With just over 10 minutes elapsed in the second half, Westfield finally broke through after junior Catherine Oliveira was able to bury a goal in the back of the net coming off a quick restart from a corner kick, catching Bayonne off guard. Despite battling the cold and a wave of illness that swept through the team, Westfield was able to fight to a well-deserved 3-0 victory, sending them back to the North 2, Group 4 Sectional Final.
After a back-and-forth first half with both teams creating many chances, including two Bayonne shots hitting off the post, each defense held strong to keep the score deadlocked at zero. Senior Olivia DiGregorio said, “It’s all about trust and I know we have a solid back line. I trust the girls naturally because I know they want it just as bad as I do.”
Being tied at halftime was an unfamiliar feeling for the No. 1 Blue Devils, holding a 16-0 record heading into the game. Head coach Alex Schmidt commented, “We just tried to remain calm. We have to move the ball, and the goal will come. Just be patient.”
That patience paid off. After Oliveira scored she said, “It was definitely a relief. After that, we were dominating and we were able to get much more under control. We all needed a goal to get us relaxed and into our game.”
Not only did the goal come, but it opened up many more opportunities, helping Westfield run away with the win. Just 10 minutes after the first goal, junior Nina Rodrigues was able to thread a through ball past Bayonne’s defense, setting up freshman Gella Hollins who shot around the goalkeeper, extending the lead to 2-0. After another 10 minutes of play, DiGregorio delivered a strike from 28 yards out, perfectly placed in the top right corner to seal the victory for the Blue Devils.
The team’s performance was even more impressive given their health situation. “We have eight girls with the flu and five more with flu-like symptoms, so we only had nine fully healthy players today,” Schmidt said. “A lot of our starters who have been sick, what they usually do, maybe they weren’t able to do today.”
Several players had to shift positions including Oliveira who normally plays as a center back, but had to play in the midfield. “She had to step up, and she did,” Schmidt added, “we’re really proud of her.”
The Blue Devils will face Bridgewater-Raritan on Saturday at 12 p.m. at home in the sectional final. As they look to extend their undefeated record, Schmidt said the team’s main focus is recovery and getting healthy again by the weekend so they can seal another win.
