Belmont Girls’ Soccer Falls Victim To Natick’s Clinical Attack, Losing State Semifinal 5-0

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Photo: Belmont’s Danica Zicha (No. 10 on right) taking down the pitch against Natick.

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer has played against every type of team this season: fast, physical, defensive-minded, and go-for-broke attack football. And for the vast majority of those games, the Marauders were able to come away with the victory.

At the semi-finals of the MIAA Division 1 state championships on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Woburn, Belmont met a completely different sort of opponant in Natick High’s Redhawks: one that was deadly clinical.

In a match settled in the first half, the Redhawks took advantage of their chances to bury three goals past junior Belmont keeper Martha Dimas in the first 40 minutes to ultimately take a 5-0 victory over Belmont. Natick won the state championships on Saturday, defeating Franklin, 4-2, as it took its third title in four years.

“All credit goes to Natick. They have a great team,” said Belmont Head Coach Jemmy Cange, whose team ends the season with 17 victories (17-3-2). “I’m proud of the girls. They did a hell of a job all year long. And today, we got beat by a better team, which is fair,” he said.

Not that Belmont was completely overwhelmed in the game, with twice as many corners while keeping about half of the possession thorough out the contest. Belmont senior center forward Danica Zucha, with 36 goals this season before she heads to Connecticut College in the fall, continued her on-field leadership despite being tightly covered throughout the game. Juniot midfielders Madhavi Ramadas and Zoe Merion were the equals of the physical Natick players. The difference was Natick’s play in the Marauders’ final third which decided the game.

Natick’s first tally resulted on a quick start of a free kick to the left of Belmont’s goal. Senior Lydia Proia found her twin sister, Nicole, who sprinted towards Dimas. As Belmont’s defense collapsed on her, they left sophomore Kerry Sheriff alone at the 10 meter penalty spot where Nicole found her with an on target pass. It was 1-0 Natick with 21 minutes remaining in the half.

Belmont came closest to knoting up the match a few minutes later when Zicha found first year wing Clara Sciandra open 15 yards in front of the net. Her grass cutter shot forced Redhawk senior goalkeepr Katie McMahon to make a falling-away save that kept Natick lead secure.

Natick’s second eight minutes later was a thing of beauty: picking up the ball 15 yards from goal, Sheriff sidestepped a pair of Marauders then one-timed a shot over a stranded Dimas that dipped gently into the net.

Belmont attemped a way back – its best opportunity a header off a corner from Ramadas – but with two minutes remaining in the half, a spot-on pass from Nicole Proia found senior Abby McCauley in acres of space on the right side. The shot snuck just inside the right post, giving Natick at three goal lead and effectively ending the match.

To its credit, Belmont continued to battle through the half, coming close to ending the shutout via senior Farrah Harris who rocketed a shot inside 10 yards that McMahon deflected out with her body. Harris was also involved in a melee in the Redhawks’ box with a dozen players seeking to head the ball everywhich way with Harris having the best chance that required a goal line stop.

But a pair of goals at the death was just the exclamation mark of a good team finishing off an opponant.

Belmont witnessed the final game for senior forwards Zicha and Nora Goulding, a quintet of defenders – Ashley Waters, Harris, Maya Bernback, Sarah Le Tonqueze, and Grace MacDonald – a trio from the midfield including Madison Dubois, Erin Estrada Donahue, and Neil Taylor.

“And I’m very happy for the seniors. We have a lot of great seniors, a great leader [Zicha] on that team. I’m so happy with the season, aside the way this game ended,” said Cange. “We’re gonna build on this season. There’s only one way to go with these players,” he said pointing skyward.

Former Select Board Chair Announces Run For Town Moderator: Interview With Adam Dash

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Photo: Adam Dash

There will be more than one contested town-wide race at the Belmont Town Election as Adam Dash has confirmed he will seek the Town Moderator post currently held by Mike Crowley.

“I am in the race,” Dash told the Belmontonian.

The Goden Street resident, who served on the Select Board for two terms from 2017-2023, filed paperwork to create a candidate’s campaign committee on Nov. 14. Former School Committee member Amy Checkoway is the committee chair and Matt Lennon is the treasurer.

Town Moderator is a one-year term position. Nomination papers will be avaliable to potential candidates in the days after Thanksgiving, according to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

The Town Moderator In Belmont presides over Town Meeting and manages its proceedings, according to the Belmont Town Meeting Member Handbook. Main duties include setting the meeting’s agenda in coordination with other officials, making sure meetings run smoothly and fairly, and appointing members to several important committees such as the Warrant and the Comprehensive Capital Budget committees.

