Sports: Girls’ Hoops Dismiss Wakefield With ‘Perfect’ First; Enters Top 25 [VIDEO]

Photo: Belmont’s defense held Wakefield to a single basket in the first quarter.

For the final three-quarters, the 10-1 Wakefield Warriors played host Belmont just about even, scoring 33 points to the Marauders 32.

There was just one problem for Wakefield: a first quarter of perfection by the Marauders.

In the game’s initial eight minutes, Belmont (9-2, 9-1 in the league) played with the intensity and skill that would make the UConn Huskies proud, annihilating the 17th-ranked Warriors (10-2) 24-2 as Belmont dismissed Wakefield, 56-35 on Friday, Jan. 27.

“Wow,” said one of Belmont’s assistant coaches at the end of the first as the players came to the bench in wide-eyed astonishment, looking up at the scoreboard just to confirm what they had accomplished.

It was a quarter that Marauders’ suffocating defense stifled all but a single shot while its offense was nearly flawless, grabbing offense rebounds and making shots from in close and from a distance.

In a win in which each Marauder contributed to the victory, the night’s standout was sophomore center, Jess Giorgio. While a defensive stalwart since her freshman year – which came to the fore during last season’s playoff run – Giorgio offensive production has steadily increased through the season to where she has become a clear threat on both ends of the court.

 

Friday, Giorgio dominated the first quarter, hitting jumpers and free throws, grabbing rebounds, and making three assists on the first four Belmont baskets. In the final minute, she created a traveling offense, took a charge and made a driving layup with time running out to finish off the 24 point explosion. She finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double in three games.

“It was really, really fun to come out really hard … because we knew we had to come out to beat them.  They’re one of the biggest competitors in the league … it was a really good team win,” said Giorgio to the Belmontonian.

It was a team win from the open tipoff as Belmont’s starters outpaced Wakefield. A Giorgio offensive rebound led to a jumper from sophomore guard Meghan Tan followed by a 3 from junior forward Jenny Call. Giorgio converted a pair of free throws, a jumper, and two big defensive rebounds as Tan pickpocketed Wakefield guards for a pair of steals and junior guard and two-time all-star Carly Christofori hitting a three and free throws. By the time Wakefield called its first timeout at 3:24 remaining in the first, Belmont was up 18-2.

But the reprieve did not cool off Belmont as junior guard Alexa Sabatino 3-pointer and Giorgio’s final scoring spurt ended the quarter. While there were 24 minutes remaining in the game, the contest was essentially over.

Belmont kept the lead above 20 until midway through the fourth quarter when a Wakefield 3 cut the lead to 17 (50-33). But baskets by Giorgio (outrebounding a pair of Warrior defenders), sophomore Jane Mahon and Riley Haight gave Belmont its final margin of victory.

Next up for Belmont is a trip to meet the SpyPonders at Arlington on Friday, Feb. 3. 

Sports: Record Breaking Seniors Night As Boys’ Swimming Takes Winning Record to Leagues

Photo: Belmont’s record-breaking relay team; Owen Luo, Sam Thompson, Will Findlay and Rickey Ye.

It was a special Seniors Night at the Higginbottom Pool on Wednesday, Jan 25. The Belmont High Boys’ Swim squad praised their graduating teammates for their dedication and leadership with words, balloons and a few tears.

But it wasn’t simply the heartfelt feelings that perirated the pool which made the event significant. The final dual meet of the 2016-17 season saw the boys’ set a new standard for success for the program. Under first-year head coach James Saidnawey, the team finished with a 6-3 record, a marker that hasn’t been matched for a good number of years.

“A great first year. I had a lot of fun. We grew a lot as a team from the beginning to now,” said Head Coach James Saidnawey.

And it was the team’s outstanding 200-yard freestyle relay that put an exclamation mark on the night as the quartet of sophomores Rickey Ye and Sam Thompson, junior Will Findlay and senior Owen Luo broke the 13-year-old pool record by two seconds and the varsity best by a tenth of a second.

“Speaking for myself and my teammates, I grew up swimming in this pool and I looked at the [record] board. It’s a really great thing to be on that board,” said Findlay who anchored the team home in 1 minute, 35.25 seconds.

The 200 relay along with the medley relay and two individual swimmer – Thompson in the 50 free style sprint and junior Luc Durand in the 100 butterfly – have qualified on time for the Division 2 state meet in February and will be leading the team into next week’s Middlesex League meeting with a solid chance of capturing the league championship flag for the first time since … well, let’s just say a long time. 

Wednesday meet against Burlington was a run away as the Marauders’ experience and power bested the visitors. Belmont started off the blocks in fine fashion going 1-2-3 in the initial three events; the medley relay, 200 free (Damien Autissier, 2:02.44) and 200 individual medley (Ye, 2:18.60). Ye would come back for the 100 breast victory in 1:11.03.

