Westfield began to pick up the momentum with less than five minutes left on the clock during the first period. With two goals already under their belt, the Blue Devils were determined to get a third to secure their early lead. Approaching the net, sophomore Lauren Delaney slid the puck past the East Side goalie with ease. With the score 3-0, the Blue Devils were still not inclined to settle. Just 10 seconds later, carrying the puck down the rink, sophomore Lindsey Coleman saw an opportunity to extend the lead even further. Coleman swiftly passed the puck to junior Ava Benson, and without any hesitation, Benson placed the puck into the back of the net. With two more goals on their backs, the Blue Devils finished the first period with a 4-0 lead.
In a speedy start, Shoshana Handwerker kicked off the Blue Devils scoring streak with the first goal in the first five minutes. The next three goals quickly followed. Westfield’s diversity and chemistry was apparent early on in the game with four different players scoring during the first period, including Handwerker, Delaney, Benson, and senior captain Emerson Wotanowski.
Sophomore Payton Monusky said, “We worked together really well compared to our other games.”
As if the 4-0 deficit was not enough, in the first period, East Side lost a player to a back injury which further soiled their motivation to continue on. The Blue Devils, however, carried on with their heads held high.
Even though a four-goal lead was impressive, the Blue Devils continued to dominate into the second period. The Blue Devils doubled their first period score and more in the second period, led by Monusky with a hat trick. Additionally, Benson scored her second goal of the night and freshman Hannah Gold scored her first. By the end of the second period, Westfield’s lead climbed to 9-0.
The spotlight was shared amongst the team; no one person had been responsible for the Blue Devils performance. “There were very few goals that were scored just by people going solo,” said head coach Robert Ebert. “It was a team effort. It was beautiful to watch.”
Within all of the excitement, the third period was much less eventful as Westfield was already nine goals ahead. With a few shots on goal from each side, no results occurred. The rink began to lose energy, as East Side felt their devastating loss sink in.
“Our passing sequence was really good as we were going into the third period with a big lead,” said Wotanowski. “We were able to practice a skill set.”
As the clock slowly ticked down, there was one last glimpse of hope for East Side to score. On a one vs. one breakaway by East Side, junior goalie Jolie Bruder saved the shot by East Side, securing a shutout.
After East Side scored a goal on themselves in the last two minutes, the game had officially come to a close. The Blue Devils had won the game, 10-0.
The Blue Devils look to carry this momentum on their Senior Night against Randolph on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. at Warinanco Park.
Ebert said, “There will be a bigger challenge for us, but the girls are up for it. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