The Belmontonian held a short impromptu interview with Dash at the opening of the Belmont Sports Complex on Saturday. 

Belmontonian: Why are you running for Town Moderator?

Adam Dash: “I believe I have the skills to handle the position. It actually plays into my wheelhouse with the main four functions of it: One is making legal rulings on the fly during the Town Meeting. And I am a lawyer who does municipal law and ran large meetings in a hybrid fashion which I did for years on the Select Board. Second is experience appointing people to committees, and I did that for six years, appointing probably 300 to 400 people onto some 60- odd committees. Third, I will also be like a mentor and senior person to bounce ideas off of for other elected officials who can’t talk to each other due to the Open Meeting law. And, four, I think that I could do some things to improve how town meeting is functioning. I was the chief of the executive branch as chair in the Select Board, and I made fundamental changes and improvements to that during my time, and I would like to do that as the chair of the legislative branch.”

Something I will focus on will be appointing Warrant Committee members to make sure that we had balance geographically in town, and that we have representation of other people in town.

Adam Dash, candidate for Town Moderator

Belmontonian: One area the current moderator has emphasized is beefing up the Warren Committee in its role of financial watchdog for Town Meeting. What do you see the role of the Warrant Committee and would you make any changes to that?

Dash: “As someone who was for nine years on the Warren Committee, including being its vice chair and two subcommittee chairs, I am intimately involved in how the Warren Committee operates, and I can tell you that they do Yeoman’s work that nobody ever sees, as far as providing budgetary help and information, interviewing department heads and making recommendations to town meeting. I believe Town Meeting takes that very seriously.”

“Something I will focus on will be appointing Warrant Committee members to make sure that we had balance geographically in town, and that we have representation of other people in town. We have a large Asian community. When I first was on the board, there were probably almost no Asian residents on any of the committees. There were no women on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Those are things that I went out and talked to people, to get them to apply, so we could actually make the committees look like Belmont. These are things that I’ve done quite a lot for very long time, over a lot of committees.”

Belmontonian: Under your leadership, what would the Town Moderator’s relationship be with the border community?

Dash: “I think [Town Moderator] has been a good sounding board. For instance, when I had some ideas and I wanted to talk to somebody, I could not talk to the other Select Board members outside of a meeting. I also did not want to put the Town Administrator in any questionable position, because she has to work for all the Select Board members. However, I could talk to the Town Moderator [Mike Widmer], not to get policy ideas, but to just sort of get a sounding board. I think I have the experience in town from my time on the Zoning Board and the Warrant Committee, the Pool Building Committee, High School Building Committee, Structural Change Impact group and the Capital and the CPA committees, and the Select Board. All of those things give me a very broad, big view of the big picture. And as a lawyer who gives counsel to people, I think that I could fulfill that role, which is an unofficial, unwritten job of the Moderator that is not as robust as it could be.”

Belmont Town Election will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Dionne Stepping Down From Select Board, ‘Doesn’t End My Commitment To Public Service’

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Photo: Elizabeth Dionne

Elizabeth Dionne, who helped transform the Belmont Select Board into a more business friendly body and who actively supported a pro-economic growth agenda for the town, announced she will not seek re-election to her post in the coming Town Election in April, 2026.

“Serving on the Select Board has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Dionne said in a press release dated Nov. 17. “This community’s trust has meant everything to me, and I am immensely proud of the work we have accomplished together.” 

Dionne – who is in her last year of her first three-year term on the board – said she expects to complete her current term.

While she did not elaborate her reason for leaving the board, “it doesn’t end my commitment to public service. I will be announcing future plans shortly.” Speculation of Dionne’s next move range from a run for higher office or a move to a state agency.

“Elizabeth will be hard to replace. She’s a reformer who believes that Belmont can and should tackle its most deep-seated problems,” said fellow Select Board member Taylor Yates.

An attorney who advocates for special education students, the Wellesley Road resident made a name in town as a member of Town Meeting, Warrant Committee and as chair of the Community Preservation Committee before joining the Select Board in 2023 winning the seat unopposed.

During her tenure, Dionne said she brought “thoughtful fiscal stewardship, commitment to transparent government, and [a] focus on long-term planning for Belmont’s financial health and infrastructure.” A central theme of Dionne’s stewardship has been revamping the zoning bylaws to promote a “friendlier” environment for businesses and developers by promoting commercial investment.

