Physicality. Height. Strength. Senior Ben Nematadzira used it all to head in junior Jake Pardes’ high pass, just over the grasp of Don Bosco’s goalie. The crowd jumped, the sideline roared: it was the goal people were waiting for. A match consumed with a constant battle for possession came down to this one slip up in the Ironmen’s defense, allowing the Blue Devils to take a 1-0 win.
Coming off of an uncanny loss, the Blue Devils had something to prove. For their town, for their fans, for their own dignity. “Having this opportunity to prove ourselves and come back against what we know is a solid team,” said senior captain Zach Preucil. “It was just a great opportunity.”
Opportunity. The Blue Devils would not let their chance go to waste.
At the start of the game, tensions were already high. Coming off of an hour-long bus ride, the Blue Devils came in ready to go. Under the lights at Don Bosco’s home field, no side was ready to go down without a fight.
The first half went something like this: senior goalie Luke Tennant saved a close free kick from Don Bosco’s offense, Don Bosco’s goalie saved a close corner from Westfield’s offense. Bosco took a free kick but missed just left, Westfield took a free kick but missed just right. Back and forth, back and forth.
Half time struck; the score remained 0-0. The game came down to the details, to the mid-game shift. Which team could win the physical and mental battle? The answer: Westfield.
Head coach Eric Shaw said, “We did not make any changes right off the bat in terms of shape and personnel. Going into the second half, we changed into a four-four-two to try to get more bodies in the midfield, but I think the biggest change that you might have seen was the energy and the enthusiasm.”
Coach Shaw said it well: it was a game that came down to energy.
“There was no time for me to switch off. There was no time for me to put my head down or switch off mentally. Do or die. Fight or flight,” said Preucil. And that is exactly the Blue Devil mentality.
The beginning of the half remained stagnant, the ball switching offenses with ease, teasing the players by veering just outside the goal. It wasn’t until the relief of Nematadzira’s goal when the Ironmen were forced to fight to stay afloat.
Follow the game plan, the Blue Devils thought. “Before the game, we were looking at a lot of film and we figured out some solutions,” said Nematadzira. “We figured out that the long ball in the box would be the way, and that’s how we got our one.” The continuous attempts thereafter were unsuccessful, but it kept the crowd on their toes, awaiting another perfect connection.
In this even match up, Westfield could not let up for a second. After securing their lead, the Blue Devils continued pressuring the Ironmen, making it difficult for them to move up the field. Senior defender Patrick Cadigan played an integral part in the Westfield defense, helping to execute the shutout.
“Everyone was up on their feet, getting into every 50/50, winning every second ball. I think the energy today was 1000%; we all wanted to win this game. It didn’t just come from two, three people, it was all 24 of us,” Preucil remarks.
“We asked the boys before the game to have an answer for the loss on Tuesday,” said Shaw. “And they had an answer.”
The word of this game is energy, and at the end of the day, Westfield brought it and Don Bosco fell short.
Pardes remarks that this game is “something to build on. It was better than the last game and we are hoping that the next one will be better than this one.”
The Blue Devils will face Bergan Catholic on Tuesday away at 4:30 p.m. for another battle, hoping to put another win under their belts.
