Henry Smith wasn’t an unknown freshman to Westfield High School boys' soccer coach George Kapner as the season drew close.
Kapner had heard about the promising striker from former Blue Devil Nick Barba. Barba told Kapner that Smith was a keeper. Smith made an impression at summer captain practices. The word got around. Before Barba went off to college, Barba told Kapener that Smith was the real deal.
“Nick told me I had to keep him,’’ Kapner said. “I don’t keep freshman if they aren’t going to start and or play a great deal. I don’t let them sit on the bench. I didn’t expect Henry to make it; of course, he’s a freshman. But he’s not only doing everything we ask, but keeping his head together. He’s played the game a long time.’’
Smith made the big difference as he scored in the 70th minute Saturday to lead Westfield to a 1-0 season-opening win at East Brunswick.
“I sent a free kick in from about the 40-yard line,’’ said junior Ryan Heine, who got an assist. “It wasn’t that good. It was a little short. It got sent back out and I got it back and I sent it in again. Henry slipped behind the defense. He got a good touch and volleyed it in.’’
Smith is one of a big group of youngsters who are playing because of the graduation of several seniors, and injuries to others. Freshman back Maxwell Marchiano is another of the Blue Devils making an early contribution.
“I ran up to it,’’ said Smith. “I chested it down and put it in with my right foot. It feels good. It feels really good.’’
Smith said that being diminutive has its advantages.
“I got a couple of high kicks, they tried to clear it out and they hit me in the chest,’’ Smith said.
The Blue Devils held after Smith’s goal, keeping the Bears off the board as keeper Zach Zagorski made several saves in the last few minutes. Zagorski played the second half after Adam Fine started.
“We lost a lot of seniors, and have a lot of injuries, so people were a little nervous at the beginning and it took us a while to get going,’’ Heine said.
Kapner called Smith’s goal “wonderful,’’ but added that he wasn’t happy with the way his team started the game or the way it started the second half.
“We created some really good opportunities, but we didn’t finish,’’ Kapner said. “We possessed the ball, moved it from side to side and played the way we wanted to. In the second half, I thought we were more scattered. But Ryan made a wonderful play and Henry finished, that’s his job as a striker. It’s a wonderful thing as a freshman to score the winning goal with 10 minutes left in the match.’’
He added that the Blue Devils showed trust in each other.
“They put their bodies in front of the ball,’’ the coach said. “It was a good win.’’
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