As the wind roars and Westfield fans watch every pass intensively, the Blue Devils are tied 2-2 against infamous rivals: The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders. The team has put everything they can into this game, and mere minutes before the clock is about to run out in the second overtime, junior Emilie Cadigan sinks a shot into the goal. The crowd erupts in celebration as the Blue Devils display their dominance over the Raiders.
Under the lights of SPF’s field, the Blue Devils were set to play their biggest rivals at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16. This was the Blue Devils’ first night game in two years; thus, the energy going into the game was unmatched and only grew as the game progressed. With a lively student section and cheering fans, the Devils had an immense amount of excited pressure. The intense match was capped off with Cadigan’s double overtime goal to give Westfield the 3-2 win over the Raiders.
SPF had a strong start to the game. They had the majority of possession for the first quarter, forcing Westfield’s defense to fight nonstop. Goalie sophomore Phoebe Klag had a handful of saves throughout the first half, but let the first goal of the night get past her, giving SPF a 1-0 lead for almost the rest of the first half.
With just 3 minutes left in the first half, freshman Zara Dobek scored Westfield’s first goal, tying the score 1-1. For Dobek’s strategy going into her first Blue Devil vs. Raider rivalry game, she said, “I just wanted to keep the ball in play simple because I know that’s how we score and how we do well.”
In a high-tension, rivalry conference matchup, Head Coach Alex Schmidt noted that they had to “Play as if this was just another game. But obviously, it’s not. We have a pretty young team, a lot of new girls, so playing in this big environment and playing with the fans, we really tried to make sure that it wasn’t too big of a moment.”
Early into the second half, Cadigan scored, giving Westfield a 2-1 lead against SPF, where the score remained for a while. But with 10 minutes left, SPF managed a goal and tied the score 2-2, ultimately taking the game into overtime.
After no point was scored in the first overtime, the Blue Devils walked onto the field going into the second overtime, where every pass carried the weight of the game; It was a high-stakes moment where one play could decide the Blue Devils’ fate. Schmidt explained, “No one needs to be yelled at or scolded. I think it’s just if you get one chance, just be composed around the goal.”
If anyone was composed, it was Cadigan. In double overtime, she netted her second goal of the night and led the Blue Devils to an instant victory. She noted that the winning goal felt amazing, and regarding the meaning of the win, she said, “We’re not taking anything for granted. Everything is just going to be a challenge.”
The Blue Devils are back in action on Thursday at home against New Providence. Regarding the day prior, Schmidt said, “[Wednesday] is just going to be a big recovery day. Moving forward, I think some girls who maybe didn’t have as much playing time today, we’ll probably have to play more on Thursday.”