“I remain deeply committed to Belmont and its future,” Dionne added. “I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and to continuing my work as an active and engaged resident. This town is full of talented, passionate people, and I am confident the next Select Board Member will continue building on the significant progress we’ve already made.”

With Dionne’s exit, the first question many are asking is who is likely to run for her seat. When asked, many residents well versed in local politics responded that there is no clear front runner, and those who would be seen as a potential candidate have opted out when approached.

“The election to replace her may well be about whether or not we’re willing to continue making the changes needed to fix our Town,” said Yates.

Final Four! Belmont Girls Upend #1 Needham, 4-2, To Meet Natick In State Div. 1 Semifinals, Tuesday, Nov. 18

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Photo: Belmont HIgh School advance to its first MIAA Final Four since 2010 by defeating number one ranked Needham, 4-2. They await a semifinals vs. Natick on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Woburn.

On paper, an eight-seed beating a number-one ranked team in the state would be considered an upset.

But in Needham Thursday night in the Elite Eight round of the MIAA Div. 1 Girls Soccer state championships, make no mistake: the better team wore “Belmont” on its shirt.

In a thrilling late afternoon match under the lights between two top rated squads in the state, Belmont High captialized on its chances with two goals in each half to down host Needham High Rockets to launch its trajectory into the tournament’s Final Four with a convincing 4-2 victory on a field Needham had been undefeated this season.

“You shocked the world,” said Belmont High Head Coach Jemmy Cange sitting on the pitch with his team and coaches after the game. “They didn’t give us a chance against a number one team,” Cange said later. “But we are a team with a big heart and that means a lot in the playoffs.”

Belmont (17-2-2) will meet four seed Natick High (14-3-3) on Tuesday, Nov 18, at 4:45 p.m. at Woburn High School Stadium, 88 Montvale Ave. The game marks 15 years since the last time the Marauders played in a state semifinal when it faced Medfield in 2010.

Belmont’s youngsters came to the fore as sophomore midfielder Cassie Griener recorded a brace – including the game winner – 9th grader Mackenzie Teirney put the icing on the cake with a late goal, and first year Ruth Christensen was steady between the posts, coming in for Belmont’s injured starting keeper Martha Dimas.

But it was Belmont’s talisman, scoring ace Danica Zicha, whose presence on the grounds was the X Factor, that unique talent who tilted the game to Belmont’s advantage. Despite Needham providing a dance partner for her throughout the game, Belmont’s number 10 still garnered an upmost attention from the Rockets allowing Danica’s teammates with opportunities in the Rockets half of the field. Her speed and strength on the ball saw her directly involved in Belmont first three goals.

After an auspicious start for the hosts, a goal in the first 30 seconds – through sophomore Sydney Kalaw – of the opening whistle, Belmont steadied themselves. With Needham playing with numbers in the front seeking a second tally, Belmont would find wide tracts of space to exploit the Rockets lack of defenders with quick breaks into the Rockets end.

Belmont would take advantage of Needham’s lapse for its first goal: on the break, Zicha took a picture perfect 30 yard pass from midfielder Madhavi Ramadas on the run, rounded her defender and, on her favorite right foot, blasted at Rockets’ outstanding first-year keeper Maggie Peterson who parryed the ball onto a rushing Griener. Her one-timer snuck under Peterson to even the score at the 34 minute mark.

Belmont came close twice more – a great close-in save by Peterson off Griener and a weak strike with an open net – as the Marauders began taking the measure of Needham.

Every team on the road to a championship benefits from at least one moment of good fortune. As a Needham defender was clearing the ball from the goal area with 13 minutes remaining in the first half, the kick hit an on-rushing Zicha and slingshot straight into the net, reminisant to a goal in the Women Euros four years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO5nNne4UII (start video at 1:14)

“I’d be lying that I had planned it,” said Zicha of her 36th goal this season. “But a goal’s a goal, right?” she quired matter-of-factly.

But to write off the Rockets after 40 minutes would be total folly, as Needham require only four minutes into the second half to square the contest at two when Sam Levine’s cross found Michelle Faynstein who cut in front of Christensen to head the ball into the net.

But the tie wouldn’t last long. A long pass by Tierney found Zicha who spun away from her marker and it was off to the races. Alluding four defenders, Zicha’s bullet from 15 yards out was barely deflected by Peterson before hitting the crossbar. The ball rebounded to the waiting Griener who bundled the ball in from five yards out to put Belmont back into the lead at 30:37.

