Verona fans began to pack the zoo, as they filed in behind the Westfield goal hoping to see some action. Before many of the fans even arrived, a Verona forward would get the puck at the midway line with only one man to beat. It was Westfield goalie Andrew Raber. The forward would fake right with the puck and go left. Just 2:25 into the game, Westfield was already down 1-0. Coming off back to back losses, fans thought the worst, however with a few big saves from Raber, and a lot of hope from head coach Joe Bertucci, Westfield would be in good hands.
“We were trying to be as positive as possible,” Bertucci said. “Sometimes it can be challenging when things don’t go your way. But our energy is there, our motivation is there and the positivity is there. So we’re happy with this.”
Just under four minutes later, Jackson Chicola made an excellent one-more pass to Andrew Lisnock. Lisnock finished, and the Blue Devils were on the board with momentum on their side. Minutes later, Kevin Halleran ripped a shot on cage, however, the Verona goaltender refused to be beaten, as he made a swift glove save. Other Westfield forwards would join in on the action, making the Verona goaltender lucky to have only let in one goal during the duration of period number one.
Period two was a different story, however. Westfield’s late first period success would carry into period two, and just 25 seconds into the period, Joey Tortorella scored a beautiful goal giving the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead. Two minutes later, the onslaught continued. The puck was rattling around the crease, and Aidan Wilson was there for the Blue Devils to clean it up and put it in the back of the net. The Blue Devils now led 3-1, with many fans thinking the flood gates had just opened.
Doing everything in his power to keep the game close, the Verona goaltender stopped shot after shot, slowing down the Blue Devil offense. Verona repaid their goaltender for his hard work, as they used the infamous Barcelona offensive style, tiki-taka, to pass through the Westfield defense, before ultimately putting the puck in the back of the net and cutting the lead to just one goal.
With the second period coming close to an end, and fans getting ready to head to the snack bar, Tortorella pulled the game’s momentum right back to the Blue Devils. Tortorella skated down the left side, before stinging the top left corner with just 46 seconds to play in the period. Westfield now led 4-2, which would end up being the game’s final score.
“In the second period, we really pulled it together. We allowed ourselves to get momentum and get some work in on the offensive zone,” said Tortorella. “We also tried out some new lines today. We just wanted to get the chemistry going. And I think the three kids who were put with me kind of all worked together and really made it happen.”
The third period did not see much action from either team, as the Blue Devils once again dominated the period and allowed limited chances. The few chances that occurred, however, Raber would be ready for, as he stood tall in cage and made every save that was asked of him.
After the game, the Blue Devils were in good spirits as the wait was now over. They would be adding another tally to the win column, giving everyone a sigh of relief. Especially coach Bertucci. “That was a bit of a relief,” Bertucci said with a smile on his face. “The first goal was just a bad bounce and it was in the back of the net and I think we were playing good hockey. We just know we gotta keep confident and stay to course.”
With the win, the Blue Devils will look to regain the momentum and success that they saw early on in the season, with big tournaments coming up like the McInnis Cup and the state tournament.
