Silence fell over the crowd. Livingston punched in a deep ball for the lead against a proven Westfield defense. The Blue Devils had just given up a goal, one of the few they allowed all season, and in this case, in the biggest game of the year. Everyone watching the game looked at the 11 girls on the field, wondering how they would respond. Despite the Blue Devils’ efforts, Livingston’s goal would be the fatal blow to an otherwise successful season.
From the start of the game, Westfield knew it would be difficult to break down the Livingston Lancers. Head coach Alex Schmidt remarked, “They were playing a 10-1 or 9-1. We weren’t as composed as we could have been.” Despite a few chances from both sides in the first half, there weren’t really any big scoring opportunities. Both teams knew one moment would change the game.
After an exciting semifinal against Bridgewater, they knew this game would be even more challenging. Livingston was a powerful team with two commits that the Blue Devils knew they would focus on. Despite these two, the Blue Devils did a great job containing them. Schmidt said, “The girl who had 38 or 39 goals didn’t score, so we did a really good job with that.”
That girl was Livingston senior Dina Bojkovic, a Rutgers University soccer commit who has been one of the state’s most formidable forwards all season. Although the Blue Devils managed to keep Bojkovic’s golden foot from firing many threatening shots on goal, Westfield could not stop this Lancer’s playmaking ability, which ultimately would lead to a well-placed pass from Bojkovic to junior Emily Fernandez, who scored the only goal of the game, leading the No. 17 Lancers to upset No. 4 Westfield.
Westfield failed to capitalize on their multiple chances throughout the match, with their best opportunity coming from a shot fired at the far post by senior Mary Lane, which, like all of the many other times the ball was put on goal by Westfield, was promptly saved by Livingston’s standout goalie, junior Ayla Sherman. When time began running out in a game where the Blue Devils were unusually trailing late, shots taken by Westfield increased rapidly. By match’s end, Westfield had outshot Livingston 17-7, but had nothing to show for it.
One possible explanation for Westfield’s lack of success on offense was the same issue the team has faced all year: the absence of key players from the field. Freshman Gabriella Hollins’ departure was clearly felt on the offensive side of the ball, as the forward, who was called up to the U-15 Girls National Team, only added to the long list of unplayable pieces for Schmidt to use. Other season-altering injuries like forwards junior Georgia Morrelli and freshman Zara Dobek only further paint a picture that the team’s offensive production would one day cost them; it was only a question of when.
Senior tri-captain Ashley Yenawine was very emotional after the game. She knows that this is the end of her Westfield soccer journey, but is 100 percent certain she won’t lose the friendships she has made with her teammates. “We’ll still talk. We’ll still hang out. We’ll still spend time together. The relationships I’ve built are invaluable, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said.
Livingston will move on to play Cherokee on Sunday for the Group 4 title.
