It is hard to beat a team twice, especially in the playoffs.
Or so they say.
Westfield fell 2-0 to Elizabeth a few short weeks ago, and again last night, 3-2.
However, the Westfield team Elizabeth faced then was not the same as they saw last night.
The moment the whistle blew, both teams were on their toes. Westfield moved the ball swiftly trying to find the open player. Westfield managed to get the ball to their offensive end where they were greeted with a corner kick.
Senior captain David Savransky took a deep breath and sent the ball in. Flying in the chilly autumn breeze, the ball reached junior Ethan Wade’s head. With the perfect connection, the ball was in the back of the net. Just like that, the Blue Devils did something they had yet to do this season: score against Elizabeth. And they did so not after the game was nearly over, but in the first two minutes of play.
Morale was high. The Blue Devils were jumping, screaming, huddling. The fans who arrived at the game on-time were stunned, shell-shocked by such an early domination. The scoreboard gleamed 1-0, Westfield was finally on top.
“Going up 1-0 was a beautiful start. At the same time, we weren’t able to protect that for too long.”
Like coach Eric Shaw said, glory was short-lived.
After their celebrations, the Blue Devils lined up again for another fight against Elizabeth in the midfield. The Minutemen took the ball up the field and the Blue Devils struggled to guard their quick passes in the center. With a player open on center left, the ball was crossed and shot past the grasp of senior goalkeeper, Luke Tennant. Not even four minutes into the game and the scoreboard already read, 1-1.
A fresh start for both teams.
The next ten minutes went as every soccer game usually does. A back-and-forth fight for possession with a few jaw-dropping moments that make spectators squeal and a few controversial referee calls that have one side of the ball enraged.
Notably, in that time, Elizabeth tried to break away from Westfield on a set piece that was crossed into the middle. Nothing came of it except a football field goal that got fans riled up.
Elizabeth fans blew an airhorn each time the ball came to Elizabeth’s offensive third. One could say it was to rally up Elizabeth forwards, others could note it was to mess up Westfield’s defenders. Either way, the deafening loud sound rang throughout the stadium, piercing the ears of anyone and everyone in attendance.
About midway through the first half, Elizabeth receives a corner. They strategically kicked the ball into the middle, high enough for an Elizabeth forward to get his head on it and redirect the ball into the goal.
2-1, Elizabeth.
Tensions rose as Westfield now had to fight to stay in the game.
Elizabeth, however, would not give into their lead. They continued to dominate on their offensive end, making Westfield defenders Ethan Wade and Derek Azevado work extra hard to keep them away from the goal. What looked to be another Elizabeth goal was actually a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and was recovered by Westfield. A nail biting moment, for sure, but it was not the last of them.
With three minutes remaining in the first half, Westfield got a set piece. Coach Shaw put in some fresh legs to receive the pass, but when the ball was crossed by Savransky, the goalkeeper was able to deflect it and gain possession.
That was the last opportunity Westfield would have to tie the matchup before halftime.
The Blue Devils needed that mid-game shift, the change in intensity. The wow-factor that would put them over the edge of their opponent.
Just like they did against Summit and Don Bosco a few short weeks ago, they needed to come out victorious and capitalize on their opportunities in the second half. With something like the Union County Tournament, games matter. They were make or break. Secure a spot, or simply, go home.
Both teams came out of the second half as if they did not just play 40 minutes previous. The energy, the speed. Neither team was going to let this win slip past them.
Five minutes in, Elizabeth’s left forward tried to break away. The stands on both ends were watching, mouths open, anticipating what was to come. With only one defender guarding him, he takes a shot, but it lands just right of the goal.
Tennant gained possession and with a few exchanges, it was not long until Preucil had the ball, maneuvering past defenders looking for an open pass. He saw an opportunity to move the ball into the Elizabeth box, and he crossed the ball high to meet senior Ben Nematadzira. Nematadzira was able to get his head on the ball, placing it perfectly past the Elizabeth goalkeeper’s reach.
The fans erupted. Westfield was finally back to a square, even game.
But, offsides was called, no goal for Westfield.
With 30 minutes remaining on the clock, the Blue Devils still had hope to tie the game or even come out victorious. Around eight minutes later, Westfield was granted another corner kick. Hoping to repeat their success from the first goal of the game, Savransky lined up to punt the ball high into the middle cluster of players. Deflecting off a defender, the ball landed perfectly at the foot of Preucil who struck it into the back of the net.
2-2.
But, again, it did not last long.
Midway through the half, Westfield fouls in their own box. The referees hand points directly at the penalty spot, granting a golden opportunity for Elizabeth to get ahead.
The teams aligned behind the kicker as he wound up to take the shot. Tennant was on his toes, ready to jump, to dive, to do anything to stop the ball from reaching the back of the net. With the referee’s whistle, the ball was shot and rebounded off the legs of Tennant. Sprinting to retrieve the ball, the Elizabeth PK shooter put the ball away.
3-2, Elizabeth.
For the remaining time, Westfield tried to recover, fighting every second with Elizabeth until the time inevitably ran out and the final whistle was blown. Cheers from the Elizabeth sideline. Air horns blowing now served to mock the Blue Devils as they walked off the field, defeated. To beat a team twice clearly was a challenge, but Elizabeth had done it. They were victorious.
“I thought we did pretty well throughout the game, a lot of the conversation we had was about the small details, discipline, staying organized, stuff like that,” said Preucil. “We switch off for five seconds, whether it’s giving up a penalty, letting them score on a corner, not doing our job clearing the ball, stuff like that. It’s just the small stuff that’s killing us again.”
Despite this loss, Westfield will have to prevail. Next week will be another make or break moment for the Blue Devils: the start of the North 2, Group 4 Sectional Tournament.
Considering this loss going into a season-ending tournament, Preucil says, “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.’”
Westfield will be put to the test on away on Tuesday for their last regular season game at 4 p.m. at Chatham, hoping to keep their season afloat.
