The ball soared past Elizabeth’s defenders in the middle of the box and senior Billy Gerne smashed a header to solidify Westfield’s lead. Surprised the ball made it all the way through the crowd, Gerne said, “I was thinking, wow this ball is actually making it all the way to me, I have to finish it.” Securing the second goal of the first half, the Blue Devil’s confidence continued to soar as they finished the second half with a 2-0 lead over Elizabeth.
Coming into this game, the Blue Devils knew they had to return the loss that Elizabeth handed them in the Union County semi-final game the previous year. Losing 3-2 in this same round just a year before, there was a lot of emotion and animosity coming into this game, and it physically reflected that. Westfield came in riding high after beating them 4-2 earlier in the season but knew they would still be in for a fight.
Westfield made a statement early on with a goal from junior Alex Rokhsar. Only 15 minutes into the game with a pass coming from junior Sam Judka, Rokhsar fired the ball from the top of the 18-yard-box into the back of the net. Shortly after came Gerne’s header off a cross from senior Austin Williams with 12 minutes left in the first half. Gerne said, “It was big to gain a 2-0 lead, but it did not solidify the rest of the game because we knew Elizabeth would keep fighting.”
Only four minutes into the second half, senior Daniel Gonzalez was able to finish hastily, assisted again by Judka, widening the Blue Devils score gap to 3-0.
Despite the vast score gap, high tensions persisted as the game continued. Elizabeth fell into a chippy, aggressive playing style with many fouls in the second half. Head coach Eric Shaw said, “We talk about how to respond to these types of teams.” After Elizabeth’s expected physical retaliation, Shaw was “very proud of [Westfield’s] composure.”
Westfield’s backline stepped up throughout the entirety of the game, especially in the second half. The Blue Devils defense endured oncoming speed and strength from Elizabeth’s offense and cleaned up their breakaways seamlessly. Senior co-captain Ethan Wade said, “It’s calming to know you’re one of four people in the backline all working toward the same goal, everyone loves it and it’s really fun.”
Following the game, Shaw said, “We started the game at our top speed which we have been struggling to do, and I am most proud of the fight today.”
The Blue Devils face Scotch Plains Fanwood next Saturday for the Union County championship at Arthur L. Johnson High School, time to be announced. Shaw said, “Anytime you get a Scotch Plains- Westfield match it’s not always about the game, it’s more about the environment and the ability to fight, just like we did today.” The team is feeling the same excitement, as Wade said, “We look forward to seeing Scotch Plains in the final, it’s going to be really fun.”
