save,” Gilford said.
Head coach William Wertheimer called a warranted timeout with the change in possession, giving the players a chance to laud Gilford for his game-changing role and plan a crucial play in hopes of ending the game.
“I told them to be relaxed… we were going to do a play we had been using all game, Buckeye, and we were shooting to score,” said Werthheimer.
Making it his second goal of the game, Gerne executed the game-plan perfectly.
The first two quarters exemplified the intensity and skill of the two teams as Westfield barely held onto their lead for the first 24 minutes.
The first few minutes held goalless possessions. That ended when junior Drew Pravlik’s aggressive defense and steal was passed quickly up the field, landing in junior Colin Coyle’s pocket.
Coyle awoke the scoreboard with the first goal of the game as he sneaked from behind the crease to land the shot. Nevertheless, the scoreboard again went dormant until the last two minutes of the first quarter.
Gerne found teammate junior Garrett Ferguson, and with a quick dynamic pass, the Blue Devils’ lead stretched to two. This was just one of Ferguson’s six goals, which all undeniably contributed to Westfield’s success.
To begin the second quarter, yelling and controversy broke out. According to the screams, a Bridegwater player was thought to have purposefully speared a Blue Devil in a sensitive area, yet no violation was called. This fueled the Westfield bench along with the spectators, bringing an unmatched energy to the remainder of the game.
The game continued after the quick intermission and Westfield was able to capitalize on a quick change in possession when senior captain Cody Lam found Ferguson cutting down the middle for a goal. The remainder of the quarter saw another tactful goal from Ferguson and a powerful goal from Lam.
Coming out of the halftime huddles, Bridgewater was fired up and took advantage of a wavering Westfield defense. The Panthers scored four straight goals, earning themselves a two point lead.
Senior captain Michael Marshall explained that the team focused on “staying verbal on defense, sliding early and just doing the right things” as the Panthers took over the game in the third quarter.
These few key factors clearly worked in the Blue Devils’ favor as they entered the fourth quarter tied 8-8 after goals from Lam and Gerne.
The fourth quarter consisted of strong defense from both sides, with a trade-off of points to force the game into overtime. As the horn sounded, the scoreboard read 10-10, and Westfield needed another four minutes of grit.
Gilford’s imperative save propelled the boost of energy that the Blue Devils needed, and finally, Gerne’s game-winning goal secured their victory.
The Blue Devils will face Ridgewood in the sectional championship away on Wednesday. The two have seen each other previously this year, which ended in favor of Ridgewood by two goals, 11-9.
The Blue Devils are “hoping for victory,” said Wertheimer, and are “going to compete during every second in all four quarters,” said Marshall.
This is arguably their most important game of the season, and heading into the finals, the team plans to continue the success of yesterday’s game. Ferguson said, “[We need to] do the same thing, stick to what we did all season, and stay true to ourselves.”
