On a memorable senior night, the boys hockey team delivered a great performance, shutting out Cranford in an 8-0 victory that highlighted disciplined defense, strong team play and a milestone for senior co-captain Andrew Lisnock.
Despite another game with a slower start, the Blue Devils found their momentum and by the third period Cranford could barely touch the puck. “The message today was staying out of the penalty box and just playing our style of hockey, which I thought after the first week, we did a better job of,” said head coach Joseph Bertucci.
The Blue Devils’ offense did not let up, with shot after shot set up by key players like Lisnock and junior Liam Reed and by the end of the second period, Westfield was up by five.
It was an exciting night for Lisnock who not only scored a hat-trick, but secured his 100th point of his varsity hockey career, just four games of the 2025-26 season, a moment made even more meaningful on senior night.
“I didn’t really think a lot about it, and then before the game, it kind of hit me,” Lisnock said. “When they were setting everything up, it was kind of crazy. I remember my freshman year, watching everyone do it, and it felt so far away and now it’s here, so it’s kind of emotional.”
He also credited his linemates, Reed and junior Chris Smok who have been behind him the whole season and supported him in working towards this goal.
“I didn’t think I’d get [the 100 points] this early in the season, but it feels amazing to do it in such a short amount of games,” Lisnock added. Other players like Reed, seniors Luke O’Brien and Louis Ciullo, and junior Liam Duffy also contributed to the scoreboard.
Defensively the team was just as dominant, limiting Cranford’s offensive chances and controlling the rink throughout the game. Senior co-captain Nick Benson emphasized the team’s focus. “We had our game plan. Don’t give anything up, get the pucks out and move it to the forwards,” he said. “[Cranford] couldn’t really keep up with us, so all we had to do was move the puck well and play as a team, and we got the win.”
While penalties were an issue for both teams, Benson acknowledged the need to improve discipline moving forward. Despite having a few setbacks during the game, Westfield’s defense still managed to lock down the Cougars’ offense leaving them with little room to shoot the puck.
A win on senior night not only spread joy throughout the team, but it also gave the seniors on the team a reason to look back at moments leading up to this point. Benson said, “I would say it means a lot to us. We have a good group of seniors on this team, we’ve played on this team for a long time, and the seniors before us, they’ve worked so hard to get us to this point. We’re just continuing the legacy.”
Looking ahead, the Blue Devils hope to use this as momentum to continue their winning streak as they face Bridgewater-Raritan away at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. “We have three big games coming up out of conference games against quality teams, so you want to take a step in the right direction. I think we did that today,” said Bertucci.
