In a long-awaited matchup between Westfield and Summit, the Blue Devils rose above their traditional tight losses and overtimes ultimately emerging triumphant, securing a 5-3 victory against the Hilltoppers for the first time in seven years. Coached by a determined staff and lifted up by unwavering team spirit, Westfield players exemplified skill execution, finally putting an end to their losing streak.
“We knew it was going to be a close game no matter what,” said William Wertheimer, who just took his first win against Summit as a head coach. “It was just going to be long possessions trying to get a shot. They have a very tough zone, they’re a well-coached team, so we just had to execute on all ends.”
The game started off strong with multiple close shots followed by gritty saves from both teams. Summit came out with the first goal of the game about halfway through the first quarter in an effort to assert their dominance on the field. Despite their one-point lead, Westfield’s energy from the bench and the student section prevailed.
“We were looking forward to this game for a while,” said senior Evan Alvarez. “So we just got really pumped up, got fired up in the locker room.” With home field advantage and energy on their side, the day was looking hopeful for the Blue Devils. Alvarez added, “We didn’t treat the game too big. It’s just another team.”
One thing about Summit is they know how to play the game. They used quick passes, fakes and the time left on the clock to their advantage. They did not rush for possession; they valued the ball. However, Westfield’s defensive unit was able to read Summit’s attack, causing turnovers and gaining possession. “We have seen Sumits offense and the way they play a million times,” said senior captain Cody Lam.“So we just adapted to that. We knew what was coming. We practiced it and displayed it on the field.”
Multiple big stops from junior goalkeeper Corey Gilford and long clears up the field from senior captain Michael Marshall would cause the sideline energy to ignite, sparking momentum into the rest of the team. Wertheimer simply called their playing, “awesome.”
On the offensive end, Westfield took their time possessing the ball, waiting for the right opportunity to score. Westfield owned the last three quarters by connecting passes and making room for their teammates to dodge and score.
Wertheimer said that in this game, instead of taking the first shot they saw, the offense took the “smart shot”, which worked in their favor. Against a working zone, Westfield was able to capitalize on quick, assisted goals. When a team moves the ball fast against this type of defense, it’s easy for the defense to get caught off guard and miscommunicate. For their third goal, junior Colin Coyle fed from the crease to junior Christian Gilford in the middle, making for a rapid, hard-to-save shot. Again, for Westfield’s last goal of the game, senior captain Danny McGann passes from the top down to Lam at the elbow who rips a shot into the net to make the score in the final quarter, 5-1.
“We know what we had to do,” said McGann. “We just had to make sure we kept track of it.”
In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Summit layed two goals on Westfield. Lam said, “[We] just stayed composed because we were up by two or three points, so there was really no need for us to rush anything more just possess the ball. We kind of let them beat themselves.”
When the final horn was blown, Westfield stormed the field. Their seven-year rut had just ended. Although this was a huge win for Westfield, they are still in the regular season, and they are likely to face a hungry-to-win Summit in the Union County Tournament where stakes are higher than ever. The team will continue to focus on each individual matchup, and they will practice until their next game against Montclair at Kehler on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m..
“There’s no ‘Westfield Weary’ in our schedule,” said Werthimer. “We got Montclair and Seton Hall Prep coming up this week. So we just gotta take it one game at a time and just see who’s up next and just get ready… they’re very prepared, ready to do anything we ask them to do.”
