It’s every player’s worst nightmare. Losing in overtime. Except, for Westfield, this loss marked the end of a thrilling season.
“We were really prepared and we knew it was going to be a battle,” senior co-captain Ella McLane said, reflecting on the loss. “It was going to be a pretty even fight so it was going to come down to who played better that day and who showed up.”
At the end, No. 5 seed Montclair jogged off the field. Smiles on their faces. Leaving No. 4 Westfield at the end of a road with an 11-10 loss.
However, Westfield fought, to say the least.
Early in the first half, Westfield struggled on defense. Montclair swiftly cut through the Blue Devil formation and buried 2 quick goals. This lit a fire under senior co-captain Lily Dickerson. With momentum on her side, Dickerson dodged hard, ripping the ball into the back of the net. 2-1.
Then, Montclair went on a small run. This point in the game, despite being so early on, may have hurt Westfield the most. Montclair ran the score to 4-1 before head coach Abby Cohn put sophomore Abi Mokrzycki at the draw, a dominant possession factor.
This switch gave Westfield a much-needed possession as Dickerson lowered her head, spinning by her opponent before swiftly scoring. 4-2.
Drought.
With only 11 minutes to go in the first half, Montclair excelled. Cohn knew it, too, screaming at the Blue Devils to get back faster on defense and move quicker on offense, but it was too late.
7-2. Just like that.
The Blue Devils needed to think it over. Their offense was slacking and their defense wasn’t as reliable as it should’ve been. Deciding to try to push the game to halftime, Westfield dug in deep on offense. Freshman Alice Manzo took advantage of a late foul, securing a Blue Devil goal, and McLane decided to take one to the house with another goal of her own.
7-4. Halftime. Ball game.
Coming out of the half it was clearly visible Westfield was ready to make its statement. Dickerson did just that, drawing a foul and zipping a shot past the goalie’s head to give the Blue Devils a huge goal and make it 7-5.
It was like a dog fight from there. Montclair answered: 8-5. McLane kept the Blue Devils alive: 8-6. Montclair transitioned quickly off of a fast break: 9-6. Dickerson wanted to secure her spot in the Westfield Hall of Fame: 9-7. Montclair saw holes in the Westfield defense: 10-7.
At this point, time was running out for Westfield, with only 12 minutes to go in the game. The Blue Devils had two main tasks: to get the ball on offense and to stop Montclair’s transitions. With the crowd on its feet, Manzo scored back-to-back goals, proving she can compete with the most talented players despite her young age.
10-9. One minute remaining. The Blue Devil fans were on the edge of their seats. It was now or never, and only one person was clutch enough to secure an overtime opportunity. Junior Sofia Della Rocco.
After what seemed like ages, Westfield finally was able to force a turnover, pushing the ball across the field as seconds ticked off quickly. Della Rocco took control of the ball and made a hard dodge down the alley, lowering her stick and ripping it into the bottom corner. Goal. 10-10.
“We knew what we had to do and we had to step it up,” McLane said. “We really started to have the momentum and there was a clear shift in the game.”
Westfield erupted in cheers and the Blue Devil sideline screamed tears of joy. What seemed like relief for Westfield would soon change for the worst.
Going into overtime, Westfield maintained the first possession. McLane saw multiple opportunities, including one shot that nailed the crossbar. Eventually, Montclair made a crucial defensive stop, hurrying back on offense and giving the Blue Devils little time to get into formation. This proved to be the Westfield kryptonite.
Montclair made a quick cut with the ball, carrying it through Westfield’s still-transitioning defense and scoring the game winner. 11-10. Game over.
“Our offensive movement was key to putting up a fight,” Dickerson said. “We worked hard on offense and none of us wanted our season to come to a close.”
It was heartbreaking, to say the least. Both teams were evenly matched and had aggressive talent on both sides of the field. Although Westfield’s season has come to a close, the legacy the Blue Devils left behind will never be forgotten.
Ever.
