After heartbreaking losses in the McInnis Cup finals, the Union County Tournament semifinals and the Public A state semifinals, the boys hockey team’s 2022-23 season has come to a close.
Senior captains Joey Tortorella, Zach Park and John McDonald led their team to a 14-8-2 season. Out of those eight losses, three were in the final four of the three major tournaments. Tortorella said, “Overall it was a successful season that had its ups and downs. We had the toughest schedule this program has ever faced and did not back down to the competition.”
The Blue Devils headed into the season with a successful trip to Boston, which the team can confirm helped them bond significantly. This bond was visible as they entered their season.
Westfield showed extreme talent at the start of the season, winning its first four games. “Some of the most memorable moments of the season came from those first stretches of games when we beat Ridge, Middletown North and GL, all three public school state champions,” said Park.
Though the Blue Devils started off their season with four wins and a tie, they were handed their first loss by Governor Livingston. They then had two wins, two losses and a tie. Of those losses, one came from Livingston, whom Westfield had previously beaten 8-0 two games prior.
Going into the Union County Tournament, the Blue Devils had six wins and only three losses. They started off strong in the quarterfinals against Arthur L. Johnson, winning 10-0 and moving onto the semifinals. Unfortunately, they lost to Summit, a longtime rival, 4-0.
Continuing their regular season games, the Blue Devils started off with a 4-3 loss against West Essex, but went on to win three games in a row. After that, they took another loss to Randolph before heading to the McInnis Cup.
Starting off against Verona, Westfield showed dominance, winning 4-2, then crushing West Essex four days later 6-0. The team remembers this moment, and Tortorella especially felt like the game against Verona was a monumental game. “This was a team that beat us twice already this season, and we rose to the challenge and handled them from start to finish,” he said.
Despite these wins, Westfield unfortunately fell significantly short to Summit in the McInnis Cup final, losing a whopping 7-2.
Advancing to the Public A Tournament, Westfield commanded the ice, beating Central Regional 9-1. The Blue Devils then faced Ridgewood in the quarterfinals, where they had another dominating win of 4-1.
Despite the expectations going into the semifinals against Hillsborough, the Blue Devils took a saddening 4-3 loss in overtime that ended their season. “Though it wasn’t a positive moment, the raw emotion after the game was something I’ll never forget. The bonds and brotherhoods we created over the course of the season all came out, and we all realized it was more than just a game,” said Tortorella.
Throughout the season, the boys found trouble finishing their chances when it mattered the most. Coach Joe Bertucci said, “It’s been the same game over and over again. We’re playing really well, we’re not putting the puck in the back of the net, and then we’re falling behind and having trouble getting out of holes.”
Despite this past season, the returners are going into the 2023-24 season hoping to claim their hardware and come back stronger than ever. The seniors hope that the underclassmen carry on their legacy with hard work and grit. “Our coaches have always told us to play for the ‘W’ on your chest,” Park said. He hopes that they will continue to be proud to wear their uniforms and represent the Blue Devils.
