This Saturday, the boys and girls soccer teams will play their respective Union County Tournament championship matchups at Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark. Last year, both squads took home the hardware in hard-fought victories over Scotch Plains-Fanwood and are looking to repeat as champions.
Here are previews for both games.
Girls Final
Opponent: Scotch Plains-Fanwood (#2 seed)
Location: Arthur L. Johnson High School
Time: 5 p.m.
Quarterfinal Result: 1-0 over Kent Place (Game Story)
Semifinal Result: 1-0 over Summit (Game Story)
The reigning Group 4 state champions, ranked first in the state by nj.com and seeded first in the tournament, haven’t lost a game since October of 2020. Westfield and SPF have met twice this season. They played to a 0-0 draw at Gary Kehler Stadium in their first meeting, and Westfield jumped out to an early lead to win, 2-0, in the second game.
The Blue Devils have played the season with a target on their back as they hold the state’s longest winning streak. Senior co-captain and Hamilton College commit Emma Kelesoglu said, “We are an even bigger target for Scotch Plains because of the town’s close rivalry but we are ready to put that aside and play this weekend like every other game this season.”
The Blue Devils will clash with the Raiders and aim to take them down in back-to-back years on the county’s biggest stage. Westfield has put together an amazing season with a record of 13 wins and 1 draw. The Raiders enter with a record of 8 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses. With everything on the line and nothing to lose for either team, this game has the potential to go in favor of either squad.
For Westfield, senior goalkeeper Sutton Factor has 10 clean sheets on the season. Senior Chiara Cosenza leads the team with 7 goals, and senior Catherine Angel and junior Ella Cadigan trail right behind Cosenza with 5 goals each.
Angel said, “We know we have the skills and the fitness to beat them on the field, but we also have to beat them mentally by not giving in to all of the pressures and other outside factors that come with playing a rival team.”
Boys Final
Opponent: Elizabeth (#2 seed)
Location: Arthur L. Johnson High School
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal Result: 2-0 over Cranford (Game Story)
Semifinal Result: 1-0 over Summit (Game Story)
The boys, seeded first in the tournament and ranked fourth in the state by nj.com, opened their season with a 1-0 victory over 13th-ranked Elizabeth and have yet to face the Minutemen since. This highly anticipated showdown will occur immediately after the girls county championship game.
The Blue Devils have a near-perfect record entering the title game. The boys are an impressive 13-1, their only loss coming against rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Red Bull Arena. On the other side of the ball, Elizabeth has a strong 12-4 record and is currently riding a four-game winning streak. The Minutemen look to carry their momentum into Saturday’s contest.
The game will hold implications beyond the Union County Tournament title. Westfield and Elizabeth are locked in a two-horse race for the No. 1 seed in the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament. The top seed is guaranteed home-field advantage for the duration of the sectional tournament. Saturday’s county final is a de facto battle for the No. 1 seed.
On the offensive side for Westfield, seniors Ian Schultz and Anthony Buoscio have propelled the team to its strong season; they lead the team with four goals apiece. Schultz highlighted that the team’s success is largely due to “how close we all are, and how we push each other within training, which is what gets us through any challenge in front of us.”
Defensively, senior goalkeeper Michael Liebermann has tallied 10 clean sheets this season and has only conceded three goals through 14 games. Liebermann has been gifted a wonderful and stout Blue Devil defense led by senior co-captain Noah Fischer.
Of the season-opening victory over Elizabeth, Fischer said, “Our energy was unmatched that game. We all were flying around and wanted it more than them.” The Blue Devils will certainly need another energy boost on Saturday night to claim their second consecutive county title.
Fischer credits the team’s successful performance to the mentality the boys have coming into every game. “We always have such a good game plan and all of us have been on the same page,” he said.
Saturday could go down as one of the most memorable days for all WHS students as they have the opportunity to witness two county championships on the same day, in the same location, only a couple hours apart from each other, on what will be a thrilling Saturday night.
