Photo: Game winner by Belmont junior Matt Brody against Woburn.

Belmont Boys’ and Girls’ Hockey stopped a streak of dropping points with wins on the first day of the holiday recess on Saturday, Dec. 22.

The boys’ got out in front midway through the game to defeat Woburn, 2-1, at the Skip while its compatriots defeated the host Tanners – coming off consecutive Division 1 state titles – by the same 2-1 score.

While the Boys’ now head to New Hampshire for its annual trip up north starting Dec. 26, the Girls’, now sporting a 3-1-1 record will get into the swing of things when school resumes on Wednesday, Jan. 2 away against Lincoln-Sudbury, Thursday, Jan 3 at Waltham before returning home vs. Lexington on Saturday, Jan. 5.

The Boys’ took the ice Saturday against Woburn riding a three-game losing slide with a 1-3-0 record while the Tanners coming to town at 2-3-0, records both teams did not expect to have at this point in the season.

The first period was balanced if not that exciting affair as both teams had a limited number of chances with Woburn will the better of the opportunities. The Tanners were on the attack in the second as Belmont had to kill a five-minute major penalty at the start of the period and then skated a man down shortly afterward due to a two-minute minor.

Belmont struck first on a sweet individual effort by junior forward Matt Brody – who had been stellar being a pest on the shorthand – who with the puck on his backhand was able to hold off a defender and then place the puck top glove side past the Woburn goalie at 6:28.

Woburn nearly got the goal back less than a minute later but Belmont junior goalie Nico Carere gloved the shot from the Tanners’ forward.

The game-winner started with a miscue producing a magic moment in the final minute of the period. After a face-off in the Marauders end, a pass back to the Tanner defender was fumbled that resulted in the defender stumbling after losing his skate edge allowing Belmont a 3-on-1 counter. While at full speed, sophomore forward and line mate sophomore Ben Fici found that man Brody with a pitch perfect pass at the right post for a bang-bang goal with 13 seconds remaining in the second.

While Woburn would spend most of the third on the front foot against the Marauders, the Belmont defense was able to clog the passing and shooting lanes to prevent any difficult shots against Carere – who was named man of the match – who was finally beaten on Woburn’s fifth power play with less than two to play in the game.

After its trip to the Live Free Or Die state, Belmont boys will be back in league action on Saturday, Jan. 5 away at Lexington at 8:30 p.m.

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