After a disappointing 14-1 loss to Kent Place last year on senior day, losing was not an option this season. However, Columbia had no plans of making this an easy bout for the Blue Devils. With 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Columbia jumped out to an 8-4 lead, putting the Blue Devils on their heels. That marked the start of an assertive comeback led by juniors Alice Manzo, Gilli Cohen, and freshman Kate Cymbor.
Between the three, they would combine for 11 of the Blue Devils 15 goals, and lead the team to a 15-9 win on senior day. Senior co-captain Erin Hazard said, “I think sometimes the pressure of senior day gets to us, but in the second half we really stepped up our effort, getting the extra ground balls and 50/50 balls and that helped us turn the game around.”
Before the game all six of the Blue Devils seniors were recognized and celebrated for their dedication to the program. However, during the festivities, one thing never left their mind, winning.
The first quarter started with a swift goal from Manzo that seemed to set the tone for the game. Nevertheless, Columbia was able to respond to every move the Blue Devils made. Both teams would end the first quarter with three goals apiece.
The second quarter started with more of the same back-and-forth play. Then, with nine minutes left, Columbia came to life and would go on to score three unanswered goals, ending the half in their favor, 7-4. Head coach Katie DaSilva said, “I’m a believer in tough love, emphasis on the love, so I’m not going to tell them they are playing well when they’re not because I’ve seen them play way better than that. I just told them to show who they really are, they found it within themselves and did a lot better.”
Coming out in the second half, the Blue Devils looked like an entirely different team. Senior co-captain Emma Blake said, “We came out really slow. At halftime we all knew we didn’t want to feel the same as last year, so we all stepped up and it was a huge team effort.“
The Blue Devils would win the third quarter 4-1, making it an even 8-8 going into the fourth quarter. It was obvious that Westfield had found their mojo, and that was reflected by their dominant second half performance.
The fourth quarter was even more dominant, resulting in the Blue Devils winning the second half 11-2. Once the team got on the same wavelength they couldn’t be stopped. Blake said, “The team vibes are fantastic, I love this team so much, more than any other team I’ve been on.”
After last year’s let down, this one felt extra good for the team. Hazard said, “It was really tough last year, we knew that we didn’t want that to happen again this year and the underclassmen really came through for us to make the comeback.”
The Blue Devils are back in action on Tuesday, away at 4:30 p.m. against Immaculate Heart.
