Sports: Girls’ Soccer Falls to Steel of League to Drop to .500

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Photo: Belmont’s Emma Sass (10) and Kristen Gay (24) attempt to head the ball during the team’s match with Arlington. 

It was a learning experience for the young Belmont High School Girls’ Soccer team as they met the steel of the schedule, falling to the Middlesex League’s dominant teams this week.

The Marauders lost to host and defending Middlesex/Liberty champs Wilmington, 5-1, on Thursday, Sept. 17 before greeting Arlington High for a noon matinee at Harris Field on a hot Saturday, Sept. 19.

But home cooking did help Belmont (2-2) as they fell to Arlington, 3-1.  

While Belmont played well in spurts, it could not control the midfield against a physical SpyPonder crew who were able to string short combination passes through the heart of the field to put Belmont’s young back line (two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior) on the back foot.

Due to the pressure, the Marauder midfielders were required to help out which left Belmont’s forwards on their own to bring the ball upfield. 

“Our midfielders have to be more aggressive to the ball,” said Belmont Head Coach Paul Graham who remains a game away from his 300th victory. 

“For two games in a row, we lost the midfield and we can’t our attack right because we are on our heels when we need to go forward. When we did that, we had some great plays because we are pushing it where we should be going,” said Graham. 

Arlington scored in the first 10 minutes on a flukish shot by forward Mackenzie Roy that floated over Belmont goalie Georgia Parson into the net. 

Arlington was comfortable to keep the ball in the middle of the field while Belmont’s best offensive target was sophomore left wing Carrie Allard who was out sprinting the SpyPonder defenders. But Arlington alway appeared to have players coming back to help out at any semblance of a Marauder attack. 

Graham praised the play of sophomore defender Natalie Marcus-Bauer who he said was able to dictate the play in front of her, forcing the Arlington forwards to take shots and passes they didn’t want to. 

“She’s a leader back there,” Graham said. 

While Belmont started the second half with a couple of deep runs toward’s Arlington’s goal, it would be short lived as Arlington’s physical play – challenging each pass or run with a legal shove or bump – appeared to put the Marauders’ off its rhythm.

“That seemed to bother us,” said Graham.

With 10 minutes remaining, Arlington’s Anna Kohlberg scored an open net goal coming off the wing to tap in a pass from the corner. notched two goals for the Spy Ponders, and Anna Kohlberg had a goal and two assists. Roy would collect her brace five minutes later as a result of three rapid passes that allowed the forward to turn and shot from 15 meters. 

Belmont would end the shut out when a penalty was called in the box with a minute left and Julia Rifkin buried a penalty kick inside the right post beyond the goalie’s hands.

Belmont is at Woburn on Monday, Sept. 21. 

 

Sports: Belmont Defeats Medford in Final Minute, 31-28, to Go To 1-1

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Photo: Joe Shaughnessy celebrating the winning touchdown in the 31-28 victory over Medford.

Belmont senior wide receiver Joe Shaughnessy pulled in an 19-yard over-the-shoulder pass from junior QB Cal Christofori with 45 seconds left in the game to give the visiting Marauders an emotional 31-28 victory over Medford under the Friday night lights at Hormel Stadium, Sept. 18. 

“I knew I was going to catch it. I knew I had it,” said Shaughnessy of the pass the receiver caught over a defender just in bounds. “I just had to go up and catch it; Cal made a great throw. There was no way we were going to lose this.” 

The game, which had eight lead changes, came down to Belmont’s final drive as Christofori hit Shaughnessy twice before the game-winning pitch. 

“It was a minute left, and we had Shaughnessy who’s 6’4″ on the go pattern, so I just went for it. There was nothing to lose here, so I just threw it up for a big play,” said Christofori. 

“Every win is important. It wasn’t the way we wanted it since we thought we could push this team. We aren’t necessarily pleased with the result or how we got there, but a win is a win,” said Belmont Head Coach Yann Kumin. It is the first regular-season victory for Belmont (1-1) in two years and the second over Medford in as many years.

The last-minute dramatics was made possible by a break-out performance by senior running back Mekhai Johnson who rushed for 238 yards and scored three touchdowns (80, 63 and 1 yards) to earn one of the “Stars of the Week” by the Boston Herald. 

