Late in the first period, after Westfield took a 2-0 lead, Glen Rock gained a spark of momentum after sneaking a shot past Westfields defense. However, this momentum was short-lived as sophomore Liam Reed scored two back-to-back goals within the last 30 seconds of the period. Westfield settled in their seats as the sophomore scored his first goals of his rookie varsity season and re-widened the score gap.
As the Blue Devils controlled the entirety of the game, their dominance forced the game to end, due to their ten-point lead in the middle of the third period. Sophomore Chris Smok’s first goal of the game, being the team’s 11th, solidified the maximum goal differential and led both teams off the ice early.
The Blue Devils started the game with goals from two senior captains, Aidan Wilson and Jackson Chicola. With only a few minutes left, Glen Rock surprised the crowd with a shot rifled to the back of the Blue Devils net, however, Reed was able to settle his team’s nerves, providing goals with 25 seconds and 9 seconds left in the first period.
Westfield fell into their stride in the second period, dominating Glen Rock by putting in five more unanswered goals. Several players found many minutes as underclassmen were able to step up and contribute with goals and assists. The second period ended with the Blue Devils leading 9-1, and halfway into the third period, they bumped it up to 11-1. Head coach Joe Bertucci said, “What I’m happy about today is everybody’s contribution and we didn’t fall into bad habits which is easy to happen in games like these.”
Senior goalie Jack Garguilo stepped up today for the Blue Devils as he played his first full game alongside his teammates. Despite gaining his first varsity minutes, Garguilo said going into the game he felt “no pressure because [his] teammates are always so supportive” and “always make [him] feel great and have [his] back.”
Moving forward, Westfield looks to continue playing as a unit. Injured senior captain Jack Conrod said, “The key to our success is playing as a unit, without one line contributing more than all the others, but instead everybody working towards the same goal together.”
This is a heavy week for the Blue Devils as they face Randolph on Dec. 20th at 5:45 pm for their third game of the week. Early in this season, the team’s unity is already a common trend among teammates and coaches. Reiterating Conrod’s statement, Bertucci said, “We have a very deep team. Our success comes from our depth, everybody contributing and working hard on the ice, and I’m comfortable playing all of our players.”
