For the seniors of Westfield field hockey, their game on Saturday was more than what was put up on the scoreboard. Surrounded by family and friends, the team took the field for their senior day matchup against the Montgomery Cougars, resulting in a 1-1 tie after overtime.
Prior to the game, the underclassmen showed their appreciation for their three seniors, Kayleigh Scatigno, Penelope Grez and co-captain Caroline Loggie, with flowers and decorated posters. Loggie said, “I think all season, and especially during today’s game, the energy and the team bonding were really great.”
With the excitement strong through the crowd and bench, the Blue Devils battled for possession and looked to set the tone early. Less than five minutes into the game, sophomore Alexandra Heuck did just that. Heuck found the back of the cage, giving Westfield an early lead and sending the senior day crowd into celebration.
After the strong start, the teams mainly battled in the middle of the field. Junior Parker Broad had a large impact in keeping the Cougars off the score sheet until the fourth quarter through her defensive efforts.
Head coach Corrine Varhley said, “Broad stepped up huge today. She is one of those girls who is so valuable, and we need her on the field. She plays both sides.”
Understanding her role during overtime, a lot of the time Broad was the only defender and relied on her mentality and coaches to get her through the game. She said, “I tell myself that I’m going to try my best, and if anything goes wrong, I know I tried my best. Also, the coaches really help me stay focused and not get too worked up.”
Friday afternoon, the Blue Devils had a big game against rival SPF. Despite falling 4-3 in the end, they used the game to their advantage by improving their defensive corners by reworking their formation. On the Cougars’ corners, the Blue Devils stayed organized and denied every opportunity. This kept momentum going for the girls.
Going into overtime, Westfield continued their offensive chances with multiple scoring opportunities, making the Cougars work to keep the Blue Devils scoreless after regulation.
Going into their next game, Loggie noted the team will still look to improve on “cutting in front of our balls, which will give us more opportunities on goal.”
In addition, Varhley said, “I think that just overall, taking care of ourselves and doing what we need to do to prepare ourselves for game day, to be physically and mentally ready. Playing back-to-back is really, really hard, but I think the girls bounced back well.”
The Blue Devils look to improve their 3-5-1 record on Oct. 17 as they host Cranford at 4:15 p.m.
