Boys Lacrosse Season Preview: High Expectations and a Lot of Talent

The Westfield boys lacrosse team comes into the season ranked No. 7 in the state by nj.com, setting the expectations high for this season. 

The Blue Devils will play one of the toughest schedules in the state this year as they will face top opponents such as Delbarton, Seton Hall Prep, Ridgewood, Mountain Lakes and many others. 

“There’s some games that just mean a little bit more to me than others but you have to play every game with the same amount of energy and passion to be successful in every game you play… So our team this year is in the mindset that there are no big games because every game is a big game,” said senior co-captain Quinn Wojcik. 

This year’s team is led by senior captains Ryan Waldman, a Cornell commit; Trey Brown, a Maryland commit; and Wojcik, along with other seniors who have stepped up to help out during preseason.

Westfield lacrosse has been a consistently strong program and this year’s team is “ready to bring back the culture of a physical, athletic and dominant Westfield lacrosse team,” Brown said.

The Blue Devils look to dominate this year after last season came to an end with an 8-7 loss against Hunterdon Central in the North, Group 4 semifinal round that left Westfield with a winning 11-7 record. 

The Blue Devils have already shown the threat they pose this year as they defeated the reigning TOC champions, Mountain Lakes, in a competitive winter league. Carrying this momentum into the season could help bring them far in this year’s postseason and regular-season games.

There are 18 letter winners returning this year, along with multiple new additions to the roster after 12 players graduated last year. Six of these returning players have committed to play at the collegiate level at Cornell (2), Princeton, Maryland, Lafayette and Robert Morris. The depth of the team will help Westfield this year and one of the keys is, as Waldman said, having “a great team and talented players at every position.” 

The Blue Devils will return with a strong attacking team, despite the loss of top scorers from last year. Westfield returns with Waldman, who finished last season with 53 goals and 27 assists, and junior Cody Lam, who finished with 57 goals and 20 assists. Seniors Anthony Buoscio and John McDonald, who finished last season with 13 and 11 goals, respectively, will be returning this year as well. 

To find the most success this year, said head coach Boomer Wertheimer, “We are just trying to take it game by game and to play as a team.”

The success of the team starts off the field and at practice, then translates to the games for the Blue Devils. “We try to develop a culture of winning every day at practice and are really excited to bring back the success from Westfield lacrosse in the past years,” Brown said. 

Westfield opens its season against Summit, whom it lost to in last year’s county final, on April 6. The game is expected to be a nailbiter that will set the tone for the rest of the season.