“Thud!” The ball hit the back of the net. Game over. Season over. Just like that.
It was heartbreaking to say the least. The No. 4 seed Blue Devils had fallen to No. 5 Montclair in the quarterfinals of the North, Group 4 sectional tournament in overtime, 11-10. As Westfield fans filed out of Gary Kehler Stadium, a few girls were left on the field, reminiscing about their first moments as a lacrosse player. In their minds, replaying what could have been, refusing to believe what had happened.
While this was a major tragedy for Westfield’s season and the end of the road for this Blue Devil team, the season started with excitement.
Three wins and zero losses. First, a spectacular 10-9 win against Immaculate Heart, then a huge 14-8 win over Red Bank Regional and finally a close 14-13 victory against Madison. Hopes were high and the team’s chemistry was unmatched.
“I feel like we were constantly fighting to catch up all season and coming up to win games at the end but it was definitely fun to be a part of and watch,” said junior starting goalie Kaitlynn Czarnecki.
After losing five seniors from the previous year, including two committed athletes, Westfield knew chemistry was going to be a struggle. However, under the strong leadership of senior captains Ella McLane and Lily Dickerson, Westfield was moving with a full head of steam. Also, the Blue Devils had a handful of committed athletes as well with junior Sofia Della Rocco committed to the University of Florida, junior Lucy Mineo to Marquette University, and Dickerson to Quinnipiac University.
Far from a weak lineup, this Westfield team had potential. Then, things started to fall apart.
The Blue Devils traveled to Menham where they fell, 16-8, a bump in the road for sure. This bump slowly transitioned into a wall as Westfield then fell to Oak Knoll, 17-6, and then Northern Highlands in a close 8-7 loss.
The team must have fallen apart, right? Not these Blue Devils.
After a few motivational practices combined with fixing some mistakes that have constantly hurt them, the Blue Devils cruised back. At Kent Place, they pulled off a massive upset, winning 9-7 before taking on Ridge, whom they cruised past, 17-9.
One of the biggest obstacles the Blue Devils had during the season was their schedule. With one of the hardest schedules in the state, Westfield had to play some of the top-ranked teams in the country, including Summit, which is ranked No. 1 in NJ and No. 15 in America. Despite this issue, Westfield went into every game with a full head of steam.
Westfield also faced the injury bug as several key players went down throughout the season. “We suffered from lots of injuries which hurt us but we all had a great season,” said McLane.
The Blue Devils fell to highly ranked Chatham and lost a close game to West Essex. They quickly transitioned such losses into a huge victory against Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the Union County Tournament semifinals.
Following such a win, Westfield lost four games in a row. That hurt. A lot. Westfield stepped up. Its season was on the line.
Go time.
With a determined mindset, the Blue Devils pushed forward, squashing four teams in a row, including top team Mountain Lakes, 14-13.
Then, heartbreak.
No. 4 seed Westfield took on No. 5 Montclair at home. It should have been a smooth victory, right? Wrong. Montclair put up a fight, challenging the Blue Devil defense and constantly making shifty moves for quick goals. Westfield fought back, including an astonishing last-second goal by Della Rocco to send the girls into overtime.
It wasn’t enough. After a fast break, Montclair transitioned down the field, dodging quick before burying the game winner. Game over. Season over.
“After last year, a bunch of seniors graduated, so we had a pretty young team and we ended up ending 10-10 which was honestly better than expected,” said Czarnecki.
Such a heartbreaking ending was difficult, but Westfield left a season to remember. The Blue Devils finished the season with an even 10-10 record and a 2-5 finish in their highly competitive NJIGLL conference. Countless upsets and memorable team-bonding moments will make up this team’s legacy.
A legacy that should never be forgotten.
