Last year, the girls ice hockey team finished 3-14, losing 2–0 to Trinity Hall in the first round of the state tournament. The Blue Devils finished the season with a 5–2 win against Chatham.
This year, New Jersey has split its singular girls ice hockey division into two, with teams placed by age of program, and Westfield is in the division with the newer teams in the state.
The girls lacked scoring power last season as they put just 30 goals in the back of the net over the course of 17 games, 11 of these goals coming in two games against the same team. These 11 goals came against Chatham, whom Westfield will see again this season, a promising sign.
Senior Olivia Rosario said this year, in their new division, “the main goal is to improve our record.”
Westfield used its tough season last year to gain momentum for the coming season. “A lot of the team has been practicing off season and I can tell that so many players have really improved,” Rosario said. “I think we will have a very skilled team this year.”
All of the returning players have needed to step up during preseason, getting the rest of the team ready for the season to come, and holding their team accountable because captains have not yet been named.
The Blue Devils lost 12 seniors from last year, including one of their strongest players, Amanda Werner. Westfield also lost its goalie, Alexis Scherzer, who recorded 603 saves during her two seasons on the team. Fortunately for the team, they “have two new goalies without too much experience but a ton of heart,” assistant coach Robert Ebert said. “All the girls are cheering them on and are super supportive.”
There are 21 returners in the program from last year, including the top goalscorer, senior Lillie Martel, who had 8 goals. The varsity and JV rosters contain 37 total players.
Head coach Matthew Gualtieri, who was once a hockey player at WHS himself, has been coaching the team for seven seasons. “I’m expecting the players to work hard and push each other to get better,” Gulatieri said of this upcoming season. “I expect the team to improve as the season progresses and to compete in every game.”
The team had its first scrimmage on Tuesday, where it played Cranford and secured a promising 6–0 win. This is very telling of what the coming season could look like for Westfield as Cranford is one of the teams on their schedule. This season can be very different from previous seasons because, as Gualtieri said, “This is the best team we’ve had in the program’s history.”
The Blue Devils open their season on Monday at Gumbert Park against Immaculate Heart Academy, who beat Westfield twice last season.
