Only four teams in Group 4 remaining! The chips were down when the North 2, Group 4 champions and No. 14-ranked Westfield High School girls soccer team stood across the center line against the North 1, Group 4 champion, No. 5 Ridgewood Maroon in the Group 4 semifinal game at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield on November 9. But it was the 17-1-2 Maroon, who managed to scoop up all the chips with a 3-0 victory and an opportunity to face 19-3 Freehold Township, 5-1, winners over Central Regional, for the Group 4 Championship.

The 16-2 Blue Devils minus two of their key starters, sophomore center midfielder Callie Schmidt and junior midfielder Brooke Morrison, had plenty of firepower to contend with from the Maroon with senior midfielder Isabella Winn, junior forward Lucia Mastelleone and senior forwards Jessica Kaye and Peyton Ryoo.

“Hey listen! This is the state semifinals. Ridgewood has been here the last three years. Their best player is number 10 (Isabella Winn) who is going to UCLA and is on the US Youth National team,” Blue Devil Head Coach Alex Schmidt pointed out. “Our game plan, let’s clog the middle. The game plan almost worked to perfection the first half. We lost Callie last game, lost Brooke Morrison, so two of our starters went down last game, so we had a whole bunch of girls, who don’t usually start. I think outside of maybe one play in the first half, we did a really good job.”

Mastelleone, on an assist from Ryoo, scored a first-half goal then added her second goal early in the second half and followed with an assist on Kaye’s goal midway through the half.

Within the first minute of the game, Mastelleone, who would primarily attack from the right side, drilled a shot that Blue Devil goalkeeper Sofia Buoscio (5 saves) leaped high in the air to grab. The Blue Devils had a few chances in the half both from forward/ co-captain Ella Cadigan, whose first shot was tipped out of play by Ridgewood keeper Katie Bisgrove (10 saves) which set up a right-side corner kick by junior Erin Hazard. In the final six minutes of the half, Cadigan was tripped and was awarded a pair of free kicks that missed the mark.

Coach Schmidt commented, “First couple of minutes, we had a good chance. We had a good shot off by Ella (Cadigan) that their defense covered. Soccer is a funny game because it certainly didn’t feel like it was a 30 game. I feel like they had three good chances and they finished all three chances. We hit the post, we had a couple of crosses, their keeper made one or two good saves. Could this have been a 2-1 game? Sure!”

With 19:40 left in the first half, Ryoo, who was coming down in the center, crossed to Mastelleone, who ripped the ball inside the left corner. With 33:18 on the clock in the second half, Mastelleone scored unassisted to up the Maroon’s lead to 2-0. A minute later, the Blue Devils had a good idea when sophomore Andie Janota slipped the ball to Ella Cadigan, who in turn crossed to Hazard on the right center for a shot that was saved by Bisgrove. Mastelleone threatened again with a shot that ricocheted off the football crossbar then seconds later, Ella Cadigan broke free down the center but Bisgrove dove to smother her shot.

The additional icing came with 22:42 remaining when Mastelleone crossed to Kaye, whose shot was deflected but made it into the netting. Despite the 3-0 deficit, the Blue Devil girls kept battling. Junior Audra Toth set up shots for Ella Cadigan and Ashley Yenawine but the Ridgewood defense held strong. Later, Ella Cadigan’s left-footer hit the top left post. Ella Cadigan and Hazard added corner kicks that caused scrambles in the Maroon box. Then finally, Hazard sent a long kick from midfield into Toth, whose shot was stopped by Bisgrove.

“Even at the end, there was no give up by our team. They were hitting the post, making their crosses. Of course you get to this point, you want to make the state finals. Every team thinks they are a team of destiny and sometimes it doesn’t work,” Coach Schmidt said. It was obviously a great three-year run for the Blue Devil seniors, whose won-loss-tie total during that time was 52-2-5. Their freshman year was cut quite short due to COVID 19, but they ended the season on a winning streak. Their sophomore year they won it all and were ranked No. 1 in the state.

Coach Schmidt said, “I don’t think that this is anything that these girls need to feel bad about. In the moment, yes! But the pressure of having a 54-game win streak and losing in the county semifinals. Two goals called back there. Then to rebound after that and make it through the entire section, it was a tremendous year. For the seniors, this is only their second loss ever. First loss at home. It’s tough! We knew going into the state semifinals that you want to play in these games. We 100 percent expect to be back here again next year. Figure things out with these younger girls, pick up girls from JV’s or ninth grade and girls who are even younger and move forward. Excellent season!