Not even two minutes into an anticipated rematch between the Summit Hilltoppers and Westfield Blue Devils, sophomore Matthew Comandatore scored the crucial first point of the match. Then, just two minutes later, senior captain Andrew Lisnock found the back of the net to advance the score to 2-0 for Westfield in the County Semifinals, setting a dominant tone for the Blue Devils.
After Westfield defeated Summit 4-2 last Friday, head coach Joe Bertucci said, “Our mindset was to play a sound game, to pay attention to little details that I think we didn’t accomplish on Friday, to score early and then continue to sustain the pressure on them.” Their goals were realized during the game with two extremely early goals, and the pressure continued as junior Liam Duffy and senior Tyler Bergman scored in the second period to bring the score to 4-0.
However, the third period was challenging as neither team scored, and many penalties were given to both teams. On a Summit power play, the Blue Devils were scrambling to keep the Hilltoppers out of their zone, but Westfield prevailed, maintaining their strong lead and their shutout.
Senior assistant captain and goalie Troy Conover tallied 19 saves and said, “Shutouts always feel amazing. Not letting the other team score is a pretty great accomplishment for me, and it just made me feel proud of my defense and everyone.” This game marks Conover’s fourth shutout so far this season.
Going into this match-up, the Blue Devils knew they could have a tougher time scoring, as last Friday, Summit played their backup goalie. Because of this, Bertucci said, “We focused on a lot of details in front of their net and creating offense in the offensive zone [during practice]. We spent a lot of time in their offensive zone last game, and our focus in practice was ‘What can we do to get better in front of their net, on deflections, on tips, and on rebounds?’”
They certainly achieved their objectives on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck. But aside from the on-ice tactical strategy, this game was a mentality test for the Blue Devils as well. Bergman said, “We were really confident going into this game. We knew they were gonna bring it. Summit’s record might not show that they’re that good, but it’s a rivalry game since it’s Counties.” He also added that the team will build off this game, and it was a “big confidence booster.”
Now 11-1, the team is back in action on Friday, Jan. 23, for the County Finals against Governor Livingston. The Blue Devils have defeated GL both times the two have gone head-to-head this season, and look to extend this domination by taking home the County Championship.
