It was a scene straight out of a movie. Ridge was lined up at midfield, staring at their opponents as Westfield marched out of the locker room in a single-file line. The two talented teams met at midfield hoping to advance to the North 2, Group 4 sectional semifinals.
The cold, winter weather permeated Gary Kehler Stadium, but even this cold weather couldn’t cool down the Blue Devils’ hot energy.
Westfield dominated the game almost immediately with back-and-forth passing. A Ridge handball gave the Blue Devils an early-game opportunity, but sophomore Audra Toth placed the ball just a little high over the net.
The Blue Devils were rich in opportunities throughout the game. A beautiful pass from senior Cat Angel set up junior Ella Cadigan, but she missed just wide of the net.
Despite Wesfield’s confidence, Ridge refused to back down without a fight. This led to lots of physical contact on the field which only worked in Westfield’s favor. A foul on Ridge set Westfield up with another great opportunity, but the Blue Devils couldn’t capitalize.
Without a doubt, Westfield was winning the possession battle, leaving Ridge’s defense in complete shambles. All that Westfield needed was to finish its opportunities and score a huge go-ahead goal.
After some more back-and-forth play, Westfield’s prayers were answered as a shot deflected off the foot of a Ridge defender and rebounded to senior Ciara Dursee, who buried the ball in the back of the net.
It was a huge goal not only for the team, but also for Dursee, a defender, who jogged off the field with all smiles. “I was super excited. I don’t usually score goals, like I said, I’m an outside back, so it was a pretty great feeling,” said Dursee.
With only 15 minutes left in the first half, Ridge already appeared defeated as Westfield kept pounding on offense. Angel put an amazing shot on goal but the Ridge goalie made a beautiful diving save.
Throughout the remainder of the first half, the Blue Devils focused on moving the ball to their wingers to pose a greater threat to Ridge’s strong defense.
Ridge tried to answer Westfield’s goal with a free kick opportunity. However, senior goalie Sutton Factor said no by making a clutch save. As the half wound down, Factor made one final save before the clock expired.
Westfield led 1-0 at halftime and looked to be the dominant force all game, while Ridge sulked back to their sideline.
The Blue Devils knew they needed to start finishing the opportunities they were given to really take a strong hold on the game. Coach Katherine Wertheimer agreed, saying, “We had a lot of chances in front of the net. Their goalie played a phenomenal game and I just think we need to finish.”
The Blue Devils jumped out to a fast start in the second half and less than three minutes into the half, were awarded a corner kick. However, the Ridge defense stood tall and was able to clear the ball out of its own territory.
Moments later, Westfield committed numerous fouls and hand balls, giving Ridge life, but the Blue Devil defense and Factor were able to deny Ridge from any serious scoring opportunities.
As the half developed and more fouls were committed on both sides, both teams tried to reestablish their rhythms. With 15 minutes to go in the game, Westfield strung together a beautiful possession that ended with a great cross from Dursee to Chiara Cosenza. As Cosenza headed the ball towards the back of the net, the Ridge goalkeeper came out of nowhere to make an incredible diving save.
The Ridge goalkeeper was not done: She made another incredible save after senior Emma Kelesoglu sent a strike that seemed like a sure goal, but the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms prevented the Blue Devils from extending their lead.
As time wound down, Westfield played keep-away and was able to hold on and secure a spot in the sectional semifinals. Factor had her 13th clean sheet in 17 games. Pure grit from the senior goalie. Factor said that the biggest piece of her consistent success in net is “staying composed in the back and talking to my centerbacks at all times. They have everything locked down.”
On Tuesday, the Blue Devils will travel to take on Hunterdon Central to fight for a spot in the sectional championship. Last year, in the same round, Westfield defeated Hunterdon Central, 3-1, but this time, the game will be played on the Red Devils’ turf.