“We wanted to get [Johnson] going last week but for a lot of reasons we couldn’t do it,” said Kumin. 

“We felt that we could run the ball against this team, and we talked a lot this week about running downhill and hard and he did that for us. We’re about as proud of him as you can be,” he said.

Sick with a sinus infection that required him to visit the hospital Wednesday, Johnson said he was still “throwing up dinosaurs” during the game. But it didn’t hamper his day running that matches 

“I’m humbled, that’s all I can say,” said Johnson. 

While the TD pass and Johnson’s running were significant, the game’s biggest moment came when Kumin decided to punt with 4:44 left in the game and relied on the Marauder defense to halt the Mustang offense that was unstoppable in the second half.

But the defense held Medford to zero yards on three plays and got the ball back with 1:50 remaining in the game, setting up the final drive. 

The game started with the Marauders in a hole as Medford took the opening kickoff for a touchdown to go up 8-0. But Johnson cut the lead to two with his 80-yard romp in the first offensive series. 

Belmont took the lead through a 25-yard field goal by Aidan Cadogan midway through the second quarter. But Medford would score on a pass from QB Ben Antonie to Myles Olivier to take a 14-9 lead at half time.

The Marauders stuck to the ground in the third quarter, using Johnson and backfield partner Ben Jones to go 67-yards in seven and a half minutes to score from the one via Johnson to lead 16-14. 

Medford quickly countered through the air to go up 22-16 with 54 second left, but it was Johnson again who took control, romping 63 yards with 0.1 seconds left in the quarter to regain the lead at 23-22. 

The Mustangs would take their final lead, 28-23, as the Antoine to Olivier combo connected. Then came the heroics. 

”For us, it’s a big deal,” Kumin told the Belmontonian about the win.

“It’s a big victory for us since it’s a gratification of what we preach; don’t think about the end of the game or what the scoreboard says, just do your job each and every single play and come down on that last drive and execute … it’s football at its best,” said Kumin. 

Belmont will travel to Arlington to meet the SpyPonders on Friday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. 

Old School Head Coach: Graham Closing In on 300th Win

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Photo: Paul Graham, head coach of the Belmont High Girls’ Soccer team.

Two years ago, a representative of the Eastern Mass Soccer Coaches Association asked Paul Graham, the long-time head coach of Belmont High’s Girls’ Soccer program, just how many wins his teams had compiled in his nearly a quarter of a century at the helm of the Marauders.

Just one problem: Graham never thought to compile his wins record.

“People kept asking me how many wins I have, and I had no clue,” he said, just that it was a significant number since his teams had made the playoffs every year but one since he took over the position in 1993.

“I did know it was a lot,” Graham told the Belmontonian last week on Harris Field during a team practice.

After going through countless high school yearbooks, memorabilia and plaques, Graham discovered he was creeping towards a milestone: 300 victories.

While it’s taken a bit longer to reach that peak – Graham thought he would have crossed the line last year – Graham stands a single victory from the mark.

(Belmont host Arlington at noon, Saturday, Sept. 19) 

And while Graham can’t recall the very first win, in doing the research, Graham was flooded with memories of his three decades in charge. 

“I’d see a photo and say, ‘I remember his game and I remember this player.’ It was awesome,” he said.

“It was great to reminisce about kids like Linsey Nohl sand Sarah Hilgenberg from days way, way back,” rolling off names and families such as the O’Briens and Muzziolis that he coached for nearly a decade. 

“That’s what it’s all about.”

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Paul Graham’s first year coaching at Belmont High School in 1993.

A proud “townie,” Graham was born, raised and educated in Belmont (Belmont High, ’64) before heading to Norwich University (class of 1970 and in the school’s Hall of Fame as a goaltender and iii) and then teaching high school for five years in Milton, Vt.

He returned home after marrying his wife of 45 years, Patricia, and raised two boys – Timothy and Micheal – and two girls – Courtney and Katelyn – as Graham begin a career in the food services business. He is currently New England General Manager at Woburn-based Preferred Meal Systems New England, one of the largest suppliers of school meals in the region. 

Graham kept his interest in sports, as a coach starting in 1976 in Belmont’s youth programs – helping bring soccer to town – as a referee and on the Recreation Commission.

Graham was assisting the boys’ program when the girls’ team position became available.