Both Thompson and Findlay dipped under 24 seconds in the 50 and Durand broke a minute in his speciality, the 100 fly (59.75) while taking the 100 back in 1:01.32. Autissier powered to the 500 free victory, nearly lapping the field in 5.23.43.

Belmont will head off to the league meet at Bentley University next Thursday looking to keep their hot streak going and hoping that powerhouse Lexington will lose a few points here and there to good swimmers on weaker teams.

“If we work hard, we have the boys who can bring home the title,” said Findlay.

It was a special Seniors Night at the Higginbottom Pool on Wednesday, Jan 25. The Belmont High Boys’ Swim Squad praised their graduating teammates for their dedication and leadership with words, balloons and a few tears.

But it wasn’t simply the genuine feelings that filled the pool which made the event significant. The final dual meet of the 2016-17 season saw the Boys’ set a new standard for success for the program. Under first-year head coach James Saidnawey, the team finished with a 6-3 record, a marker that hasn’t been matched by a good number of years.

“A great first year. I had a lot of fun. We grew a lot as a team from the beginning to now,” said Head Coach James Saidnawey.

And it was the team’s outstanding 200-yard freestyle relay that put an exclamation mark on the night as the quartet of sophomores Rickey Ye and Sam Thompson, junior Will Findlay and senior Owen Luo broke the 13-year-old pool record by two seconds and the varsity best by a tenth of a second.

“Speaking for myself and my teammates, I grew up swimming in this pool and I looked at the [record] board. It’s a really great thing to be on that board,” said Findlay who anchored the team home in 1 minute, 35.25 seconds.

The 200 relay along with the medley relay and two individual swimmer – Thompson in the 50 freestyle sprint and junior Luc Durand in the 100 butterfly – have qualified for time for the Division 2 state meet in February and will be leading the team into next week’s Middlesex League meeting with a solid chance of capturing the league championship flag for the first time since … well, let’s just say a long time.

Wednesday meet against Burlington was a run away as the Marauders’ experience and power bested the visitors. Belmont started off the blocks in fine fashion going 1-2-3 in the initial three events; the medley relay, 200 free (Damien Autissier, 2:02.44) and 200 individual medley (Ye, 2:18.60). Ye would come back for the 100 breast victory in 1:11.03.

Both Thompson and Findlay dipped under 24 seconds in the 50 and Durand broke a minute in his specialty, the 100 fly (59.75) while taking the 100 back in 1:01.32. Autissier powered to the 500 free victory, nearly lapping the field in 5.23.43.

Belmont will head off to the league meet at Bentley University next Thursday looking to keep their hot streak going and hoping that powerhouse Lexington will lose a few points here and there to good swimmers on weaker teams.

“If we work hard, we have the boys who can bring home the title,” said Findlay.

img_6023 img_6029 img_6033 img_6040 img_6047 img_6052 img_6053 img_6055 img_6064 img_6067 img_6088 img_6091 img_6138 img_6163 img_6170 img_6178 img_6184 img_6186 img_6189 img_6194

Sports: Boys’, Girls’ Hoops Push To Playoffs By Rocketing By Reading

Photo: Sophomore guard Daniel Yardemian scoring against Reading.

After a brief respite for midterms from Middlesex League play, Belmont High Basketball teams got back on the court Friday, Jan. 20, to continue their march towards the playoffs with dual victories over Reading Memorial High.

Boys batter Charlestown, out work a physical Rocket squad

Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard said when he looks to out-of-league games to play, he tries to schedule the toughest teams he can.

“I have to play the best to be the best,” he said targeting “city” teams the squad would be punching-up in games.

Earlier in the season, the Marauders took on Everett (83-67 loss) and New Bedford (55-52 win) before heading to Boston’s Cathedral High School for a match on Sunday, Jan. 15, against an 8-3 Charlestown team. In the pregame warm-ups, the Townies had three players demonstrating various dunk shots in front of a Belmont team that might have a single player who could slam the ball on the rare occasion.

But the BABC Winter Classic matchup proved to be a showcase for Belmont’s captain and senior center Paul Ramsey who scored 19 points in the first quarter, hitting five baskets and nine free throws in just eight minutes as Belmont took a 28-19 lead over the Division 1 powerhouse.

But equally as important was Ramsey play against Charlestown’s big men putting them in foul trouble and forcing them to sit for long stretches.

“[Ramsey] is a special player because he plays both ends of the court,” said Pritchard.

Ramsey stayed hot in the second with nine more points (of a game-high 34 points) followed by eight from junior forward Tomas Donoyan (19 points) and exciting sophomore Daniel Yardemian (12 points) with six as the Marauders built its lead to 15, 52-37, at the half.

Belmont bombed away with three 3s from Donoyan, senior Cal Christofori (4 points) and senior guard Nick Volante (3 points) while its swarming defense left Charlestown with only 12 points in the third quarter giving Belmont a big cushion of 22 points entering the fourth. 

