Photo: Belmont team captains, (left) Mia Kaldenbough, Morgan Chase and Jordan Lettiere (that’s one of the Smith kids in front) prepare for Thursday night’s clash with Watertown.
It’s a match of the unbeaten – if not unblemished – records. A pair of Top Ten squads meeting on the field hockey pitch.
It’s Belmont vs Watertown tonight, Thursday, Oct. 4; cross-town archrivals clashing at the mid-point of the season. The game takes place at 6 p.m. at Harris Field. Admission is free.
It is the first time the teams – which has faced the other for decades – are undefeated during a regular season game. It has been a while since the Marauders have gotten the better of the Raiders as Belmont has not defeated Watertown since the 1990s.
It is a game between two pedigree programs; Watertown dominating the Division 2 state championships winning ten consecutive titles and Belmont a perennial playoff team. This season Watertown (6-0-1) is ranked 5th in the Boston Globe’s Top 20 with Belmont (7-0-0) at number 9. MAX Field Hockey, a website that follows the sport nationally, ranks Belmont 20th in New England and Watertown at 6th.
Coming into the game, Watertown needed a late goal from Olivia Lampasona to salvage a 1-1 home tie against a strong Lexington squad Tuesday. After falling behind early, Belmont defeated hosts Melrose, 6-2, Tuesday with senior co-captain Jordan Lettiere scoring four times.
It could be a high scoring affair with Belmont scoring 44 goals and Watertown putting in 32 balls over their first seven games. And it will be a family affair Thursday as Watertown’s longtime head coach Eileen Donahue will be facing her niece, junior Emma, who anchors Belmont’s backline.
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