On Feb. 25, Westfield girls hockey fell to Hoboken 7-5 in the first round of the state tournament, ending a successful season of breakthrough victories, growth and perseverance. The team finished off the season with a winning record of 10-8-2, which, when compared to last season’s 5-14 record, highlighted the program’s growth.
The team began the season with two losses to Trinity Hall, one of the state’s best programs, 3-0. However, they bounced back as the season picked up with seven wins and one tie throughout December and January. One of their biggest accomplishments was beating Pingry, a team in a higher division than the Blue Devils.
Also, in a double game week against Oak Knoll, after their first loss, they bounced back two days later and beat the Royals 5-4 for the first time in program history. Senior tri-captain Sarina Sherman said, “My freshman year, [Oak Knoll] was one of the most intimidating teams, and it was amazing to see the progress our program made in just 4 years.” Sherman also noted that alumni of the program were reaching out to congratulate them on the historic win.
Even though the team ultimately went out with a loss, head coach Matthew Gualtieri spoke to the girls’ effort and future promise. “We didn’t get the result we wanted in the league playoffs and the state tournament, but we outplayed both teams. We will learn from our mistakes and grow stronger from the valuable lessons we learned from those games and this season,” Gualtieri said.
As the program continues to grow, the team has noticed its improvement and strength. Senior tri-captain Lauren Delaney said, “This season definitely symbolizes the growth of girls hockey at our school, but also in general because each year every school gets more and more talented girls on their team and the competition level keeps rising each year, which is great to see.”
The team’s spirit carried them through the tough losses and disappointment of the end of the season. Both Sherman and Delaney described the team as a family and highlighted how close all the girls are. Even though they are graduating, Sherman highlighted how she will continue to support the program and her teammates. “Our underclassmen are very good players, and I am so excited to come back and watch them play,” she said.
Eleven seniors are graduating from the program, but younger players are ready to pick up where they left off. Gualtieri highlighted the performance of several freshmen, including Frédérique Daneault, Grace Taylor, Sophie Meyer, Emi Radlmann and Mia Calderon-Brown.
Looking toward next season, Gualtieri said, “We are getting significant contributions from our younger players. We’re in line to add several incoming freshmen with travel experience as well next season.” Even though the result of the season did not end with a state win or Cohen cup, the strength, effort and achievements of the team showed the promise of yet another successful season ahead.