“It was a satisfying win against a class team,” said Pritchard. 

Belmont came home on Friday and dealt a physical and tall Reading squad an 11 point loss, 71-60, in a tight game until the final four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Belmont relied on Christofori who scored 14 points that included several spinning drives and one long range 3 to give the Marauders an 11 point margin at the half. Belmont outscored Reading 9-1 in the final 2:17 of the second as senior guard Bryan Goodwin (3 points) drained an NBA-range 3 pointer and junior forward Will Ellet (7 points, 4 in the second) came off the bench to spark the offense.

img_5681 img_5720 img_5722 img_5725 img_5730 img_5735 img_5754 img_5770 img_5779 img_5787 img_5841 img_5844

Reading came out for the third going to their big man, 6’4″ senior center Corey DiLoreto (who like Christofori plays football, hoops and baseball) who scored four of his 10 points in the third, which allowed guard junior guard Matt Panacopoulus (14 points) to slash to the basket, scoring twice and going to the free throw line twice going 4-4. Reading cut the lead to 2, 49-47, with 10.5 seconds remaining, which was 10.4 seconds enough for Yardemian to hit a 15 footer with no time on the clock. 

The rough and tumble game resulted in a confrontation for the ball midway through the quarter in which Chistofori and senior Joe Bradley got a bit too physical resulting in Bradley being assessed a technical foul.

Reading cut the lead to 2, 49-47, with 10.5 seconds remaining, which was 10.4 seconds enough for Yardemian to hit a 15 footer with no time on the clock. 

“We were playing one-on-one basketball which allowed [Reading] which is a very good team to come back,” said Pritchard. “But this team has shown they can regroup without panicking.”

The fourth quarter was a tightly fought affair until midway through when a Yardemian stop and pop, a Hamparian 3 pointer, one of two from the line by Ellet and a pair of free throws from Christofori basically put the game on ice, 64-57, with two minutes to go. 

“It’s great to have a sophomore [Yardemian] who can come off the bench as a point guard and wants to drive to the basket,” said Pritchard.

Next up for Belmont is a home game vs. Burlington on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.

Another game, another player steps up for Marauders as Girls’ push back Rockets

Someone should tell junior captain and all-star point guard Carly Christofori about the concept of  “bulletin-board material.”

It all started when the Belmont High Girls’ basketball team won a contest – the High School Hoops Challenge – to appear on a Boston radio station 103.3 AMP Radio. While there, which included Jenny Call beating the DJ (that would be “JD” the DJ) in a free-throw contest, Christofori was asked to predict the score of the upcoming match with Reading.

“170,000 to 3,” said Christofori.

“I thought, ‘Let’s hope Reading’s not listening,'” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart.

This edition of Reading is nothing like the team Belmont met two years ago when the Marauders nearly shut out the Rockets, allowing a single three-pointer to lead 23-3 at the half and then stretching it to 37-3 advantage midway through the third quarter in the 2015 game.

This season Reading found a shooter in sophomore forward Haley Lightbody and plays a very physical game on both ends of the court, bringing in a 5-3 record as it hosted Belmont Friday.

Belmont ran off to a slim 17-15 lead after one quarter before Lightbody (with a game high 18 points) started scoring as it looked that Reading would take a three point lead into the half before junior forward Greta Propp scored to keep the game within one.

It was Propp on the inside (who finished with a team-high 14 points) and sophomore center Jess Giorgio (12 points and numerous rebounds) dominating the key that brought back Belmont to retake the lead by four points entering the fourth, 43-39, before pulling away through Christofori going to the free throw line, winning by 11, 56-45.

Propp’s breakout performance – after having been sick for a few weeks – was the second time in two games in which player came off the bench to top the team in scoring; senior guard Riley Haight scored a game-high 13 (including a trio of 3s) in Belmont’s doubling up of Winchester, 68-34, last Friday.

Belmont will be away at Burlington on Tuesday before come home for a homecoming Friday night against 9-1 Wakefield.

Sports: Boys’ Hockey Focusing On First Playoff Berth in Six Years

Photo: Junior goaltender Kevin Dacey has a .951 save percentage at the midpoint of the season.

By William Findlay

Belmont High School Boys’ Ice Hockey Head Coach Fred Allard had a few words for his team as it takes aim for a playoff spot at the midpoint of the season. 

“We just need to stay focused on what we do well and keep pushing towards our [tournament] goal, and to not take anything for granted,” said Allard, as the Marauders seeks its first playoff berth since 2011. 

Entering a de-facto bye-week (Jan. 16-20), the Marauders (6-2-2 overall, 4-2-0 in the league) will look to hone its skills on the practice ice before a tough stretch of games; facing perennial league leaders Reading High (5-3-0, 5-0-0 in the league) league twice in a week and playing away to a strong Burlington High team (3-4-1 overall)

“The Middlesex League is the toughest public school league in the state year in and year out so the strength of schedule is no surprise to us.” said the second-year coach on the difficulty of the upcoming games. 

