“Do or die. Fight or flight.”
Senior captain Zach Preucil’s words exemplified the Blue Devils’ mentality for the 2023-24 season.
Coming off of a 18-2-1 season after falling to West Orange in the Group 4 tournament semifinal last season, Westfield was going to stop at nothing to “change the banner” once again.
Starting off the season with two close victories against Cranford and Long Branch, Westfield suffered a 1-0 loss against Union where technical mistakes and missed opportunities defined the matchup. However, this game ignited the Blue Devils, firing them up to beat Don Bosco Prep in their home stadium the in the game that followed.
Their next match against Bergen Catholic served as another wake-up call for the Blue Devils, taking a tough 4-2 loss. But, the same fire returned, leading to a thrilling 4-3 game against Summit, in which they cemented the win in the final two minutes. Cooling off yet again, the next match, Westfield and Governor Livingston, held a stagnant battle, ending in a scoreless tie.
Coming back home after four games away, the boys celebrated their 12 senior players during Senior Day at Gary Kehler Stadium. Facing off against Linden, the seniors led the charge to a stellar 4-0 win. Head coach Eric Shaw said, “It’s important for them to feel comfortable and feel good about themselves on Senior Day because we expect everybody to take a part during the whole year.”
Their recognition was well deserved. By the end of the season, Preucil and senior Ben Nematadzira became the two leading goal scorers, tallying seven each. Westfield’s senior goalkeepers shone as well, with Luke Tennant recording 74 saves according to NJ.com and goalkeeper Lucas Gunzberg making vital saves when the games came down to penalty kicks.
The Blue Devils met their next opponent, Union City, with all the momentum of their previous matchup, powering their way to a 3-0 win. The pattern of winning a couple games then breaking the short-lived streak had become a familiar outcome for Westfield. At Elizabeth, Westfield took their third loss of the season, falling short 2-0.
Hoping to ignite the familiar flame, the boys faced their biggest matchup of the season: the Scotch Plains–Fanwood Raiders. The highly anticipated matchup played at Red Bull stadium, home to the NY Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and NJ/NY Gotham FC. Hoping to make up for last season’s 1-0 loss on the big stage, the Blue Devils put forth their best attempt. Despite great effort, the game ended in a 0-0 draw, even after a double overtime extension.
“We certainly enjoyed it. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t walk away with a win, but we came in, played our style of play and played our game,” said Preucil.
The following two matchups served to pad Westfield’s winning record leading up to the Union County Tournament. “We play in two tournaments, the Union County and the state tournament. It’s my eleventh year here, and we’ve made the semifinals each year,” said Shaw. With high expectations going into the quarterfinal round, the boys did not disappoint, executing a 1-0 triumph over GL.
The Blue Devils then rematched against Elizabeth, this time more experienced and weary of their previous shutout loss. As the sun set at ALJ and the clock wound down, Westfield’s chance at a UCT Championship bid faded away as the final score read 3-2.
The loss was eye-opening. That day, Preucil said, “like Deion Sanders says, ‘It’s personal.’ I want everyone to keep a fire within them. I want them to turn these emotions into something that they can build off of.’”
The fire within them, the one that has been burning all season long, erupted during the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament.
They breezed through their first round, winning 3-0, leaving Piscataway to mourn the end of their season. The quarterfinals were no different. A 4-2 score gleamed as Westfield stormed the field and Union was left with nothing but a bus ride home.
The sectional semifinals presented that do-or-die mentality Preucil spoke of. Facing off against Elizabeth, a team they lost to twice prior, they were ready to leave their all on the field. With a nail-biting 3-2 win, Westfield would advance to the sectional finals on their home turf against SPF.
Shaw said, “Playing a team a third time is always difficult. So you know, the third time is always the charm.”
In the North 2, Group 4 sectional final, SPF was no easy matchup. Facing their rivals, both student sections came out to support their teams, chanting familiar banter. Tied scoreless the entire game, the match went into penalty kicks. Gunzberg stepped up to defend against SPF’s penalty takers, only allowing 2 goals out of their 5 attempts. For Westfield, junior Niko Pierce slotted their third goal during their last attempt to secure the victory and change the banner.
Following the sectional title victory over SPF, the Blue Devils headed into the Group 4 tournament with a semifinal match against Kearny. Coming into this match Kearny stood with a record of 16-4 against Westfield’s 13-4-4. In an exhilarating 2-2 game, the match went into OT where Kearny would sneak one past the Westfield defense and solidify their spot in the Group 4 championship.
Although they faced a heartbreaking loss, Westfield had an outstanding season culminating in being crowned North 2, Group 4 champions for the second year in a row.
