Posters lined the fences, families flooded the stands, and eagerness filled Gary Kehler Stadium as the varsity girls’ soccer team beat Governor Livingston, 5-0, on what was an unforgettable senior night.
Late in the second half, senior captain Audra Toth sailed a shot into the top right corner of the net giving her third goal of the game and securing a win for her team. Toth said, “It just felt really awesome to be able to perform on the back end of my team.” All three of Toth’s goals were a testament to the connection and dynamic of this year’s team.
In the first half, the Blue Devils maintained strong possession, however, they struggled to find the back of the net. Westfield was able to create many offensive opportunities in the first half, but only one was successful. Senior Brooke Morrison headed the perfectly placed ball to Toth which allowed her to bury the ball into the back of the net.
The Blue Devils were only up 1-0 at the half leaving it to be anyone’s game. Assistant coach Katie Wertheimer said, “At half-time we talked about how we were playing well defensively [in the first half], but we just needed to make better decisions in the final third, and we knew we would score. And it worked.” Once the Blue Devils returned from halftime, they were on fire and went on to score four more goals.
Although the front and back lines were playing well, the midfield was the real star of the game. Transitionally, sophomore Emilie Cadigan, juniors Olivia DiGregorio and Ashley Yenawine were controlling the tempo of the match. Wertheimer said, “That was probably our best game by our midfield to date and we want to keep working off of that momentum in our shape. Today we saw the benefits of having all of our people in the right places.”
Defensively, the Blue Devils were equally as reliable as the offense. Junior goalie Sofia Busoscio has been a powerhouse for the team both this and last season, as this game was her third shutout in a row. “Having another shutout feels really great, but shoutouts aren’t just the goalie; it’s the defense and the midfield too,” said Busoscio.
Toth said, “If we continue to play the way we played today, I think we can beat any team that we play against.”
The Blue devils are back in action this Tuesday against Elizabeth away at 4:00 p.m. looking to keep their winning streak going.
