The Blue Devils came out both calm and composed. Their steady gameplay displayed a confident team and a competitive edge that was bound to find the back of the net. Westfield boys hockey held Bridgewater-Raritan scoreless through the first half of the first period. Despite conceding the first goal, the Blue Devils did not lose heart. In fact, they gained offensive momentum after this goal, which propelled the team into a lead.
Westfield dominated possession for the majority of the game. It came down to untimely penalties that gave Bridgewater-Raritan numerical superiority. Even though the Blue Devils led 4-2 entering the third period, the gap unfortunately slipped away into Bridgewater-Raritan’s grasp, with Westfield losing 6-4.
Through the first two periods of the game, the Blue Devils gave up minimal chances for the Bridgewater-Raritan offense. The opposing team took only 10 shots in the first two periods.
During the unfortunate penalty spell in the third period, in which senior Blake Wotanowski spent five minutes in the penalty box, the Bridgewater offense took advantage. Senior Luke Fitzgerald, part of the Blue Devils’ strong defense, said, “Once we’re in that [leading] position, we have to do a better job of shutting them down, not giving them opportunities to score.”
Head coach Joe Bertucci explained that this game will be pivotal for the Blue Devils. Given that this is their first taste of adversity so far this season, their reaction will be imperative to the direction their season takes. “It’s a learning experience for these kids,” said Bertucci. “We were due some adversity. We were happy to have some.”
Senior co-captain Andrew Lisnock has been a crucial piece of the Blue Devils’ offense this season. Despite going down first, the Blue Devils came back to lead by three goals, up 4-1 in the second period. To further hone in on the team’s evident offense potential, Lisnock said, “We will continue to improve on the little things, build chemistry with our line mates and start playing more confident hockey.”
Looking forward, the Blue Devils, with a current record of 4-1, look to rebound from this difficult loss on Dec. 30 against Middletown North at 10 a.m.