Despite a rigorous upcoming game schedule for the Marauders, efforts to meet their season goal of making the tournament have become significantly easier following a 4-1 win over Middlesex League opponent Winchester. Although a physical game throughout, the Marauders used their overwhelming speed and skill to outplay the Sachems last Saturday, Jan. 14 at Skip Viglirolo Rink.

“We knew they would be physical but also that [we] would be able to match the physicality and felt we had a slight advantage in team speed.” said Allard on the brand of hockey played by the Marauders.

The Marauders totaled 103 hits in the game, with the hard-nosed Junior defenseman Dennis Crowley leading the team with 12, followed closely by Sophomore blueliner James Nally, who tallied 11. Crowley also leads the team in total hits with a solid 70.

At times during the contest, the chippiness of this Middlesex League clash got out of hand, starting with a big scrum in front of the Winchester net at the end of the second period resulting in Winchester’s Chris Wilson receiving a game misconduct penalty.

“For the most part we did a good, job restraining ourselves in order to take advantage of power-plays,” Allard commented on his team’s overall grittiness in the game.

At the start of the third period, the Marauders found themselves a man up. Unfortunately, Connor Dacey and Kevin Quirk, members of the Marauders first power play unit, were themselves in the penalty box. Allard decided to add Austin Cole and Junior Asst. Captain Ben Brody to the power-play unit.

“For the boys to respond with a power-play goal [by Junior winger Will Domeniconi] so early in the third [period] was just awesome,” said Allard. 

“We are pretty deep at forward and Alec Morin stepped in for Connor [and moved Domeniconi to center] and gave us some quality minutes!”

The Marauders power-play goal was one of two they scored in the final frame, and the second of a two-goal performance by Domeniconi. Domeniconi also chipped in with an assist, placing him second on the team point totals behind his linemate Connor Dacey, who also scored and had an assist versus Winchester. Domeniconi played a hard-working, two-way game, finishing with nine hits for the Marauders. Junior Stevie Rizzuto used his speed and size to score a goal and assist for one, putting him at seven points on the year.

Junior goaltender Kevin Dacey played a stellar game between the pipes, facing 40 shots with 39 saves, bringing his season save percentage up to a .951. A key moment for Dacey was a kick save in the second, pushing left to right to rob Winchester of what could have been a momentum-shifting goal.

“Kevin has always been a great goalie but the extra, time he spent in the gym during [the] off-season has allowed him to be even stronger. He is our backbone.” noted Allard.

The win against Winchester has been particularly momentous for players of this year’s graduating class. 

“We awarded [the player of the game] to our seniors Cam Jefferson, Adam Cronin, Austin Cole, Kevin Quirk Mike Pergamo, Kevin Martin and Curtis Marusiak. This is their first win vs. Winchester in their careers, with a low-light of 10-0 loss at home to close out their freshman year. The senior leadership is a big reason for our early success.” commented Allard. 

image1-1

The seniors were big factors in the win over the Sachems, with blue-liners Kevin Quirk and Adam Cronin making their presence felt on offense. Quirk had two assists and eight hits, bringing his total to 59, while Cronin assisted on a goal and bruised the Winchester wingers for nine hits.

The Marauders 4-1 win over the Sachems moves them to just six points out of the playoffs, and Allard looks poised to take the Marauders there for the first time in his career.

The Marauders play next at “The Skip” on Monday, Jan. 23 against Reading, another powerful Middlesex League foe. 

Girls’ Hoops: 5 Days, 3 Games and 1 Garden Party

Photo: Sophomore center Jess Giorgio skies for a basket at the Boston TD Garden.

When told that her team is 2-0 at the Boston TD Garden after Belmont beat Arlington, 40-21, on Sunday, Jan. 9, Head Coach Melissa Hart quipped that “I’d like to be 3-0 when the season ends,” a not so subtle reference to coming back to the Garden for an Eastern Massachusetts championship game.

Belmont High Girls’ Basketball’s consecutive win at the Garden – it defeated Chelmsford a year ago in the Good Sports Invitational – marked the middle of a three-game stretch played over a five-day span which saw the Marauders bounce back from its second loss of the season, 47-33, to top-ten ranked Woburn to cruise by Arlington and Lexington, 54-35, (on Tuesday, Jan. 11) to reach the five-win mark (5-2). 

The game at Division 1 Woburn High Friday, Jan 7, was a frustrating affair as the Marauders allowed Middlesex All-Star guard Marissa Gattuso to run the show, scoring 11 points in the first half, the same number of points the Marauders scored in the half as the Tanners led 25-11. 

Belmont closed the gap to seven points twice in the third and fourth quarters behind junior Greta Propp’s 6 points in the third and sophomore Megan Tan’s 6 points (a game-high 9 points for the Marauders) in the fourth as well as a strong defensive stance.

