After having an entire season stripped away last year, the Blue Devils are hungry to take advantage of this one. The WHS Varsity Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams are currently 7-3 and 8-4, respectively as of Hi’s Eye deadline. They are both currently ranked among the state’s best teams. While Westfield lacrosse is consistently elite, it is clear that this year, the teams have taken it to a new level.

The boys team garnered attention on May 1 after a triple-overtime win against formerly Number 1 ranked Delbarton, whom they haven’t beaten in recent memory. Four days later the Blue Devils built off of that win by defeating Pingry in another overtime battle, claiming their dominance in the rivalry. This string of impressive victories has given the boys a confidence boost. 

“We are always competing for a state and county championship and this year is no different… the sky’s the limit with this team and we have our eyes set on a state championship,” said Villanova commit and senior Mack Prybylski.  

As for the girls team, three of their four losses have come against teams ranked at or inside the Top 10 in the state. While winning is always the goal, Head Coach Abby Cohn explained how losing to impressive teams can be just as beneficial for progression as wins. “It is strange to say that losses can be good, but in many cases, we learn more that way. Last week, we climbed to number 12 in the state, which may be the highest we have ever been ranked since I have been the coach here.” 

Most teams use certain games from the previous season as motivation to win, and this year the Blue Devils are using the lost season last year to fuel their fire. “Last year’s cancellation definitely put a chip on our shoulders; losing a year with the girls has made our bond even stronger,” said UC Berkeley commit and junior Avery Hoeft. 

Every athlete lost the same thing last year, and it seems that this loss has created an intense motivation to win. “This season has felt a lot more special… We play knowing that we lost a whole season and it fires us up to win more games,” said USC commit and senior Mia Fleming. 

It seems that both squads for Westfield are more motivated than ever. Best said by Cohn, “Motivation comes from wanting to prove everyone wrong who has ever doubted us in the past. We do not play against teams during the season where we say ‘oh this will be an easy W.’ Every game is a fight.” 

Stay tuned for the Blue Devils’ success as they head into states and counties, as it seems they have more incentive than ever to win.