For the last 30 minutes, it was up to the Marauders quartet of defensive stalwarts – seniors Farah Harris and Ashley Waters, junior Elizabeth Schreiner and sophomore Vianne Capitani – fronting Christensen, who was starting her first game of the season. Needham was at its most opportunistic on set plays and corner kicks which they held a 10-1 advantage, coming close twice after Belmont took the lead.

In the midfield, a pair of juniors stood out with their ability disrupt Needham’s attack and transitioning to the offense. While Madhavi Ramadas is known for her polished ball skills – especially her deft passing – Zoe Merion gave the Marauders an edge with that willingness to conduct an all-out battle for possession. Both effectively used their quickness to get to the ball first while winning the majority of 50/50 challenges. As time ground down on the scoreboard, neither team held the upper hand with shots coming from distance or being blocked.

But Belmont would have the final word as with six minutes remaining, two first years contributed. From the throw in, first year midfielder Clara Sciandra headed for the baseline and sent a pin-point pass to an open Tierney who one-timed the ball that Peterson blocked back to the first year starter. Tierney didn’t waste her second chance, burying the ball into the net with 6 minutes left.

When the final whistle blew, unqualifed joy and excitment erupted as players engulfed a somewhat stunned Christensen. When an MIAA official attempted to give the winners their final four trouphy and banner, no one was sure what to do with them. But that was sorted away when everyone took photos of them with the silverware.

“We are going to celebrate tonight and at school [Friday],” said Cange. “But we are going back to work on Saturday. We have unfinished business to take care of.”

A French ‘Turkey’ On Stage: Performing Arts Company’s Fall Play A Farce In 3 Acts

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Photo: BHS PAC poster for its fall play, “An Absolute Turkey”

The Performing Arts Company’s annual Fall play is “An Absolute Turkey” (Le Dindon), a French bedroom farce written by Belle Époque-era playwright Georges Feydeau in 1896. This fast-paced, humorous show skewers the morals of upper class society as a group of aristocrats attempt to have extramarital affairs, or catch their spouses having an affair. When everyone accidentally ends up in the same hotel room on the same night, mistaken identities, interference from hotel guests and staff, and wacky hi-jinks lead to disaster for some and a happy ending for others. 

 Le Dindon literally is a “turkey” but in French usage denotes a dupe or fall guy.

CONTENT WARNING: The PAC Production depicts sexual situations played for laughs, but with some “adult humor” in the mix.

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13, 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School’s Black Box Theater

TICKET INFO:
ADULTS: $12,  CHILDREN: $7
​BHS STUDENTS/STAFF: $5 all performances
​Advance purchase recommended.
BHS Students/Staff can get tickets in school during lunch the week of the show

BUY TICKETS

The poster for the first performance of “Le Dindon” in 1896

Belmont’s Zicha Rains Goals Down On Central Catholic, Leading Girls’ Soccer To Elite Eight Test Vs #1 Needham

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Photo: Belmont High’s senior forward Danica Zicha celebrates her first of two goals vs. Central Catholic in the Marauder’s 2-0 Sweet 16 victory in the MIAA Div. 1 tournament.

Belmont High’s senior forward Danica Zicha had dreamed of a night like she had against Central Catholic High in the Sweet 16 round of the MIAA Div. 1 Girls’ state tournament: Scoring the winning goal to win the biggest playoff game in her high school career.

For a good part of two years, it appeared pocketing a playoff goal would have only been a dream after Zicha missed her sophomore and most of her junior seasons after suffering a devastating Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in 2023.

“Everything went great with my knee rehabilitation, but in the back of my head I kept thinking, ‘Can I come back like I was? Will my knee give out again?” she said at the end of the contest.

And then the rains came.

Zicha not only saw her dream come true, the speedy forward pocketed both goals in the 8th-ranked Marauders 2-0 victory over the nine-seed Raiders, played in a steady rain which at times fell with a monsoon’s intensity on Monday, Oct. 10, at Harris Field.

“I think this team is absolutely amazing,” said Belmont Head Coach Jemme Cange. “We worked so hard this season. We have the biggest heart when we play. We just put everything into our effort, and it’s been working.”

Zicha’s senior season has been exceptional, as she has compiled a gaudy 35 goals after Monday’s game. But the post season has a whole new importance for the Connecticut College-commit.

“In tournament games, I’m just thinking, ‘This could be my last game. I’m a senior. It’s the tournament. It’s one and done. So it’s like, I’m gonna put it all out there,” said Zicha. “I just have to stay confident and try to win for the seniors.”

