A stadium of excitement erupted as Westfield knocked in the game-winning goal against Newark Academy.
Amidst a dueling second half and a dwindling clock, senior captain Riley Carr took it upon her own hands to seal the deal for the Blue Devils. With 1:48 left in the fourth, Carr knocked in her second goal of the game with an assisted corner from senior Saige Levitt.
Carr noted the importance of taking advantage of these plays on the offensive end. “Corners and rebounds are like free goals,” she said.
Although the game got fuzzy late, Westfield’s success was underscored by their ability to maintain the ball for most of the game. Senior midfielder Anna Mangold said, “The midfielders really helped push the ball forward and we worked together to keep the momentum.”
In addition, Westfield’s attention to detail helped facilitate their offensive juggernaut. Senior Emma Schwarzenbek mentioned that the team’s “passing and attention to small ball” helped propel them to being winners.
As shown in their consistent play behind the ball, the Blue Devils worked relentlessly and turned their effort into a decisive victory—and their work behind the scenes did not go overlooked. Head coach Corrine Varhley remarked on how “[the team] worked a lot yesterday on cutting to the ball. We were aggressive, trying to get that first touch.”
Mangold agreed. She said, “We had so many shots on goal and not many were taken advantage of. [Rebounds and corners] were something we were working on during practices and it paid off today.”
The team also took pride in possessing the ball for as long as they could, putting up shot after shot, hoping a few would eventually fall. Schwarzenbek said how “every time [the ball] goes in the circle, it should be as many shots as you can take, and one of them will go in.”
However, tensions rose as Newark Academy scored two consecutive goals in the third quarter. They made it clear that the game was going to come down to the final minutes, but despite the adversity, the Blue Devils remained calm which ultimately paid dividends.
Schwarzenbek said, “It was really important to stay calm because if we lost control over the ball and play, we would continue getting scored on. It was important to play our game and not worry about the score.”
Westfield looks to continue their momentum Saturday at home against North Hunterdon. Varhley noted the importance of preparation for the game: “It is going to be a high level of play on Saturday, so [using] our momentum from today, practicing and tightening up some of our corners is important.”
