Although Westfield hung on tightly throughout the entirety of the game, they fell just short of completing a comeback against Pingry, one of the top teams in the state. The Blue Devils ended up losing 5-6 in a nail-biting game.
With just five seconds left in the first period, the Blue Devils were down by only one goal and were eager to get a point on the board going into the second period. Just when Westfield needed it, senior co-captain Sienna Murray had a breakaway, tying up the game and keeping Westfield in the game. Murray said, “It was a little bit of a fluke of a goal but it shows that putting everything on the net really gets us places.” Murray has tallied 7 goals and 16 assists in her successful time being a three-year varsity athlete.
The Blue Devils started the matchup down 0-2 as Pingry was able to find breaks in the Blue Devils’ defense, allowing for many opportunities to score. As the Blue Devils closed out the first period they “had a lot of positivity,” overcoming their struggles and “working as a team,” said Murray.
Though the Blue Devils were able to tie it up at the end of the first period, Pingry came back ready to fight in the second period. Pingry ended up scoring three more goals making it 3-5 by the end of the second period.
The final period was nothing short of a comeback for the Blue Devils. After Pingry scored another goal pretty early into the period, there was little hope for Westfield. However, junior Ella Delaney ignited the Blue Devils offense with only five minutes left. After this, the Blue Devils put their game faces on. Senior goalie Jolie Bruder was making impressive saves and the offense began producing.
Head coach Matthew Gualtieri said, “We tried to do a little too much on our own in the beginning and it was easy to defend us, but once we started moving the puck around we were able to find the back of the net easier.”
In the final seconds of the game, Westfield was nearing a comeback and hope was filling the arena. However, the Blue Devils were not able to find another opportunity on goal.
Despite the loss, Bruder said, “We learned from today that we can compete with anyone if we work together.” Bruder had 18 crucial saves to keep Westfield in the game.
Westfield is back in action at 4 p.m. this Tuesday to face Pingry once again. The Blue Devils look to take over and get revenge after this tight loss.