Cange had high praise for his all-star.

Belmont High’s Danica Zicha scores her second vs. Central Catholic

“We know what type of player Danica is. She can change a game by herself, and that’s what she did today. She’s the team. At the end of the day, everything goes through her, and she just keeps fighting from the first minute to the last.”

The victory advances Belmont (16-2-2) to the Elite Eight where it will meet the number-one ranked Needham (17-2-1) at Needham High School on Thursday, Oct. 13, with kickoff at 5 p.m. The Rockets are on a 13 game winning streak and are 11-0-1 at home this season, while the Marauders play well away from Harris Field with eight wins against a single loss.

Unlike the slow motion start in its opening round match against Framingham, it took Belmont 99 seconds to take the lead when Zicha seized advantage of confusion between goalie and defender on whom would control a high ball by Belmont’s junior defender Elisabeth Schreiner. Zicha jumped at the chance and slotted it into the back of the net by the diving goalie.

“The girl was hesitating. I was like, ‘No, that’s mine. I’m going for it’,” she said.

Zicha’s second came a few minutes after co-captain and starting goalkeeper Martha Dimas came out of the game in the second half, to be replaced by first-year reserve Ruth Christensen. Central Catholic’s attempt to take advantage of the change left added space in the midfield. A measured pass from first year winger Mackenzie Tierney found the loosely marked Zicha in stride who beat the goalie along the pitch just inside the right post with 18 minutes remaining in the game.

“In tournament games, we’re playing amazing teams, and they can just score pretty easily. And I was like, ‘We need another goal to make sure they’re not tying the score, because I’m not taking this game to [penalty kicks, which determines a winner if the game remain tied after two overtime periods]. I don’t want to take them,” said Zicha.

But to say the victory was Zicha’s alone would downplay the exceptional performance from the entire team as the defense stiffled both of Central Catholic Division 1-commits while playing a tight, ball control style that prevented the Raiders from taking over the game’s momentum by stepping to the ball and then clearing it out and regaining possession.

And when Central Catholic utilized its effective multiple pass offense to send the attack into Belmont’s goal area, Dimas and the back line proved time and time again able to make the final stop.

“Just the way we connect with everyone in the field, they couldn’t stop our offense line at all,” said Zicha. “They were good defenders, but we just tore them down.”

“We’ve been so close as a team, especially our back line,” said Belmont senior defender Ashley Waters. “I’ve really gotten to connect with all three players – Schreiner, senior Farah Harris and sophomore Vianne Capitani – that I play with, and I think that really helps. We can kind of read each other’s minds, in a way, and we know when to drop, when to fill in, how to cover and really work.”

“I’m so proud of the defense, because they come in and love defending, and they don’t get the credit that they deserve sometimes, because the offense always get the credit,” said Cange. “They fight from the first minute to the last minute, and all credit goes to the back four,” said Cange.

Belmont will face its greatest test on Thursday facing the top of the class on the road.

“Needham is a great team, but we’re not worry about them. We have a game plan and we always stick to it, and that’s why where we are right now,” said Cange. “We’re not taking taking it easy before the game. They’re number one in the state for a reason. I know some of the players as I coached some of them. It’s gonna be a good fight. I’m excited for the matchup.”

Belmont High Bags 3 State Titles As Marauders Takes Third In Div. 2 Swim/Dive Championships

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Photo: Belmont High’s state championship 4×400 yard free style team (from left, Elizabeth Guevara, Lily Glavin, Reina Yano, and Karen Tao) that broke the school record in the 4×200.

Belmont High swimmers took home a trio of state titles and broke two long-standing school records on their way to a third place finish in the MIAA Div. 2 state championships held at Boston University’s Recreation Center Pool on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Belmont’s total of 275 points was just 17 points behind champion Wellesley High (292 pts.) and a mere seven from Chelmsford (282 pts.) in one of the closest three-way competitions in meet history.

“The girls did a great job today. They fought really hard,” said Maria ‘Lulu’ Emmons, Belmont High’s Head Swimming Coach, as the team finishes the campaign as champions of the Middlesex League meet and placing fourth in the North Sectionals just a week before.

Belmont came to the meet with high expectations – looking to place higher than last season’s third – as well as high spirits, having “sleeve” tatoos (not to worry they were temporary) of lions, tigers and other fearsome preditors applied at the team get-together the night before.

