Chatham Starts the Season Strong, Takes Care of Westfield 12-9

On Tuesday, March 24th, the Westfield Blue Devils traveled to Cougar Field in Chatham, NJ, to take on the Chatham Cougars for a highly anticipated season-opening matchup. Westfield, the reigning Group 4 state champion and my preseason #3 team in NJ, is trying to keep their momentum from last spring, while my preseason #7 team in NJ, Chatham, came in with a chip on their shoulder after losing in the state sectional finals last year with both teams looking to start their 2026 spring campaign with a big win.   This contest started with both teams trying to set the tone, which led to an early penalty flag on Chatham, but the Cougars' man-down unit was able to come up with a big stop. On the ensuing clear, Cougars senior midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='35168' first='Shep' last='Boyd'] (Michigan) took it himself, sweeping across the top of the zone for a high-quality look at the cage and cashed in his first goal of the season with not even two minutes into the game. Following the quick start, the Cougars took off running, with goals scored by junior long-pole Johnny Roskell, sophomore midfielder Same Lowe, and senior attackman Kyle Gibney (Vermont), as Chatham took a commanding 4-0 lead to end the first quarter.   Westfield started the second frame with the ball and a man advantage due to an illegal stick check charged to Chatham between quarters, and the Blue Devils made them pay as junior midfielder Harrison Rekemeier (Hobart) found sophomore Casey Gilford on the crease for a sweet BTB goal to get some energy. Westfield junior goaltender Tyson Varner, came up with a few great stops defensively, helping the offense come to life and they took advantage with sophomore Brody Ferguson and senior defenseman [player_tooltip player_id='24399' first='Ben' last='Seward'] (Stevens) each tallying a goal along with junior attackman [player_tooltip player_id='120530' first='Koby' last='Waldman'] (Cornell) finding the back of the net twice to climb back into the game. The Cougars answered with a goal from senior Hunter Bigham, and then with less than 15 seconds left in the half, senior Ryan Hoffelder collected a pass from [player_tooltip player_id='142783' first='Charlie' last='Dunn'] (Villanova) on a strong cut inside and regained the lead 6-5 heading into the break.   To this point, Cougars sophomore FOGO [player_tooltip player_id='168692' first='Christian' last='Ciciola'] has been dominant from the X, recording seven wins on eight attempts in the first half and helping Chatham control the time of possession; however, on the other hand, Tyson Varner has played exceptionally between the pipes, recording five saves and commanding his defensive unit.   The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with the Cougars scoring two goals to start, one by Gibney and another by Hoffelder, before the Blue Devils answered with Waldman completing his hat trick and sophomore Cooper Rosen scoring a give-and-go goal on a hard cut to catch his defender off guard. Kyle Gibney answered with his third of the day as well, until Waldman came back for his fourth by splitting a double team with a great individual effort.   Waldman wasn't stopping there. Early in the final quarter, he connected on his fifth goal, beating his defender coming from X to tie it up. Ryan Hoffelder responded for Chatham with a slick low-angle rip down the alley to regain the lead, and they added to it with another goal from Boyd. Late in the game with Chatham trying to seal the victory with a big defensive stand, Waldman was swarmed by a pack of Cougars led by senior defensemen [player_tooltip player_id='82263' first='Lochlan' last='Mahoney'] (Rutgers) to jar the ball lose before junior attackman Nick Lagunowich (Notre Dame) scored his first of many goals on the season, ending any hope of a Westfield late comeback run.   Both teams will play next on Saturday, March 28th, with Chatham looking to stay hot against my preseason #9-ranked team in NJ, Rumson-Fair Haven at Rutgers University, while Westfield will work to bounce back quickly as they host Scotch Plains-Fanwood (1-0).    Gibney exudes confidence with the ball and isn't afraid to let it fly when he has space. He's off to a great senior campaign, notching a hat trick and a helper on the day. His first goal came in the opening quarter, where he stayed available in space, finding the soft spot in the defense and finishing with power on the low to high step down rip. His second tally came by him fighting hard for a better angle to get upfield for a high percentage shot, and his final goal came on an outside shot, low-to-low laser, using his defender as a screen for the goalie. The Vermont commit scored each goal in a different way and in a different location, showing how crafty, versatile, and smart he is with his shot selection. He is a strong lefty attackman and should be a big piece this year for the Cougars.     Ciciola had a great showing in his season debut, and after seeing limited time last spring, with a performance like this, he could be working his way into the starting role if he can stay sharp. He finished with 11 wins at a 69%-win rate on the day, and it felt like he was confident and in control every time his team needed him late in the game. He won a good number of draws clean and did not get flustered with the ball in his stick. He played smart by not trying to do too much with it. He has good size at the X and did a nice job of working hard in ground ball piles and getting in defensively when needed. Having a FOGO that can take over a game is a luxury, and if the Cougars have found that, they'll be able to control the clock and keep the pressure applied offensively against their opponents all season long.     Waldman was involved everywhere for Westfield offensively, staying active at X and being a threat with and without the ball to help his team. He scored a career-high six points on five goals and an assist and did his best to keep the Blue Devils in this game. He scored his first goal on a step down low-to-low with a man-up chance and then took advantage of a short-stick matchup at X late in the first half to cut the lead. The Cornell commit also connected with a smooth quick-stick on the crease and displayed his clutch gene, swimming out of a double-team late in the 3rd quarter and then taking it himself early in the 4th to tie the game. He showcased toughness and determination and showed why Westfield is going to be dangerous this year despite this early loss.

On Tuesday, March 24th, the Westfield Blue Devils traveled to Cougar Field in Chatham, NJ, to take on the Chatham Cougars for a highly anticipated season-opening matchup. Westfield, the reigning Group 4 state champion and my preseason #3 team in NJ, is trying to keep their momentum from last spring, while my preseason #7 team in NJ, Chatham, came in with a chip on their shoulder after losing in the state sectional finals last year with both teams looking to start their 2026 spring campaign with a big win.