Just 30 seconds into the second period, junior Chris Smok tore down the ice and buried a crucial goal that gave the Blue Devils a pivotal 2-1 lead over the Summit Hilltoppers. Just two minutes later, senior Blake Wotanowski found the back of the net to further extend Westfield’s lead.
Both teams came out with high energy and aggression for the opening faceoff establishing an early competitive tone. Westfield struck first as junior Liam Reed scored the opening goal of the night, but Summit responded promptly. Reed later sealed the game by scoring the final goal of the Blue Devils 4-2 win on an empty net.
Head coach Joe Bartucci acknowledged the challenges that come with rivalry games such as this one. “Anytime it’s a Westfield vs. Summit matchup, it’s going to be difficult. Rivalry games are always challenging, but we found a way to win, and that’s important. It’s good to be able to win even when we’re not playing our best hockey,” said Bertucci.
Through the continuously physical and competitive game, the Blue Devils pursued, and constantly played a strong game both defensively and offensively, which was reflected in the final outcome against the rivalry team.
As the Blue Devils prepare to face Summit again, they will be anticipating to go up against Summit’s starting goaltender, rather than the backup they faced in this matchup.
Senior co-captain Andrew Lisnock emphasized the importance of the team’s hot quality moving forward. “Next game we’ll be facing their starting goalie, who is very good. We put up 49 shots tonight, which is a lot, but many of them weren’t very effective. Improving the quality of our shots will be a big factor for us,” Lisnock said.
Despite Westfield’s winning outcome, there is more that can be implicated before Wednesday. Bartucci said, “We just need to watch some film, and we need to understand that our intensity level has to be raised a level.” The Blue Devils will rematch Summit on Jan. 21 at home at 6:30 p.m.
Reed said, “I think a big shift of momentum today started with our defense. When we face them again on Wednesday, it’s going to be a tight game, so we need to make sure we prepare going into that.”
