Prolonging the outcome of a very competitive game came down to the final three seconds in the showdown between the top-seeded Westfield High School girls soccer team and the third-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers for the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Championship at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield on November 14. The key to the game was an incredible defensive performance, a key save by junior goalkeeper Sofia Buoscio and the dazzling footwork of sophomore Emilie Cadigan, who set up forward/co-captain Audra Toth with the winning goal in a 1-0 Westfield triumph.
In the majority of the games, the offense usually gets all the glory but the solid efforts of the Blue Devils’ defense to reject attacks and redirect the ball down field to their offense with booming volleys has paid dividends. Co-captain Erin Hazard and junior centerback Callie Schmidt, along with juniors Andie Janota and Olivia DiGregorio, senior Olivia Thornton and others helped their team record their 12th shutout of the season. All season the Blue Devils’ defense has yielded just nine goals, while their offense has amassed 56 goals.
“Give coach (Sean) Casey credit for Bridgewater! They changed up some of their tactics, especially after the first half. We talked about halftime having patience but we know with Callie back there, with Erin back there, Erin’s just a phenomenal athlete. Callie is more of soccer player. The two of them together is such a combination. We ask Brusc(ia) to make a save or two a game but a lot of times, our defense is blocking shots. We talk about the ‘D’s’ on defense delay, deny, deflect are three ‘D’s’ of defense and that’s what you want to do. Especially against their Number 2 Reese Reimann, who had like 20 something goals. She gets going, she’s hard to stop,” Blue Devil Head Coach Alex Schmidt explained.
“I think that a lot of our fans, everyone takes it for granted how good our defense is. Everyone trusts our defense because they have always been solid all year long to get the ball out and up no matter what. They’ve let in only six or seven goals, which is unbelievable. You can’t be a great team without defense,” said Toth, who added, “We get all the glory because we put the ball in the back of the net but they do all the hard work.”
Callie Schmidt explained, “It comes from a lot of communication in the back line. It’s working together and staying organized. We got to make sure we play lockdown defense.” Hazard added, “One thing we prioritize is working together and staying organized, our communication or body language. We try to get the ball up to our forwards. We value our forwards a lot. It’s not just defense too.”
Obviously when two great teams clash for supremacy and only one goal is scored, both defenses have done their jobs. Panther goalkeeper Brooke Engstrom was credited with six saves and Buoscio recorded five saves but her diving grab with three seconds on the clock sealed the victory for the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils had several opportunities in the first half but failed to cash in due to the effectiveness of the Panthers’ defense or of a few shots that were slightly off course. The Blue Devils had several corner kicks in the half and the first one launched by junior forward Ashley Yenawine resulted in a knock away by Engstrom.After another Yenawine corner kick was warded off, the Blue Devils got their first real opportunity with 28 minutes left in the half when Cadigan drilled a shot from 25 yards out that forced Engstrom to make a diving save.
A left-side corner by senior forward Brooke Morrison was tapped to Yenawine, who ripped the ball into a scrambling mob then after the ball deflected out of the box, Toth drilled a sizzler from outside the 18-yard mark but Engstrom smothered it. Toward the end of the half, junior forward Mary Lane’s shot from the extreme right was stopped.
The Panthers had a few opportunities and ruled the field for nearly five minutes late in the half. The most dangerous by far was by sophomore midfielder Joanna Xu, whose long free kick was just tapped away from the goal. Senior co-captain/midfielder Grace Drumgool and junior co-captain Reese Reimann also took serious shots just before the half ended.
The Panthers gained the initiative in the first few minutes of the second half but the tide changed course abruptly when Schmidt turned back a charge by Drumgool. Moments later, Cadigan dribbled down the left center, went one-on-one with a defender, used some fancy footwork to outfinesse her then skid the ball to the center where Toth tapped the ball past Engstrom for the score with 28:28 left in the game.
“I don’t think they got too many difficult chances. There was one at the end that I would have loved not to have had. Our defense for the most of the year, has been great,” Coach Schmidt said.
For Toth, a four-year starter, it was her third sectional title in four years. Hazard started three of the years and Schmidt has been a starter all three of her years. Last year, the Blue Devils beat the Ridge Red Devils, 1-0, for the title but in 2022 their quest for the title was stopped by the Watchung Hills Warriors by being on the short side of a 3-2 penalty kick shootout. In 2021, the Blue Devils shut out Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 2-0, then went all the way to win the Group 4 crown and received the No. 1 ranking after an undefeated season.
Toth expressed, “I think it’s amazing! Being able to play on our home field is a huge advantage. We are comfortable at home and we could have a season where we could do our locker room ritual. Our success over the past four years has been absolutely remarkable. It comes from the program that Coach Schmidt built. I’m super happy to be part of it.”
“I was on the team for three years. This win feels good especially being my senior year. We worked so hard all season and throughout the summer, last winter we have been working super hard getting us to where we are today. It’s a lot of energy and time, and blood, sweat and tears. It’s led by our coaches and it starts with the leaders on our team. It worked out and we got our third championship (Division, UCT, section) this year and we are hoping to make it four,” Hazard said.
“There were a couple, who have been here for three years, but for Audra, what a phenomenal career! Not since the 80’s have we been here for four years in a row,” Coach Schmidt pointed out. “We told our girls the only constant is us. We played Scotch Plains four years ago, we played Watchung Hills, then we played Hunterdon Central, we played Bridgewater. So we are playing all the big Group 4 powers in the sectional finals. Sectional finals is going to be one or two points. Having this experience, and passing this experience onto the next generation is what you want to coach. We are excited!”
The Blue Devils would face the No. 10 Montclair Bulldogs in the Group 4 semifinal on November 18.