“After coaching boys for 23 years, I was getting burned out,” he said.

With his daughter Courtney on the team, Graham decided to take on the challenge of managing a talented, but subpar program with a total of seven victories in the previous three years.

“I was sick seeing that they weren’t more successful,” he said.

Graham recalled telling Belmont High School Principal Foster Wright that while he could not “promise wins, but I can promise you they will play as a team. The rest will come.”

That change came quickly. Thet first year, the team – with Nohl (who played at William & Mary) and Hilgenberg (an All-American at Wellesley College) – won 12 games and made the tournament, the first of a run of 19 consecutive seasons in the playoffs, three Middlesex League titles, twice named Eastern Mass. Coach of the Year and is in the Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.

Over that time, Graham and his girls have won eight Div. 2 North Sectionals, and subsequently lost each of their semifinal matches, never reaching a state finals.

“I’m 0 for 8, and that’s not good,” Graham said with a smile.

“Someday, it’ll come,” he said.

But if it doesn’t, the cap for Graham for nearly a quarter century of coaching is less the wins then the success his players have on the field and after they graduate.

“Yeah, it’s a great accomplishment, 300 wins, but like I told you, I’m here for the kids,” said Graham.

“I’ve had a ton of honors and thankful for that. But I can’t stress enough if I can help a child reach a goal than I’ve done my job. Wins are great, everything is easy when  you‘re winning, but I want to have some part of kids’ success while they’re attending Belmont High,” he said.

Sports: Field Hockey Romp Again, Volleyball Takes First Win Over Stoneham

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Photo: Volleyball in action.

Field Hockey: Stoneham 2, Belmont 7

With a young defense still making progress as a unified squad, Belmont High School Field Hockey has found a unique approach to winning games while the ‘D’ gets up to speed.

Score goals. Lots of them.

On Friday, Sept. 11, Belmont (2-0-0) defeated host Stoneham, 7-2, scoring a combined 13 goals in its first two games while letting up just the pair. 

“I’m happy with how the offense is scoring,” said Belmont Head Coach Jessie Smith.

“It’s always nice to be scoring seven goals a game. Although we played on a grass field which makes the game a bit more messy, the goals were all quite nice,” Smith said, as junior midfield standout AnnMarie Hebalow scored the hat trick with two unassisted goals and a penalty stroke, a brace coming in the first half.

“She took quick, hard shots today that were very effective,” said Smith.

Senior center forward Kerri Lynch scored her fifth goal of the season with the assist from Serena Nally who got on the goal scoring column with an assist from Hebalow. Newcomer Bridget Gardiner finished the five-goal first half with an assist from Kate McCarthy. 

Nally got her second goal in the second half with a Habelow assist, as she finished the game with five points.

“Defensively I’m hoping we can step it up a bit,” said Smith. “We need to work on checking our speed, recovering, and moving the ball to the offensive end when we gain control of the ball.

Volleyball: Stoneham 0, Belmont 3

Travel is always enlightening and for Belmont’s Volleyball team, it is also beneficial as the Marauders (1-1) defeated Stoneham on Friday, Sept. 11, 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-9).
The team was led by senior captain Faye Reagan, who contributed many key service runs – she was 22 for 23 serving with 8 aces in the game – particularly when the squad was down 18-21 in the second set and she went on a 7-point run.  
Fiona Martin also played a great game offensively, contributing three aces and leading the team in kills with four. 
“[Martin] was consistent, confident and aggressive the entire match.  Sophomore Julia Logan also had a great night at the service line, serving 7 for 7 with 5 aces,” said head coach Jen Couture.

Couture said that in the match the Marauders lost to defending league champions Melrose, 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-8) on Wednesday, Sept. 9, senior captain Katelyn Messer led the front row with 3 kills and 4 blocks. 

“She has the power to intimidate opponents by her presence in the front row.  Her blocks and powerful kills energize the team,” said Couture. 

Sports: Belmont Stumbles to Stoneham, 28-14, in Football Opener

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Photo: Belmont senior Robbie Aiello hauling in a Cal Christofori pass for the touchdown vs. Stoneham. 