But the combination Woburn keying on Belmont’s point guard Carly Christofori and Gattuso’s scoring touch allowed the hosts to move the lead back into double digits. 

Against Lexington, junior co-captain forward Jenny Call had 6 three-pointers and a game-high 23 points as the Marauders took out several years of frustration on the Minutemen who had dominated Belmont for the past three years, mostly at the hands of Lexington’s star Anna Kelly who once scored 54 points at Belmont and generally manhandled Belmont.

But it was the Sunday morning game against the SpyPonders that was special for the team. Hart emptied the bench and allowed the entire some time on the historic parquet court which the NBA’s Boston Celtics play. 

img_5494

Against a young Arlington team, the Marauders’ active zone defense saw a slew of turnovers for Belmont as Christofori (who scored her game-high 9 points in the first half) led the team offensively to a 26-8 halftime lead. 

As Arlington struggled from the field – only scoring four baskets in the game – Belmont had its role players out for extended periods of time on the court. Propp had 8 points in the fourth quarter and junior guards Alexa Sabatino, and Ally Shapazian collected a couple of baskets.

When the buzzer sounded to end the game, both teams wanted one last photo with the leprechaun logo at center court. 

img_5030 img_5035 img_5038 img_5041 img_5043 img_5044 img_5049 img_5054 img_5058 img_5060 img_5061 img_5065 img_5069 img_5074 img_5079 img_5086 img_5094 img_5096 img_5098 img_5101 img_5103 img_5107 img_5108 img_5109 img_5122 img_5124 img_5131 img_5139 img_5140 img_5142 img_5143 img_5145 img_5147 img_5154 img_5155 img_5158 img_5161 img_5165 img_5166 img_5168 img_5171 img_5172 img_5176 img_5178 img_5184 img_5186 img_5188 img_5190 img_5192 img_5194 img_5196 img_5201 img_5203 img_5204 img_5213 img_5217 img_5222 img_5223 img_5224 img_5227 img_5228 img_5235 img_5239 img_5242 img_5244 img_5245 img_5248 img_5256 img_5258 img_5260 img_5262 img_5265 img_5268 img_5270 img_5274 img_5275 img_5279 img_5281 img_5283 img_5284 img_5294 img_5315 img_5319 img_5324 img_5325 img_5331 img_5335 img_5337 img_5340 img_5349 img_5352 img_5366 img_5367 img_5371 img_5374 img_5377 img_5380 img_5381 img_5383 img_5388 img_5389 img_5391 img_5393 img_5405 img_5409 img_5414 img_5420 img_5423 img_5428 img_5431 img_5438 img_5451 img_5458 img_5462 img_5464 img_5468 img_5469 img_5485 img_5488 img_5494 img_5495

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Hoops Left Out In The Rain By SpyPonders

Photo: Sophomore guard Daniel Yardemian vs. Arlington.

Why when the Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball team crosses Route 2 to visit its neighbors Arlington High, it’s always raining? Tuesday’s game, Jan. 3, marked the fourth time in five years that the Marauders have been met with a downpour entering the Arlington High gym.

And for the third time in four years, the outcome of the match was a dreary as the weather.

Playing catch-up throughout the game that saw Arlington make the last shot in the first three-quarters – including a 3-point prayer by junior Adrian Black at the end of the critical third quarter – the Marauders could not put together a consistent offense against the SpyPonders, falling 64-57.

It was not the game Belmont (4-3, 2-2 in the Middlesex League) was expecting to play after defeating a top-ranked Division 1 New Bedford team during the holiday break. Arlington remains undefeated at 5-0. 

Belmont’s only lead came with the game’s opening basket from game-high scorer senior captain Paul Ramsey (25 points) before two consecutive three-point bombs from Nick Karalis (8 points) and all-star senior Colin McNamara (with an all-around great game with 22 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds) had Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard calling a timeout just a minute into the match.

While Ramsay kept Belmont in the game, the team just wasn’t clicking on any of their shots, ending the first quarter with an anemic 5 points and down by 10.

The second eight minutes saw a more familiar Marauder team – up tempo sparked by senior forward Cal Christofori (8 points, all in the second quarter) who used his athleticism to start the comeback.

Sophomore guard Daniel Yardemian (2 points) was quite effective driving to the basket then dishing the ball to Ramsey and Christofori. A Christofori putback of a Yardemian miss ended a 12-2 run to tie the score at 17 with 4:30 to play.

But the Marauder momentum was short-circuited by consecutive traveling calls, one not called on the SpyPonders and the other a phantom infraction on Belmont. The subsequent 3 by Karalis and a jumper by Dominic Black upped the lead to seven at 26-19.