In the individual events, senior Elizabeth Guevara swam away from her competition by nearly two seconds in the first 50 to set an unrelenting pace in winning the 200 yard free style by nearly five seconds. She was the only swimmer to break two minutes coming home in one minute, 55.83 seconds, a time two seconds clear of the Div. 1 winning time set by Victoria Sigmundstad Callahan of Newton North in the afternoon.

The former club swimmer who is competing in her first – and final – season with the Marauders, finished second in the 100 yard (53.35) after leading favorite Mackenzie Gibbons of Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro at the midway mark. Despite being a runner up, it was time to celebrate as Guevara’s time of 53.35 seconds broke a quarter century old school record.

But it was in the three relays where the Marauders shined, earning 110 of its 275 points via the team races. Coming into the meet as either favorites or co-favorites in each event, Belmont would take home a pair of state championships.

“Our [free style] relays absolutely dominated,” said Emmons at poolside after the meet.

Coming out with the same lineup in the two freestyle races: 200 yard sprint and the 400 yard relays, Guevara would receive her second and third winner’s medal anchoring with junior Karen Tao leading off, junior second Reina Yano, and senior third Lily Glavin. In the sprint, the team mates took the lead from the start and swam away with the title in 1:41.42, with Guevara swimming the concluding 50 yard leg in 24.19 which would have won the individual 50 yard race. It was of little surprise that the quartet broke the school record in the event.

In the final event of the meet, Belmont was trailing Wellesley after the first leg of the 400 yard relay, and was in a real dog fight lying third by a tenth of a second with Woburn/.Burlington in second and Winchester leading. Then Glavin came through with a solid 57.03 third 100 to hand a four-tenth of a second advantage to Guevara, who simply obliterated the field with a blistering 53.10 anchor leg to finish in 3:44.57 as league rivals Woburn/Burlington would sneak past Winchester for second in 3:47.70.

In the first event of the morning meet, Belmont was right in the middle of a battle royal for the 200 yard Medley Relay title as five teams were all within a second or two for the entire race. Juniors Summing Chan and Ahana Sharma, sophomore Aislinn Reynolds and senior Lily Glavin would take 4th in 1:57.74, just 3/4 of a second – about on stroke – behind winners North Andover as the five teams were all finished within 9/10ths of second at the end.

Other scoring Marauder highlights included:

  • First year 1-meter diver Margaret Han finishing in the medals compiling 346.5 points in 6th place.
  • Chan who took nearly six second off her qualifying time as she grinded out a 5:39.78 in the grueling 500 yard free of sixth place and 13 valuable points, then coming back less than an hour later with a 7th place finish in the 100 backstroke.
  • Three points winners in the 100 breast stroke with Sharma in 8th, junior Sophia Bufano in 10th and first year Caroline Sweeney in 14th.
  • As her teammate was taking second in the event, Tao touched in sixth in the 100, just .06 seconds from 4th place coming through with 13 points. She would show off her free style stroke with the third fastest 50 free (31.94) in the 200 IM final to climb to 8th, as Sharma rounded out the points in 15th.
  • Burfano picked up four points in the 200 free.
  • Glavin was just .03 seconds out of the top ten in the 50 free.
  • Reynolds came through with a 9th and 9 points in the 100 butterfly.
  • Yano and sophomore Delaney Gutierrez pointed in the 500 yard marathon while first year Sophia Li scored in the 100 backstroke.

What’s Open/Closed Veterans Day In Belmont: Town Offices, Schools, Post Office Shut For The Holiday; Trash/Recycling Delayed A Day

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Photo: The World War I memorial during its rededication in 2015

Standing before the Belmont Lions Club, in the delta fronted by Common Street and Royal Road where in just a few weeks Christmas trees and wreathes will be sold, stands the staid and beautiful monolith bearing the names of the nine residents who gave their lives in the struggle known as the “War to end all wars.”

Cirino, Craigie, Finn, Lincoln, McAleer, Nimmo, Patrioun, Smith, and True. 

Dedicated on this day in 1923 then known as “Armistice Day” and renovated in 2015, it stands as the town’s Cenotaph – an empty tomb – its monument to those Belmont sons who are buried elsewhere.

Belmont’s World War I memorial, the town’s Cenotaph for residents who sacrificed their lives and who are buried overseas.

Laid on the back of the Bethel white granite monument to those who died in World War I are the last lines to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Voluntaries,” written in 1863 to pay tribute to another company of young men prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the nation.

“So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, ‘Thou must,’
The youth whispers, ‘I can.”

Known since the mid-1950s as Veterans Day, Tuesday is a federal and state holiday.