“Damn,” said Head Coach Yann Kumin as his Belmont High School Football team shook hands with their Stoneham counterparts after the visiting Spartans (1-0) handed the Marauders an opening game defeat, 28-14, at Belmont’s Harris Field under the Friday Night Lights, Sept. 11.

“We coulc beat that team,” Kumin told Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis as he walked to huddle with his staff and players.

With a year of Kumin’s active and professional coaching under their belts and working off a solid pre-season – including handling a Waltham team in a scrimmage six days earlier – many viewed the game under the lights with a motivated crowd in the stands cheering them on against Stoneham as the right platform to show the improved and updated version 2.0 of the Marauders during the game.

Yet Belmont offense could not sustain drives, and the Marauder defense appeared overmatched by the bigger and talented Stoneham linemen that allowed the Spartan’s Evan Taylor to collect 222 yards rushing and three TDs – most right up the middle of the line – while keeping possession for long stretches. 

“They have a big senior offensive front and we knew that going in. They established the inside run against our defense and it took us until the second half for us to stop them,” said Kumin. 

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While Stoneham’s running game behind Taylor was active, the Marauders’ backs Ben Jones and Mekhai Johnson along with big senior tight end Justin Wagner never got started as the offense could only manage a handful of first downs and only one sustained drive. 

“We ran them early and just weren’t able to get the run game going that way we wanted to,” said Kumin. 

Belmont’s most efficient offensive weapon was the arm of junior Quarterback Cal Christofori, who pitched a pair of long passes – 74 and 47 yards – that hit their marks leading to Belmont’s touchdowns. 

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After a quick four downs in which Belmont turned over the ball on downs to start the game, the Spartans kept it simple, head down field behind its big line taking six minutes to travel 43 yards where Spartan QB Brandon Cann scored from the two-yard line with 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

Belmont would tie it up at 7 when Christofori hit senior Robbie Aiello with a perfectly thrown pass to allow the senior wide receiver to walk into the end zone at the 2:22 mark.

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Stoneham responded quickly, going 69 yards in nine plays to take a 14-7 lead with 9 minutes remaining in the second quarter behind Chase’s first of three consecutive TDs.

Belmont would make its first first down on the subsequent drive but would stall on its 45-yard line.

The Spartans would then take nearly the entire five and a half minutes left in the half to move 76 yards on the ground and air as Chase took a sweep 23 yards before catching a 34 yard pass to get into Belmont’s red zone. Stoneham kept it on the ground to score with 38 seconds remaining to take a 21-7 lead into the half. 

After Belmont’s defense halted Stoneham for the first time in the game – but only after the Spartans’  held the ball for 8 minutes in the quarter – Christofori came out winging the ball, hitting senior Joe Shaughnessy for 10 and 9 yards as senior Trey Butler (the lacrosse standout playing his first high school football game) got the Marauders a first and 10 on the 34 yard line.

But the drive died and Stoneham took over at its 27 yard line with a minute-and-a-half remaining in the quarter, driving the field before scoring its fourth and Chase’s third with eight minutes left in the fourth to up the lead to 28-7.

Christofori hit senior wide receiver Grant Gilbert for nearly 50 yards to the Belmont 18 yard line. Johnson took the ball to the one and Christofori hit a diving Shaughnessy to finish the scoring with 6:18 remaining in the game. 

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“We have to go back to work on the grass field and fix our offense in order to take on Medford next week. But I’ll tell you, we’re a good team. There were moments of great responsiveness by this football team, some explosive offensive moments that we were able to move the ball well through the air and protect our quarterback. There we all positives for me.” 

“I see a really bright future. I’m not excitied to loss 28-14 but there are a ton of positives that I can take out of this game,” said Kumin. 

Sports: Building A Football Team in Belmont, Year Two [Video]

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Photo: A scene from Belmont Football 2015: First Look 2.0

Belmont High School senior James Neylon and Belmont resident and Dexter School student Lucas Tragos have completed the sequel to last year’s documentary on Belmont High School Football’s first year under a young and dynamic head coach Yann Kumin.
In Belmont Football 2015: First Look 2.0, the 20-minute film features the work put in by players and coaches this pre-season as well as takes you inside the homes of two of the team’s star players. 

Sports: Lynch Pins Field Hockey Win in Opener, Volleyball Fall to Powerhouse

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Photo: Belmont High Field Hockey.