For the second time in the quarter, Belmont race back behind a 360 spinning layup by Christofori, Yardemain’s drive in the lane and a Ben Jones 3 pointer to tie it up at 27 with Belmont in possession with 20 seconds left in the quarter. But an unforced error on the inbounds gave the ball right back to the hosts which McNamara scored as the buzzer went off.

After tying the game for the third (and final time) at 29, it was Arlington which forced the issue. While Belmont missed several chances in close, the SpyPonder went inside to sophomore big man James Gascoigne (8 of his 14 points in the third) and outside to the Black brothers (juniors Dominic and Adrian) who scored a couple of long range 3s as Arlington raced to a double-digit advantage at 42-31 with 3:10 left.

Despite senior Bryan Goodwin (11 points with three 3s) hitting a three in transition and a hoop on the drive inside, Belmont could not mount a run they had in the second quarter. Down 9 with a second left, Dominic Black’s buzzer beater sent Arlington into the fourth up by a dozen.

Arlington kept up the pressure and extended the lead to 16 after two minutes and cruised to the victory.

Belmont will be on the road in Woburn on Friday.

img_4389 img_4391 img_4402 img_4407 img_4409 img_4419 img_4423 img_4425 img_4441 img_4442 img_4453

Garden Party 2.0: Girls’ Hoops to Play At TDGarden Sunday, Jan. 8. Get Your TIX Now

Photo: Last year was a Belmont Garden Party.

On Sunday, Jan. 8, at 9:30 a.m., the Belmont High School Girls Basketball team returns to the Boston TD Garden to face neighboring SpyPonders from Arlington High School in the Good Sports Invitational Day of high school games in the Garden.  

The proceeds of this event benefit Good Sports, a non-profit organization that provides athletic equipment and opportunities for kids and programs who cannot afford it.

Last year, Belmont upset Division 1 Chelmsford, 50-36, on the parquet court, home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

“We would love for you to come to our game and support the girls as they take on league foe Arlington High,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart.  

“It is an excellent chance to experience Boston Garden while supporting our team.  As well, there are 18 high school teams playing throughout the day, both boys and girls (see below), and your ticket allows you entry to any and all games (including re-entry). There will be plenty of great high school basketball to see!” she said.

“Part of the team’s commitment to be part of this great event is selling 400 tickets so if you are coming, please buy the tickets from us,” said Hart.

Each ticket purchased benefits Marauder Girls Basketball and Good Sports. 

“Even if you cannot go, you can support by purchasing tickets to donate to others as it will enable us to get more fans there, particularly students from the high school who would like to go! We do also have youth players playing at halftime of our game.”

“So, I humbly ask to please consider supporting our team by purchasing/donating tickets (and hopefully coming too),” said Hart.

Information to do so can be found at: www.supportbelmontkids.wix.com/bhsgirlsbball.

Tickets cost $15 (+$1 fee if paying online). If you want to pay by check, please email mmhart32@gmail.com to indicate how many tickets you would like and we can arrange getting them to you. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door.

Belmont Youth Basketball is selling tickets at http://belmontyouthbasketball.com/

SCHEDULE FOR Good Sports Invitational, Jan. 8:

  • 8:00 am Austin Prep vs Lowell Catholic (boys)
  • 9:30 Belmont vs Arlington (girls)
  • 11:00 Wellesley vs Lincoln Sudbury (girls)
  • 12:30 pm Wellesley vs Needham (boys)
  • 2:00 Newton North vs Waltham (boys)
  • 3:30 Malden Catholic vs. Cardinal Spellman (boys)
  • 5:00 Bedford vs Concord Carlisle (boys)
  • 6:30 Pingree vs. Thayer Academy (girls)
  • 8:00 Pingree vs. Thayer Academy (boys)

Sports: Girls’ Hoops Fall Into Loss Column After Lowell 4th Quarter Blitz

Photo: Belmont could not stop Shyan Mwai (#5) in the fourth quarter.

For the first 25 minutes of its Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 28, game with Lowell High School, Belmont High girls’ basketball was cruising to a huge (YUGE!) early season “statement” win.

Fast breaks, sharp passing, team defense, three pointers, free throws; it was all going the Marauders’ way as the team took an 11 point lead, 48-37, over the visiting Red Raiders, a Divison 1 powerhouse which last season took an 18-2 record to the number one seed in the tough North Sectionals.

“We did look good. Everything was clicking,” said Head Coach Melissa Hart, as her team outscored Lowell in each for the first three-quarters.

But in high school basketball, a game consists of 32 minutes, and for Belmont, Wednesday’s final seven turned into a reality check. Lead by star junior point guard Shyan Mwai – who is considered one of the top ten female non-prep players in the state – Lowell simply ran over their hosts, outscoring Belmont 27-10 in the final seven minutes to finish with an emphatic 62-58 come-from-behind victory.

It didn’t help matters that Mawi scored her 1,000 career point (still a junior, mind you) from the free throw line – the game was halted for a presentation and celebration – in the middle of Lowell’s 9-0 run to erase the Marauders’ hard-earned advantage in just 90 seconds.