What’s Closed:

  • Belmont Town offices, temporary library locations at the Beech Street Center and the Benton Library and Belmont Light are closed. They will reopen to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
  • US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.
  • Banks; although branches will be open in some supermarkets.

MBTA: Buses and subways on a Sunday schedule, while the commuter rail is on a weekend schedule. Go to www.mbta.com for details.

Trash and recycling collection: There will be no collection Tuesday, Nov. 11; trash and recycling will be delayed ONE DAY this holiday week.

What’s Opened:

  • Retail stores.
  • Coffee shops: Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are serving coffee all day.
  • Supermarkets.
  • Convenience and drug stores (CVS/Pharmacy) open regular hours.
  • Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

After Slow Start, Belmont High Girls Soccer Shuts Out Framingham, 2-0, In MIAA Div. 1 First Round

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Photo: Belmont High senior mid Nora Goulding (number 5) readies to celebrate with goal scorer first year Clara Selandraski (21) after the midfielder scored the game-winning goal in Belmont’s first round tournament shut out of Framingham.

Early in the second half of a scoreless match in Belmont’s first round playoff game against Framingham, first year midfielder Clara Selandraski was unceremoniously dumped to the Harris Field pitch from a hard tackle. As she was preparing to launch the free kick 20 meters from goal along the left sideline, Belmont Head Coach Jemmy Cange came up to her with set play that orginated on the training ground.

Rather than pitching the ball “into the mixer” – the penalty area that was crowded with players – Jemme saw the Framingham goalie was favoring the left side of the box where the ball was expected to be placed. Following the classic advice of Baseball Hall of Famer Wee Willie Keeler: “Put’em where they ain’t,” Selandraski took a quick shot to the open right post. The play worked like a charm, surpising the goalie who could only follow the ball into the back of the net.

The foul that led to …
… the game winning goal against Framingham.

“The goal just put away the game,” said senior co-captain Danica Zicha “Then we calmed down, because [the game] won’t go to PKs. We’re winning now.”

“It was good that we finally get one of those goal that we really walk on practice all,” said Cange. “It was a great goal that came from the practice field.”

Asked if he should be awarded an “assist” on the goal, Cange said, “Oh, that goal was mine!”

Selandraski’s goal was the first of a pair of tallies in the second half that secured the Marauders a trip to the MIAA Division 1 Sweet 16 as Belmont shut out Framingham, 2-0. Belmont’s second came from Marauder ace scoring leader Zicha who slotted in her 31st goal of the season from 10 meters out with 18 minutes remaining in the match.

Senior Danica Zicha, Belmont High’s ‘Der Bomber’, scores her 31st goal of the season against Framingham in the first round of the MIAA Div. 1 tournament 

“I saw the ball, and I just went for it. I was like, ‘No, that’s my ball’,” said Zicha who took the shot off the ground and despite the goalie getting her gloves on it, the ball broke through into the net.

Eight-ranked Belmont (15-2-2) will host ninth-seed Central Catholic High School (16-1-2) – the alma mater of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt – in the rain on Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. The Raiders defeated Attleboro, 6-0, to advance.

The first 40 minutes saw both teams unable to put together a cohesive attack. While the offense was sputtering, Belmont defensive line put the kabash on the Falcon’s attemps to put pressure on Belmont junior goalie Martha Dimas.

Belmont High junior goalkeeper Martha Dimas registered her 10th clean sheet of the season against Framingham.

“We’ve been working with the backs for a lot. They’ve been stepping up since the whole season,” he said of seniors Farah Harris and Ashley Waters, junior Elizabeth Schreiner and sophomore Vianne Capitani. “They all went in there and did a wonderful job.”

The second half had the familiar feel of past Belmont matches with a dominance of the midfield – thanks to rangy junior Madhavi Ramadas and physical presence of sophomore Catherine Greiner – that freed up space for passes to first year winger Mackenzie Tierney and senior Nora Goulding, whose speed caused problems for the Falcon’s D-line.

What the team has to improve to take the win against a Central Catholic squad that lost a single game in the regular season (to Bishop Feehan, 2-1) and is one an 18 game unbeaten streak, will be about consistancy throughout the game.

“We definitely need to come out the way we came in the second half (against Framingham),” said Zicha. “We just need to play like that throughout the whole game. Obviously, there are gonna be a lot of nerves going into the second game, probably even more than against Framingham, but I think we can definitely do it. I think we come out strong just how we played in the second half. Everyone was connecting, everyone was talking, everyone was hyping each other up. I think if we do that, we’re gonna be like, unstoppable,” said Zicha.

