In a post-game interview last year after Westfield’s loss to Pingry, Trey Brown, the former captain and defender of the Blue Devils, expressed, “We had low energy, which caused a lull.”
Just yesterday, senior captain and defender Jack Paris reiterated the same gut-wrenching words: “From warmups, that energy was kind of low.”
Low energy – the silent killer for Westfield’s two-year losing streak to Pingry in the Bristol Cup.
Just eight minutes into the game, Pingry wedged a three-goal lead against the Blue Devils. A lead that Westfield would never be able to quite catch, a trophy that Westfield would never be able to quite grasp. Technical mistakes defined the Blue Devil’s 8-5 loss to the Big Blue. A loss that will haunt the Blue Devils until they have a chance to redeem themselves at next year’s Bristol Cup.
Senior captain and defender Michael Marshall was a glimpse of hope for the Blue Devils. Running the ball down the midfield, Marshall wound up for a shot and took it, scoring Westfield’s first goal in the last four seconds of the first quarter. However, minutes into the second quarter, Pingry piled on two more goals, widening the gap to 5-1.
Penalties were being thrown left and right throughout the game. Pushing after the opponent passed the ball, or aggressively checking, both played a major factor in today’s matchup. Paris remarked, “They were saying stuff all game, [and] we were saying stuff back.” In a matchup like the Bristol Cup, a tradition for Westfield and Pingry that has occurred for over a decade, Marshall said, “Of course it’s gonna be a scrappy game.”
Westfield was able to get two quick goals off less than a minute apart at the end of the second in an attempt to catch Pingry’s growing lead; however, the third quarter rang too similar of a “catch-up” tune for Westfield. When Pingry scored two, Westfield reciprocated. With the three-goal hole Westfield dug themselves into during the first quarter, they were just unable to crawl out. Going into the fourth, the Blue Devils were down, 7-5.
Throughout the fourth quarter, the Big Blue continued to test Westfield. They did everything they could to keep the ball out of Westfield’s attacking end. Up by two, the Big Blue launched passes skyhigh to the other endline and utilized the width of the field for quick passing, creating a long, hard-to-watch stall. Putting a point on the board with three minutes remaining, Westfield had a chance to make a comeback. However, with the tight Pingry defense and the clock dwindling down, Westfield simply could not produce. Pingry won the game, the trophy, the whole Bristol Cup.
“I mean, it’s not as big as a state or county, but it’s something that means a lot to us,” said Paris. “And especially last year since we lost, we wanted to win really bad but from the beginning,” he said.
However, when both teams lined up, facing each other, Westfield was not the team celebrating. The Blue Devils watched as Pingry took the trophy, threw it over their heads and cheered. Pingry reigned on, champions.
“I think there’s minor things that we didn’t do well,” said head coach William Wertheimer. “First time ground balls, some hits a little bit too late, moving the ball up with pace and trying to take advantage of automated situations.”
Marshall added, “I think one thing in particular is we have to learn how to kind of let [go of] outside stuff and outside factors that have nothing to do with the game we’re about to play. I feel like today, one tiny thing that affected a lot of people a little bit was not having the speaker for warmups.” He continued, frustrated: “That’s such a dumb, minute thing. And not really a part of a lacrosse game. It’s just little things like that. I feel like we have to start to let go, our heads are just a little too focused on outside factors. The rankings, people coming to the game, all those kinds of things. And it has to be more focused on just playing lacrosse. That’s very important for us.”
On the plus side, Westfield’s season is not over yet. They still have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and regain lost energy.
Paris remains hopeful: “That’s definitely a team we can beat, and we want that trophy, but that loss can definitely help us. We were on a heater, we kind of needed a reality check. And going into probably the biggest game of the year, we need to do some answering very well.”
Answering on Saturday will be necessary. The Blue Devils will face rival Ridgewood at Gary Kehler Stadium. Last year, Ridgewood took down Westfield in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final. Westfield will be seeking vengeance.
“This is going to be a great learning experience for us and being able to have an opportunity to bounce back against which was Saturday is gonna be huge for us, and I know we will,” said Marshall.
