No. 6 ranked Westfield and No. 4 ranked Seton Hall Prep played yesterday, April 10, at the Kelly Athletic Complex. Not only were these top-shelf programs duking it out against each other, but they also had to manage the harsh wind and freezing rain. SHP left the game with an 11-5 win under their belt, as the Blue Devils took another loss, making their record 4-2.
Even though Westfield walked away with a loss, the first quarter proved that the Blue Devils could sustain SHP’s aggressive offense. Combined with a strong performance from senior goalie and quad-captain Corey Gilford, and a newly formed defensive zone, the Blue Devils were able to hold the Pirates to two goals in the quarter. Westfield’s offense also netted a goal of their own from senior quad-captain Colin Coyle, ending the first quarter 2-1.
After it began to pick up, the rain began to affect the Blue Devils as their sticks slipped out of their hands, players tripped and shots went off target. Senior quad-captain Christain Gilford said, “I think our shop placements were not well with the offense. We were getting some open looks, but where we were placing them is a recurring problem, so we have to fix that moving forward. Also, we need better possessions without forcing it on the first open shot, instead, we need to be patient and wait for the right shot.”
Senior defender and quad-captain Drew Pravlik said, “Our zone played well. What killed us was the transitions. It was time after time, we turned the ball in the middle of the field, or there was a shot that was saved and they just pushed out into transition. Our defense still played well, Corey made a ton of huge saves, but at the end of the day, there were too many four-on-three fast breaks, so we were letting up a lot of easy shots that they were able to capitalize on.”
Although the game did not turn out in the Blue Devils’ favor, one positive takeaway from the match is the return of Sacred Heart commit, Christian Gilford, who has been out this season due to injury. Christian Gilford said, “I had the jitters coming into the game, but after the first play and the first whistle, they kind of just went away. It was great to feel the love from the team for my first game back and all the parents.”
However, the zone and organized offense did not stick as the third quarter came around. On the defensive side, many mid-field turnovers caused Westfield’s defense to scramble, allowing the SHP offense to light on fire. Head coach William Wertheimer said, “I think the third quarter, we could have cleared better, and just fixed up a bunch of small things.” The end of the third quarter resulted in an 8-3 finish, with SHP energy on top and the Blue Devils’ confidence low.
A fun aspect about this game each year is the players who live in Westfield who now play at SHP. Christian Gilford said, “It’s just special. Those kids on SHP I’ve played against my whole life in club [lacrosse] and Westfield, so it’s just so much fun. It makes it a lot more interesting and competitive.”
The fourth quarter reflected similar challenges that the Blue Devils suffered within the third quarter, however, the offensive end found some rhythm. With two more goals from the Blue Devils, the score ended 5-11 and SHP earned the win.
The Blue Devils are back in action tomorrow, April 12, playing Ridgewood away. Wertheimer said, “Ridgewood is a Group 4 matchup; it’s going to be important for state seedings. So we just gotta move on. That’s about it, just learn from the minor mistakes and move on.”
