One very competitive showdown after another certainly kept the Westfield High School girls lacrosse team on its toes this season. The Blue Devils kept jockeying for positions with numerous top-10 teams, winning some crucial ones and losing some crucial ones; but in the end, they won the Stars & Stripes Red Division with a 5-0 record and finished 17-6 overall for a No. 5 ranking.
The Blue Devils opened their season with a 13-6 win over Glen Ridge (finished ranked No. 8) then lost 95 to the Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs (finished No. 10). A 16-5 triumph over Shawnee was followed by a 9-8, overtime setback to the Kent Place Dragons, who would go on to win the Non-Public title and finish 19-2 for the No. 1 ranking.
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Next came an 11-8 win over Mendham (won Group 2 title, finished 17-5 with No. 7 ranking).
A 4-3 win over Oak Knoll (21-4, finished No. 3) marked the first time in 12 years that the Blue Devils topped the Royals. But an 11-10 win over the Chatham Cougars left everyone wondering which would be the No. 1 team. An easy 16-7 ride over Northern Highlands was followed with a rough and tumble, 10-9, overtime victory over the Ridgewood Maroon, who would go on to win the North Jersey, Group 4 and overall Group 4 crown and be ranked No. 2.
An eye opener was next when the Blue Devils traveled to New York and suffered a 16-4 thrashing by the sticks of Ward Melville. The Blue Devils shook off that experience and defeated the Summit Hilltoppers (won NJ Group 3 title), 13-7. After topping 19-5 Pingry, 12-9, the Blue Devils humbled the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders, 17-2, in the Union County Tournament quarterfinal then dropped an 8-7 decision to Kent Place. A 7-6, overtime stinger to the Morristown Colonials (finished 18-6, No. 4 ranking) would be followed by a string of seven-straight victories.
The Blue Devils leveled Morris Knolls (13-9), SPF Raiders (19-9), Princeton (16-2) and Montgomery (18-2) then faced then No. 2 Moorestown (finished 17-5, No. 6) and emerged victorious, 9-6. The Blue Devils peeled West Orange, 18-0, in the first round of the North Jersey, Group 4 Tournament then tumbled Montclair, 18-4, before bowing to Ridgewood, 9-7, in the semifinal.
The Blue Devils’ success came from a very aggressive offense and a stead- fast defense that would total an amazing 383 forced turnovers. Two seniors headed the offense and defense, respectively. Offensively attacker Gillian Cohen led the team with 70 goals and 44 assists for 114 points. She also scooped 37 ground balls, had 37 draws and forced 17 turnovers. MaeveWojcik (3 goals) was the brick wall on defense, led the team with 81 forced turnovers and added 57 ground balls (2nd) and 48 draws.
Sophomore midfielder Kate Cymbor had spectacular all-around skills, finishing with 62 goals and 23 assists for 85 points. She led the team with 89 draws and 69 ground balls, and was second in forced turnovers with 70. Sophomore attacker Lorelei McGorty finished with 42 goals and 14 assists for 56 points, 27 ground balls, 62 draws (2nd on team) and 10 forced turnovers. Sophomore midfielder Eloise Murphy finished with 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points, 47 ground balls (3rd), six draws and 44 forced turnovers.
Junior attacker Skylar Abo came up with 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points and added nine ground balls and four forced turnovers. Senior attacker Maddie Smith finished with 14 goals, four assists, 15 ground balls and nine forced turnovers. Junior midfielder Kate Paris finished with 12 goals, two assists, nine ground balls, 11 draws and two forced turnovers. Freshman midfielder Carolina Corcoran got into the action and recorded six goals, seven assists, 21 ground balls, 13 draws and four forced turnovers. Junior Giada Barbosa finished with three goals, an assist, two ground balls and a forced turnover.
Junior Grace Simms recorded four goals, five assists, five ground balls and a forced turnover. Sophomore Lily Flynn had five goals, three assists and a ground ball. Freshman Taylor Morris had a goal and five assists. Defensively senior Emily Kennedy (3 goals) forced 40 turnovers and recorded 35 ground balls and two draws. Junior defender Logan Partridge was third on the team with 55 forced turnovers and added 31 ground balls and a draw. Freshman defender Molly Wojcik (goal, assist) forced 41 turnovers and scooped 21 ground balls.
The Blue Devils, who outscored their opponents, 271-153, went with two primary goalkeepers but did on occasion allow seven others to experience guarding the cage. Freshman Mia Calderon-Brown recorded 41 saves and allowed 83 goals. Junior Payton Monusky recorded 67 saves and allowed 65 goals. Sophomore Ava Tankard allowed five goals.
The impressive efforts of Cohen and Wojcik, along with Smith and Kennedy this season, has set a great example for all the returning Blue Devils next year.