Field Hockey: Melrose 0, Belmont 6

Belmont Head Coach Jessie Smith was hoping that senior forward Kerri Lynch – one of the strong core of returning starters from last year’s playoff team – would profit from being the forward the squad would be targeting to score this season.

After the opening game of the 2015 season on Wednesday, it appears that Lynch is taking to her new role just fine.

In the season opener against host Melrose, Lynch scored four times and assisted on another to lead the Marauders to an emphatic 6-0 shutout.

“Lynch is playing center forward for us and she clearly played an excellent game today,” said Smith. “Kerri is extremely athletic and she knows how to score. I’m hoping to see a lot more of this in the next two months.”

Sophomore Christine MacLeod – who is coming off a very strong softball season as the Marauders’ leading pitcher – had 6 saves in net in her first start on the varsity.

“We came out a little flat initially, but really stepped it up in the second half,” said Smith. “The passing in the second half led to multiple goals. The kids are using 10-15 yard passes really nicely.”

Smith praised senior defender and captain Molly Thayer as she is “so steady and so reliable” and pointed out that “Kate McCarthy really stepped up her play today. Her goal in the second half was a beautiful drive from the edge of the circle.” 

Smith added that Serena Nally “is excellent at center midfield. She has a quick shot and she’s able to distribute the ball so well.”

Volleyball: Melrose 3, Belmont 0

Last year, Melrose Volleyball was one of the best in the state, in the top 20 poll for the entire year, going 20-2 in the regular season and was the number 1 seed in the regional playoffs. So Belmont, coming off a 16-6 record, knew it would be a tough hill to climb in the season opener. The results, a Belmont loss,  25-13, 25-16, 25-8, will serve as a marker for the rest of the season for the young Marauders. 

School Committee Gives Initial Nod to Proposed New Rink/Rec Center

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Photo: Bob Mulroy.

The Belmont School Committee gave its initial “OK” Tuesday night, Sept. 8, for a youth sports organization to begin the process that could result in the construction of a new multi-purpose town recreation center. 

“We are not just looking at our needs, but … of the entire community,” said Bob Mulroy, who gave the presentation for Belmont Youth Hockey Association, which is leading the project that would include an NHL-sized skating rink, a second “half” skating surface that would transform into a field house for half the year, modern locker rooms, a community fitness center, and many more amenities.

While the proposal has received high marks from public and elected officials in August when the Board of Selectmen was presented with the proposal, those deciding the fate of the project are taking a long-view of the process. 

“I see this as the first step … I don’t see this as a significant substance discussion but just to understand what the proposal is before us,” said School Committee Chair Laurie Slap, as the committee members voted the proposal was “worth exploring.”

The $6.5 million complex – which would include off-street, on-site parking – would be overseen by a non-profit public/private partnership that would incorporate a wide array of town departments, the school committee, youth hockey and funders on the board.

In exchange for the land to build the center, Belmont schools, and high school teams will have use of the facility at no cost. 

Both sides acknowledge the first significant hurdle to clear is where to locate the center. Under BYHA’s ideal scenario, the complex would be built on the current home of the Belmont High softball team abutting the Mobile service station and across Concord Avenue from the Belmont Public Library.

But that is the same site where in May 2013 the school committee rejected a request by the Board of Library Overseers to place a new $19.5 million town library, actually killing the hopes of supporters for more than a decade.

The alternative location would place the recreation center on the existing rink footprint, across Concord Avenue from the Underwood Pool.

“We are aware that fields are crucial in town, and we are not looking to reduce that [amount],” said Mulroy.

The proposal would both help find solutions to real recreational needs – providing adequate changing space and locker rooms for all sports teams – in Belmont as well as replace the 45-year-old “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink, which Mulroy described as “toast.”

The rink, with gaps in the walls, few comforts, and antiquated mechanical systems, has past its useful life “long ago,” said Mulroy.

Belmont Youth Hockey is the rinks biggest customer, taking three-quarters of the available rental time.

Mulroy told the meeting the cost to renovate the current structures to current code would be the same as building a new recreation center. 