The loss is Belmont’s first of the season while Lowell matches the Marauders with a 4-1 record.

“I think we got tentative and a little scared and [Lowell] is too good of a team to let up on,” said Hart.

For the Marauders, the loss swept aside some of the best basketball from a Belmont team since last season’s wild four-game postseason run when Belmont defeated the two, three and four seeds in the Division 2 North Sectional tournament.

Quarterbacked by all-star junior point guard Carly Christofori (18 point, 6 steals), Belmont saw seven players score in the first quarter led by junior forward Jenny Call (10 points including two 3s) and sophomore guard Megan Tan (9 points and 5 steals) with five points each.

Coming into the game with a height advantage, the Marauders’ big players contributed on both ends of the court with senior forwards Margaux d’Arbeloff and Riley Haight (4 points each) scoring a pair of baskets off offensive rebounds in the first half and sophomore center Jess Giorgio (7 points, 6 rebounds) grabbing misses under the Marauder basket.

With Giorgio, fellow sophomore Ella Gagnon and starter Riley Haight making life difficult for Lowell’s forwards, the Raiders were forced to rely on Mwai who kept Lowell within striking distance scoring 16 of her team’s 28 first half points as Belmont lead by seven, 35-28, at the midpoint.

The third quarter turned into a one-on-one battle between the two junior point guards as Christofori defensively matched up on Mwai as each attempted to maneuver around the other for open shots.

With Mwai shut down for the moment (3 points in the third), Belmont grew its advantage. A Giorgio free throw, a Tan steal and basket followed by a Christofori driving bucket then a big three from the top of the key gave Belmont its first double-digit lead at 44-33. Junior forward Greta Propp’s uncontested shot with less than a minute in the quarter upped the Marauders lead to a dozen, 46-34.

And when junior guard Alexa Sabatino (4 points) hit a pretty mid-range jumper in the first minute of the final quarter to increase the lead to 48-37, it appeared the Marauders were on their way to a big time victory.

But Sabatino’s hoop was the last basket Belmont would make Wednesday (scoring on eight free throws) as Lowell showed why it returns to be a force in the top division. Lowell began to double and at times triple team the ball in the forecourt just as Belmont players started passing up shots to move the ball around the perimeter.

As the Marauders’ cooled off, Lowell turned up the heat to “high” as junior forward Yodelis Paulino scored 8 of her 15 points in final quarter joining Brittany Mota (two big baskets during the 9-0 run) who stepped up.

But it was Mwai who dominated Belmont. Moving smartly from teammate picks which threw off Christofori, Mwai used her quickness to hit layups or be fouled, ending the quarter with 15 points and a game-high 34.

The Marauders didn’t help themselves when they could not get a shot off on four consecutive trips down the court just as Lowell tied the score at 52 on a Mwai runner with 2:20 remaining.

Two free throws from Paulino and a quick steal, bucket and foul on junior guard Princess Emenogo with just 1:49 to go found Belmont looking up at a four-point deficit, 56-52. A pair of free throws by Mwai to increase the lead to 58-52 with less than 90 seconds remaining effectively ended the afternoon for the Marauders.

“We need to play against good competition. All the credit to them, they had great energy in the fourth quarter. We just lacked a certain confidence and energy down the stretch,” said Hart.

img_4301 img_4325

Sports: Calling Carly; Christofori Answers Scoring Need as Girls’ Hoops Wins Opener

Photo: Carly Christofori (3) heading up court.

With Belmont High Girls’ Basketball team having a collective hiccup on the offensive side of the court in the season and home opener with Melrose on Friday, Dec. 16 – a total of 26 points after three quarters – junior captain Carly Christofori decided the final eight minutes would be a good time to answer the scoring call.

The point guard who has played every varsity game in her three years on the Marauders scored 8 of her game-high 17 points in the final stanza to help Belmont pull away from the Red Raiders and leave the Wenner (Field House) with a less than beautiful 42-31 victory.

But a win is a win for the Marauders (1-0).

“Everyone was really nervous in the first game as everyone would be. I could see that everyone was jittery,” said Christofori who finished the game with 9 rebounds and 5 steals

“The game was a lot closer than we thought it would be we needed someone to step up and help control the game,” she said.

Christofori broke a 26-26 tie a minute into the fourth quarter on a fade away jumper then grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the court before being fouled. After making one of two from the line (she would go 10 for 12 from the charity strip), she and backcourt partner sophomore Megan Tan (8 points) pressured Melrose to commit a turnover.

After a put back basket from sophomore forward Jane Mahon (3 points) and another offensive rebound hoop from junior forward Greta Propp (2 points), sophomore center Jess Giorgio (6 points) threw in a sweeping hook as the shot clock buzzer went off building Belmont’s lead up to 35-28 with 2:20 left in the game. A succession of trips to the foul line for Christofori put the game out of reach.