“We have a slow start, but they keep fighting,” said Cange. “That’s the spirit of that team that we have all year. They never put themselves down. They keep fighting. And at the end, we were the better team, and we got the result that we wanted.”

Return To The Elite Eight: Belmont Field Hockey Shuts Out Wachusett, 4-0, In MIAA Sweet 16

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Photo: Belmont High run to celebrate with sophomore goalie Zoe Bruce after shutting out Wachusett Regional, 4-0, in the Sweet 16 of the MIAA Div. 1 Field Hockey tournament.

Belmont High Field Hockey has punched its ticket for a return trip to the Elite Eight as the 6th-ranked Marauders made easy work of 22nd-seed Wachusett Regional, shutting out the Mountaineers, 4-0, to advance to its second MIAA Division 1 state quarterfinal in as many years.

Belmont (17-3-0) will head to Wellesley to meet the one-loss Raiders (19-1-0) which needed two second half goals to defeat No. 14 Westborough, 3-1, to advance.

The quarterfinal match will take place at noon on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Wellesley High School, 50 Rice St. off of Route 16.

“I love Elite Eight!” said Belmont’s long-time Head Coach Jess Smith after the game. “I think our passing has been great and we’re moving the ball really well and that has been the difference maker tonight getting the ball down the field.”

A pair of goals in the games’ first three minutes set the tone for the night as Belmont’s sophomore forward Kendall Regan and senior co-captain Mackenzie Clarke scored in consecutive playoff games to give the Marauders an immediate cushion in its Sweet 16 match played under a near-full moon at Harris Field.

As the Mountaineers pushed hard to reverse the tide, it pressed Belmont’s solid defense – a back line of co-captains senior Niamh Lesnik and junior Elsie Lakin-Schultz with first-year Kate Townsend in the center with senior sweeper Caroline French fronting sophomore keeper Zoe Bruce who earned 10 shut outs coming into the game. As Wachusett pressed the Marauder net, including packing the shooting circle with eight players on penalty corners, Belmont’s defenders continued its steller performance having conceded 17 goals over 20 games this season, blocking attempts before they reached Bruce.

Especially impactful was Lakin-Schultz, the junior commit to Brown, who used her speed and length to shut down attacks down the favorite right side, while also contributing to the offense with rushes and passes deep in the opponant’s zone. Clarke, who next year will play Division 1 college field hockey at UConn, continued leading Belmont’s attack while slipping just infront of the defensive “wall” to disrupt the Mountaineers offense and be an outlet to start the counter attack.

Belmont’s third score came off a penalty corner mid-way through the second quarter when a 10-meter blast from Lakin-Schultz was tipped by junior “12th player” Avery Reinold in front of the goalie.

Sophomore midfielder Mia Smith pocketed the final goal as her shot somehow its way by three defenders and a goalie with four-and-change remaining in the third quarter. By the final quarter, Smith had emptying the bench and the team cruised into the next round.

It was also the final time Belmont seniors – Clarke, Lesnik, French, and Catherine Killeen – would play field hockey on Harris Field. “You’re going to make me cry,” laughed Lesnik when asked about the emotions of the moment. “It’s such a beautiful field. Mackenzie and I have played for three year on field hockey and four years on lacrosse so this is one of our many ‘happy’ places.”

“Finishing off with a win. For the past two years we’ve been undefeated on Harris and that’s major for us,” said Clark.

“Absolutely major,” Lesnik replied.

Smith said there are areas for improvement including not giving up so many penalty corners, which has been a bugaboo since last year’s quarters when Andover scored twice off the corner in a 3-0 victory. “I also think that we have to be a little further apart because we tend to get on top of each other.”

“We need to go into the game [against Wellesley] with an emphasis on our energy against such a good and skilled team,” said Lesnik. “A lot of it will come down to the team that is … hustling the most, going forth the most, bringing that mentality knowing that it could be our last game. So put everything out there.”

While Wellesely is the third-ranked team in the tournament, “that doesn’t mean anything,” said Clarke. “We play a lot of competition” that’s just as strong as who they played, she said.

Wellesley will be a tough opponant, said Smith. “They’re fantastic. They’ve won 19 games in a row and haven’t lost since the first game of the year (to number 1 ranked Walpole). I think they are full of athletes and some kids who are good at field hockey. It will be a challenge. We match up with the athletic ability on the field and we have some really strong players. It’s anyone’s game.”