Belmont Boys’ Lacrosse Gets A Slow Start to the Season

It was perfect conditions to play a lacrosse match in Belmont on Wednesday, April 2: bright sunshine and temperatures in the low 50s.

But for a young Belmont High School Boys’ Lacrosse team, the outcome was less than ideal. After playing visiting Watertown High School to a 2-2 draw in the first quarter, “the game got away a little quickly” in the second quarter, according to Belmont’s new Head Coach Josh Streit.

And while the Marauders got back to playing the scheme in the second half they had been practicing, Watertown was able to expose Belmont’s new defensive back line – three of the four are new to the top level – and headed down Common Street with the win, 15-8, in the season and home opener for the Marauders.

“Were a very young team almost exclusively sophomores and juniors with 11 new to varsity but there was a lot of real positives to be had,” he said.

Leading the Marauders on offense was sophomore midfield Trey Butler who tallied five goals including a underhanded improvisational goal in close that caught the eyes of the crowd.

“There will be growing pains so there will be a learning curve in the season,” said Streit.

“But there were moments of great lacrosse and great hard work. Even down by nine late, we never gave up.”

Belmont Club Rugby Hits Season Running

It was the first chance for Head Coach Greg Bruce to see Belmont High School’s Club Rugby’s First XV (a team is made up of 15 players) in action. And while the game was with a very young team from Kearsarge High School from Sutton, NH and the final score, 52-0, fairly indicated the difference in depth, Bruce liked what he saw.

“The boys looked good but there is a lot of work that we need to do. But for the first real contact of  the year, the guys handled themselves real well. They showed a lot of energy tonight, they tackled well and its a good start,” said the always reserved Bruce of this team which won the state’s Div. 1 state championship in May.

Next up for the club (the team can no longer be referred simply as Boys’ Club Rugby as they have a female member) is a match against Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood on Wednesday.

“That will certainly be a big step up in competition,” said Bruce.

Wet Start for Girls’ Lacrosse

The good news from Friday’s season opener for the Belmont High School Girls’ Lacrosse against a talented Newton North team on March 28 was that the Marauders played the Tigers to a draw in the second half – in fact, outscoring Newton until a Tiger goal in the final 10 seconds of the 30 minute half.

The bad news was that a young Belmont team dug themselves a 10 goal deficit in the first half, trailing 12-2 at half time, ultimately losing 17-7 to Newton North in the first game of the season.

One bright spot for the Marauders was a willingness of the forwards to take goal scoring shots as six players scored with Elena Bragg pocketing two goals.

The team takes on Newton South today, Monday, March 31, at 4 p.m.