In preparation for Westfield’s big Union County Tournament final on Saturday against Elizabeth, the Blue Devils were hoping for a light win against Union. However, the Farmers refused to allow a walkover and came out hammering.
Union’s defense was immediately relentless and stopped many of the Blue Devils’ early attempts. Junior Benedict Nematadzira stood out with various attempts at heading the ball into the goal, threatening to score on many Westfield crosses.
Deep into the first half, senior Ian Schultz had a great opportunity with the ball rolling only a few feet in front of him in front of the goal, but the Union goalkeeper was resilient and made a nice save.
Westfield kept nonstop pressure on the Farmers’ goalie, with shots from junior Zachary Preucil and senior Ryan Bertsch. Despite this pressure, the Farmers held firm, and the 0-0 stalemate continued to halftime.
Winter showed its true signs in the second half. However, the chilly weather didn’t stop the Blue Devils’ offensive fire as Westfield’s defense fired at the Union goalie.
Early in the second half, Schultz put a nice shot on goal toward the left corner, but the Union goalie made a diving save to knock the ball out.
As the second half carried on, Preucil drew a foul on Union, leading to a direct kick by senior co-captain Mike Blake. Although there was hope in the air, the Farmers’ goalie made yet another clutch save.
It was evident that Blake controlled the Westfield offense as he played a crucial role in setting up the Blue Devils’ second-half opportunities.
Union continued to move the ball down the field and even came close to scoring with a nice shot on goal, but Westfield senior goalie Michael Liebermann made a fantastic save. Liebermann had a fantastic game and has really stood out as a key player to the Blue Devils’s successful season so far.
With the defense standing strong behind them, the Blue Devil offense remained confident with their shots as sophomore Ethan Wade scored off of a rebound goal with 13 minutes remaining, pushing Westfield ahead, 1-0.
Union had a chance at a goal with a close direct kick but Liebermann once again stepped up in the box and claimed the cross.
Westfield refused to let up a goal without a fight. The Blue Devils and Farmers made some serious contact as Union pushed for one final chance, but the Blue Devils held them off.
As a result, Westfield clinched a huge 1-0 victory.
The Blue Devils’ defensive game was absolutely outstanding as they made sure nothing was going to get by them. The Blue Devil offense was similar, with Wade’s goal giving Westfield the momentum it needed to close out the game.
When asked about how the team was finally able to score its go-ahead goal despite many missed opportunities, Wade said, “We got more chances as the game was progressing. We spent more time on Union’s turf which led to an easier chance and I probably got the easiest chance of the game which I just converted.”
Westfield’s win was important for state sectional seeding. The Blue Devils are locked in a two-horse race with Elizabeth for the top seed in North 2, Group 4. Earning the No. 1 seed is significant because it guarantees home-field advantage for the duration of the sectional tournament.
Elizabeth surged ahead in the battle for the top seed with a win over Union City on Tuesday. But Westfield held serve against Union, drawing close enough to make Saturday’s county final a de facto battle for the No. 1 seed. Whoever wins on Saturday will earn not just a Union County title, but the top seed in sectionals.
The Blue Devils are determined to leave Elizabeth empty-handed in the county final, just like they did to Union.