Under the current blueprint, the proposed center would include:

  • A 25,000 sq.-ft. NHL-sized rink (approximately 200 feet by 85 foot).
  • A half-sized skating rink used for seven months then transformed into a field house for tennis, soccer and community events.
  • Six modern year-round locker rooms.
  • A 5,000 sq.-ft. health club/gym open to the public.
  • Exercise classrooms.
  • A skate shop.
  • Concession stand.
  • Meeting rooms.
  • Athletic offices.
  • A trainers/medical center.

The proposed building would cost between $8 and $9 million, with construction priced between $6 to $7 million financed with private debt. The cost of field renovations would be $1 million with the funds coming from a Community Preservation Committee grant and the final $1 million used to outfit the new space and purchase equipment.

The reasoning behind adding a second, smaller rink to the NHL-sized sheet of ice is financial, said Mulroy. Under economic models of similar existing arenas in New England, Mulroy said the Recreation Center will take in just over $1 million in income annually with expenses of $600,000 for a net “profit” of just under $500,000 a year. 

Mulroy told the Belmontonian after the meeting that several funding sources are prepared to step forward to provide the debt financing. 

Mulroy said he anticipated the planning and design stage – when the details on financing, governance, and zoning will be hammered out – to take a year with construction an additional nine months. He believes the entire project will take 24 months to complete.

From the town’s perspective, the private/public venture is a win/win on many fronts; it is financially sustainable without requiring town funding to run, it takes an enormous expense off of the town’s “to-do” list of capital projects, and it provides Belmont with a new facility at limited cost.

While amenable to the project, School Committee members joined Board of Selectmen Chair Sami Baghdady that many details on financing, governance and a myriad of issues “will need to be flushed out over time” before final approval is granted. 

Member Elyse Shuster suggested that the school committee use the proposal to begin a discussion on the “whole [Belmont High School] campus” as an integrated whole. 

“I would encourage us to think about integrating the [the high school’s Higgenbottom Pool] and making it a true recreational facility,” she said.

Sports: Girls and Boys Soccer Start Seasons Shutting Down Melrose

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Photo: Belmont’s Carey Allard (right) after scoring the first goal of the season as Belmont defeated Melrose, 5-0, in the season opener on Sept. 8. 

Girls’ Soccer: Belmont 5, Melrose 0

If you are looking for a high power opening act, you can’t get any better than Belmont’s Carey Allard.

In the last two opening games of the season, the 10th grader has scored a total of seven goals including a brace on Tuesday, Sept 8, as Allard spearheaded a quick Belmont High Girls’ Soccer team (1-0-0) to a 5-0 home win over physical Melrose High team to open the fall season. 

“She’s the real deal,” said Belmont head coach Paul Graham of his right wing.

Allard led a sophomore rush on the scorer’s sheet as fellow underclassmen Emma Sass and Eliza Filler – via a header in the second half – each tallied a goal in the contest with senior captain Kristin Gay scored the game’s third from in close after Allard tip-toed along the goal line before sending a nifty short pass to the midfielder at the 27 minute mark of the first half. 

Junior Georgia Parsons made her first varsity start a memorable one earning the shutout. 

After a first 10 minutes in which both teams missed stellar chances in front of the net, the game opened up at the 12 minute mark when Allard caught up to a Gay pass and snuck the ball by the Melrose keeper. 

Belmont doubled its lead two minutes later as Sass launched a high-arching shot into the net after the Marauders swarmed the Melrose’s goalie box causing a great deal of confusion. Allard pocketed her second goal with an assist from Filler at the end of a series of quick passes inside the Melrose 18 meter zone. Allard could have doubled her goal total if not for a blown kick in front of an open net and another drive hitting the crossbar. 

In winning his 299-game in a career beginning in 1993, Graham praised the work of his very young team especially the defenders – made up of a pair of freshmen, a sophomore and a junior – including frosh Megan Tan and junior Rachel Berets “who has been unbelievable on the back line tonight.”

Belmont hosts Stoneham on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

Boys’ Soccer: Melrose 0, Belmont 1

A goal from senior Arreg Krikorian with 10 minutes remaining in the first half was all the scoring Belmont would need as the Marauders began its 2015 campaign with an important away win at Melrose on Tuesday, Sept 8.

In a game in which the physical contact was ever present, Belmont used its conditioning and ball movement to control the time of possession at the later stages of the first half.  