“After the third quarter, we said ‘we can beat this team. We just need to relax” That’s when everyone settled down, and people were stronger with the ball,” said Christofori.

If Belmont’s offense showed opening night nerves, the defense was in mid-season trim as the hands-up two-three zone was quite active with Giorgio swatting away three Red Raider shots. When Head Coach Melissa Hart partners Giorgio with either of the Haight twins – seniors Reagan and starter Riley (2 points) – Mahon and the athletic big forward sophomore Ella Gagnon (who played her first varsity game and put in 2 of 4 free throws), it is one of the tallest defensive back three around the Middlesex League.

“Defense will be our strong suit this season. We always talk in practice to work hard on defense and the offense will come by itself,” said Christofori.

“We’re a taller team and have stronger kids so focusing on rebounding, steals and anticipating passes will get us our points,” she said.

img_3367 img_3366 img_3363 img_3358 img_3352 img_3339 img_3320 img_3314 img_3311 img_3286 img_3273 img_3270 img_3265 img_3259 img_3251 img_3250 img_3249 img_3233 img_3230 img_3223 img_3216 img_3210 img_3202 img_3192 img_3189 img_3185 img_3180 img_3178 img_3173 img_3172 img_3164 img_3160 img_3144 img_3141 img_3130 img_3124 img_3121 img_3118 img_3098 img_3084 img_3066 img_3065 img_3061 img_3046 img_3044 img_3041 img_3031 img_3010 img_3008 img_3007 img_3001 img_2998 img_2995 img_2990 img_2986

 

Sports: Boys’ Hockey Looks To Skate Into Playoffs With Senior Leadership

Photo:

By Will Findlay

Four points.

The Belmont High Boys’ Ice Hockey team was “that close” to making the post season last February.

The end-of-season margin for error for than first year Marauders’ Head Coach Fred Allard was slim, and ultimately the team failed to meet their goal of reaching the state tournament.

But Allard wasn’t worried. No one was. In fact, he was delighted with his team’s resilience and major improvements made during the season. Who wouldn’t be, with the Marauders finishing with seven wins, their most in five years.

When talking about the growth of his squad in his first season as head coach, Allard was pleased: “For my first year, I believe we took significant steps forward in establishing ourselves as a true competitor in [the] Middlesex League”.

The Marauders look to continue their upward swing starting this Friday at the Skip Viglirolo Rink as they take on traditional powerhouse Matignon.

I wanted our team to face top competition in our non-league games, so that is why [private Catholic schools like] Matignon and Catholic memorial [are on the] schedule this season.” said Allard, a Matignon graduate and member of two state title teams.

Chris Kelly, Allard’s former teammate at Matignon, is the current head of a historically strong Warriors squad. “so of course I want the ‘W’ in this one,” said Allard.

“That being said, this will be an uphill battle for us as they are talented.”

With the loss of starting right winger Stevie Rizzuto due to a shoulder/arm injury suffered on the first day of practice, Friday’s game may prove even more challenging for the Marauders.

“Stevie has been out since the first day,” said Allard “so he has not been on any of our preseason lines. We do look forward to his return as he is poised for a strong season.” Rizzuto finished with 12 points last season and looks to improve further this season.

Junior goaltender Kevin Dacey will likely get the nod from Allard opening night, Friday Dec. 8 as he and his assistant captain, brother Connor, look to start the 2016-17 campaign off right. Kevin posted an impressive .920 save percentage last year to go along with a 6-6 record and a 2.66 goals against average. Connor makes his presence felt on offense, chipping in 12 points last season for the Marauders, and he has the opportunity to lead his team this year as an assistant captain.

Senior co-captain Cam Jefferson looks to continue his success in Middlesex League play after having a phenomenal off-season playing in various tournaments statewide. He and Adam Cronin, the other co-captain, look to lead the Marauders to the state tournament for the first time in the Allard era of Belmont hockey. Other senior leaders include Kevin Martin, Michael Pergamo, Austin Cole, along with Curtis Marusiak and Kevin Quirk, two of Belmont’s most formidable physical players each tallied 30+ hits last season.

With the season opener looming, Allard expressed that his biggest goal for the upcoming season was to make the state tournament.

“It is something I want the boys to be a part of. Of all the sports. I don’t [think] anything comes close to the Massachusetts [High School] Boys state hockey tournament, so I want the team to have that experience.” he said.

“The entire program has worked exceptionally hard to prepare for [this] season. [The team] lost some great leaders but returned a lot of guys that have worked harder than ever in the off-season.”

Allard is confident in his team’s preparation for his second coaching campaign, and is hopeful that this dedication in the summer and fall will translate into a tournament berth in February. Allard’s squad has worked hard to write a new chapter in Belmont High’s rich hockey history, and the new chapter begins this Friday at “the Skip.”