Westfield boys varsity hockey team wins McInnis Cup

For the second time in as many seasons the Westfield High School boys varsity ice hockey team defeated their rival Summit High School Hilltoppers to capture an elusive title. Last year it was a 3-2 upset in the Union County Championship. This year the Blue Devils capped an exciting McInnis Cup tournament run by outlasting the Hilltoppers in a wild 6-5 final.

The road to the McInnis Cup title was not an easy one for Westfield. The unranked Blue Devils had to overcome the Montclair Kimberly Academy (MKA) Cougars (ranked #20 in the state) in the semifinals and the Summit Hilltoppers (#16) in the finals.

The challenge seemed daunting, but the unranked boys with the blue “W” sweaters were motivated. “We’ve had a good regular season” said senior captain CJ Duffy (OK, 3-5), but he added, “we really wanted to bring some hardware back to Dubfield nation.”

In the semi-finals the Blue Devils skated past the Cougars, 5-1. While the score may seem like Westfield absolutely bundled MKA, the game was close throughout. Westfield had to rely on a strong performance from Duffy against the high-powered MKA attack. The offense was fueled by nine different Blue Devils. Goal scorers were seniors Alex Park, John Humiston and Anthony Oliveri along with sophomore Brendan Kotiga and freshman Thomas Conrod. Assists were handed out by senior Tommy Duffy, juniors Will Gamba and Trevor Tanella, and freshman Matt Beke. Humiston and Park had an apple apiece.

Making the finals meant another chapter in the Summit / Westfield rivalry. Coming into the game Summit had defeated Westfield in six of seven contests over the past two seasons. The Blue Devils were keenly aware that a championship dogpile would require defeating an old nemesis.

From the drop of the puck the first period belonged to Westfield. Two goals by Oliveri and one each from Humiston and junior Nick Forno led the Blue Devils to an opening frame lead of 4-1. The boys were buzzing.

The Hilltoppers came out in the second period and seized control of the game with four unanswered goals to take a 5-4 lead. Showing resilience Westfield struck back quickly on a goal from Tanella and eventually took the lead for good on an absolute snipe from Humiston.

The senior netminder combination of Duffy and Zack Peterson, who was superb in relief of Duffy and earned the blue hardhat player of the game award, fended off the Summit offense to secure the McInnis Cup. The championship dogpile around the cup was earned and completed.

Next up, the Blue Devils hope to make some noise in the state group B playoffs as the number three seed. Westfield’s record stands at 15-5-3.

Follow the WHS boys ice hockey teams on Twitter @westfieldpuck for an informative and entertaining take on the season’s activities. Fans can also visit WHSpuck on FaceBook and Instagram. See the website for up to date team schedules at www.westfieldhockey.com.