Belmont’s breakthrough came in the 30th minute as a through ball into the 18-meter box from junior Daron Hanparian reached Krikorian who touched once before clinically finishing.

Matt Thompson‘s first varsity game was also his first shutout in the nets.

Second-year head coach Brian Bisceglia-Kane will lead the Marauders into Stoneham on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m.

Psst: Can You Keep a Secret? Private/Public Scheme to Build New Skating Rink

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Photo: “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink.

It’s the worst kept secret in Belmont: a proposal to build a new private/public skating rink and field house on the site of the existing nearly half century old “Skip” Viglirolo rink and the White Field House adjacent to Harris Field off Concord Avenue.

Not that this latest news required a “spoiler” alert for its official unveiling at a big joint meeting at the Chenery Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as information surrounding the proposal has leaked to the public over the summer.

According to four separate sources, the project – final cost is still to be determined but its likely several million dollars – to replace the existing structures have been on the minds of many for decades.

Now, after recent examples of private donors using their wallets and connects to successfully improve, maintain or rebuild municipal and school properties – laying down the new varsity court in the Wenner Field House being the latest – a new group has set their sights on what many consider a town asset that has seen its best days pass it by, the “Skip” Viglirolo Skating Rink. 

Built in 1969 during the rise of the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr, the rink’s limitations and faults are legendary to visitors, players and parents. The physical structure was never fully constructed with heavy sheet metal side walls with gaping openings that allow both the weather – whether it is blistering cold or spring time warmth – and birds to migrate inside.

There is no heat or comfortable seating for viewers; the locker rooms are old, and the lighting is far from adequate while the only “warm up” space for spectators is the small snack room.

Editor’s note: One visitor from Calgary, Canada – no stranger to wind swept blizzard conditions – told the Belmontonian editor in 2002 there were warmer outdoor rinks in his hometown than the indoor Viglirolo rink.

But despite its threadbare condition, the rink is an asset to the town and hockey programs from beginners to high school varsity programs, providing a place to skate and practice at an affordable price. 

“Many towns would die to have its own rink,” said one

In addition, the White Field House – dedicated to a Belmont High alum who died during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 – while structurally sound, doesn’t provide space for the large number of female athletes who could use a changing area adjacent to the main athletic field.

In past documents, town officials and Capital Budgets placed the rink was one of the town’s major capital expenses that required addressing.

The sources – all who spoke on background as they promised not to reveal the proposal – said a spokesperson representing a group of residents advanced an initial proposal in early 2015 to a Financial Task Force subcommittee during the later stages of its tenure. to replace the dilapidated rink with a new structure and provide a new field house using private fund.

The initial response from town and government committees was enthusiastic yet guarded. While the outline was interesting, the group was told much more work needed to be done in both how the deal would be financed and, just as important, provide greater detail concerning the governance and use of the facility once it is built.

Recently, a dispute has been brewing in Wilmington over the Ristuccia Arena, constructed with the town’s help in the 1980s to provide access to town youth and adult hockey programs, which is accused of now catering to professional hockey teams, private school programs and elite skating clubs over local interests. 

The private group returned in late July for a formal presentation to the Belmont Board of Selectmen with representatives of town departments and the Captial Budget and Warrant committees as well as the Planning Board in attendance. 

Highlights of the proposal:

  • A new rink design will require taking some land from surrounding practice fields using by Belmont High School and youth sports programs.
  • The design of the rink and field house will allow for on-site parking, which will relieve traffic and parking congestion along Concord Avenue.
  • The town will benefit financially from the rink’s hourly rental fee that will be an income
    stream.
  • Belmont Savings Bank will take a major role in financing the proposal.

While the Selectmen, department heads and governmental committees who attended the presentation came away eager to move forward with the plan, the land on which the rink and field house reside is “owned” by the Belmont School Committee. The six-member committee will need to sign off on any proposal to see it advance from the blueprint stage.

This marks the second time the School Committee will be asked to allow land assigned to athletic fields to be used for a development; in May 2013, the committee denied a request from the Library Board of Trustees to use a small section of the same playing field for a proposed $19 million library. 

While nearly all  is enthused about the proposal, all sides decided to keep a somewhat tight lid on the plan in deference to the School Department who will have the first say about whether the proposal will work or not.

“We don’t want a repeat of the library fiasco,” said one source.