Four minutes into the game, junior Jakub Kotowicz sends a ball in from the corner, and at the back post, senior Lucas Grygiel runs in and sends a decisive header flying into the back of the net. The student section erupts in cheers and suddenly, there is new hope for the Blue Devils who had been on a frustrating four-game losing streak. This goal, however, was not the only goal of the game by Westfield, which allowed the team to win 2-0 against New Providence.
Westfield enters the Union County Tournament with a new motivation: moving forward from a string of disappointing outcomes. “It’s been a difficult season,” said head coach Eric Shaw. “Today we had a bright start, which put us in a good area.”
“This game gives us confidence and tells us we can beat difficult teams, which is who we are going to be playing for the rest of the tournament,” said Grygiel, who led the team with two goals. “Now that we have the confidence in beating one really good team, we can go into these next few games and beat other ones.”
With a great ball from senior Jake Russell and a decisive move around the New Providence keeper, Grygiel’s second goal gave the team a surge of dominance with 18 minutes left in the first half.
“Team chemistry and team energy were there the whole game, even in the warm-up,” said senior co-captain Alex Rokhsar. “Having a dominant game for a full 80 minutes got us the result today.” The team’s connection on the field allowed the Blue Devils to maintain possession for much of the game, while also having a number of shots on the New Providence goalkeeper.
Despite a moment of worry after junior Cooper Janota left the game with an arm injury, the Blue Devils continued to dominate on both the offensive side and the defensive line, with senior goalkeeper Simon Gunzberg tallying four saves and earning the team a shutout.
Despite their 2-0 victory over New Providence, the Blue Devils’ mindset going forward is a blank slate, with pure drive fueling their tournament run. “It’s anyone’s game,” said Rokhsar. “Next game, whoever we play, doesn’t really matter. Same energy, same intensity, same mindset and keep it going.”
Shaw added, “Something that we talk about from day one is getting a chance to play in the semifinal and final. They are excited about today, so we are looking forward to next Saturday.”
The Blue Devils will continue their quest for victory next Saturday against Summit in the semifinal round of the Union County Tournament. The time and location are yet to be determined.
