Intense is the lone word to describe the North 2, Group 4 semifinal match between No. 1 seed Westfield and No. 4 seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood. This was the third matchup this season of The Greatest Show on Turf, and each team entered with one win in the season series.
The Blue Devils came into the game riding an amazing 10-game unbeaten streak and looked to extend that streak. But the Raiders were aiming to terminate the streak and were seeking vengeance after falling to Westfield, 1-0, last month.
Shortly into the game, tensions ran high on both sides as Raider goalkeeper Graham Kois collided with senior Anthony Buoscio, which resulted in a controversial no-call. Moments later, Blue Devil senior Evan Crozier and junior Zach Preucil each committed fouls of their own, but the Westfield defense stood tall to deny the Raiders any serious scoring opportunities.
With 15 minutes left to play in the first half, Westfield created its first great opportunity to get on the scoreboard. The SPF goalkeeper was out of position, but junior Ben Nematadzira shot the ball a bit high over the net, resulting in a huge sigh of relief on the SPF sideline.
Stout defensive performances on both sides contributed to a 0-0 score that lasted the majority of the first half. Back-and-forth corner kicks were shut down and cleared out. With three minutes to go in the first half, junior Raider forward Aaron Casterlow successfully converted on an incredible shot from the far right corner of the Westfield territory that magically found the back of the net and gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead.
Despite additional corner kicks for Westfield in the closing minutes, SPF hung on by a thread and reached halftime with a 1-0 lead.
To say that the Blue Devils brought high energy entering the second half would be a complete understatement. As a fearless Blue Devil would, not one player accepted the early defeat or hung his head. Loud encouragement boosted the boys’ confidence and could be heard throughout Gary Kehler Stadium from the lungs of Brett Fischer, the father of Westfield senior co-captain Noah Fischer.
Just 10 minutes into the second half, Buoscio received an excellent pass from junior Emanuel Gayanilo and found the back of the net to knot up the score at 1-1. The Blue Devil crowd erupted into cheers.
Buoscio added post-game that “playing with guys like Ben, Manny, Adam up top makes my job a whole lot easier when they give me good balls forward. I am very thankful for them.”
Moments later, Westfield completed what seemed to be more than 20 crisp passes, which set up Gayanilo with a great shot that deflected off Kois and out of play, resulting in a Westfield corner kick. Junior David Savransky lofted the ball in front of the net, and Nematadzira perfectly timed his jump and headed the ball past the SPF goalkeeper to give Westfield a 2-1 lead late in the game.
SPF, unwilling to give up, to lose to its rival, to play its very last game of the season, continued to fight. The Raiders applied great loads of pressure deep into the Westfield zone, leading to a corner kick with just 45 seconds to go. Despite a great cross from Raider senior Dylan Fei, Blue Devil goalkeeper Michael Liebermann punched the ball out of the box and Westfield survived with a 2-1 victory.
Speaking on scoring the game winning goal, Nematadzira said, “This feels amazing, this is one of my dreams. Scoring a goal at Kehler against Scotch Plains is a big accomplishment for me.”
The Blue Devils clinched a spot in the sectional finals for the first time in 10 years and will be taking on sixth-seeded Hunterdon Central on Saturday at home. The boys lost to the Red Devils in the sectional semifinal round last year.
Buoscio, whose six goals are now tied with Nematadzira for the team’s most this season, added that facing Hunterdon Central after getting eliminated by them last year will add entertainment to Saturday’s big match.
