As two top-ranked teams in the state, the match between Westfield and Glen Ridge was sure to be a nailbiter. Neither team could build a solid lead; right when one team scored, the other marched down the field and did the same. This repeated all the way to double overtime, with both teams tied up at 11-11. Spectators were on the edge of their seats because this contest was neck-and-neck. Ultimately, Westfield walked away with a 12-11 earned win.
After Glen Ridge’s defense made multiple tough stops, junior Alice Manzo made a sharp dodge to the left, pulling defenders away to make space for a cutting freshman Kate Cymbor, perfectly setting up for an assist and Cymbor’s game winner.
Cymbor said, “Alice ran down the field and all the defense was overloading towards her, I saw my opening and she told me to cut and I was wide open.” The game winner would be Cymbor’s third goal of the game, and Manzo’s second assist to go along with her five goals.
Manzo credited her offensive success to “[Working] well as a team by using each other and having each other’s back, just knowing that if you miss a shot, you get the next one and everyone trusts me.”
From the very first draw, this game was played at maximum speed, as both teams saw this as an opportunity to prove themselves as one of the best teams in the state. Only 24 seconds into the first quarter, Glen Ridge already found the back of the net. However, Westfield would march back down and do the same only a minute later. The Blue Devils were able to take a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a last-second goal from Maddy Coen.
Westfield would score a third goal at the beginning of the second quarter, making for three unanswered goals and making them look like the early favorite. But of course Glen Ridge would gain some offensive momentum of their own, and before you knew it the game was tied at seven apiece heading into halftime.
Head coach Katie DaSilva said, “This was a mental game; we were evenly matched with them in skill, so this was just a matter of who could stay in it more mentally.” Going into the second half, both teams were just as sure as the other that they were going to be walking away victorious.
After an early goal for the Blue Devils, Glen Ridge would score three straight and take a 10-8 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils had to respond with a goal of their own or else Glen Ridge would run away with it. They did just that as Manzo scored only 45 seconds into the quarter. This paired along with a new defensive scheme, stopped the Ridgers momentum and allowed the Blue Devils to catch up.
Senior defender and co-captain Erin Hazard said, “In our last game against Sparta, we tried to implement a zone and it worked really well, so we wanted to use that momentum and bring it into this game. It helps to put pressure on them and kind of expose their weaknesses.”
After tying the game at 10-10, Glen Ridge was awarded an 8-meter, giving them an easy opportunity to take a lead with only five minutes remaining, and they did just that. The Blue Devils were desperate, and junior Gilli Coen came through, giving the Blue Devils another chance by forcing overtime.
The first Overtime went scoreless as both teams’ defenses were well adjusted to each other by now. Both teams had ample opportunities to put this game away, but in the end, Cymbor and the Blue Devils would beat them to it, increasing their record to 5-1.
Westfield takes on another top-ranked team in Mountain Lakes next, away at 4:30 p.m on Thursday, April 17, and following that another top-ranked Pingry team on Saturday. Hazard said, “It feels great to beat a top-20 team today, and it’s great to bring that momentum into our two other games this week.”
