It was a wonderful Wednesday for the Belmont High School Field Hockey and Volleyball squads both secured a place in the post season with wins on Oct. 9.

Continuing their best season in the sports history, Marauder volleyball came back from a two-to-one set deficit to defeat host Burlington High School 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 15-11).

Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture’s team now stands at 10-3, matching last year’s win total with seven games remaining in the season. 

On Harris Field, the field hockey team scored four times in the final 10 minutes of the game to defeat Wakefield High School 5-0 to raise its record to 8-3-1.

“Every game after this one matters big time. It decides whether we have a home seed in the playoffs or we end up playing at Acton/Boxborough,” said Belmont Head Coach Jessica Smith.

Wednesday’s win saw Belmont continue their strong scoring rate – the Marauders’ 4.1 goal per game average is one of the best in Eastern Massachusetts, only trailing powerhouses such as Andover (4.6), Acton/Boxborough (4.8) and Watertown (5.2) – with senior forward Haley Sawyer who scored a hat trick.

“A lot of the time Annie [sophomore midfielder Annmarie Habelow] brought it down the field and I was waiting at the corner and I just there,” Sawyer said.

“We really work well together as a team. They were all team goals,” said Sawyer.

Belmont took a while to get their overall play up to speed, finally taking the lead with eight minutes left in the first half when Sawyer jammed in an initial shot from Olivia Castagno. 

Wakefield started the second half on the front foot, winning two penalty corners and putting a pair of shots on Marauders goalie Kate Saylor. But hard work by Lauren Noonan, playing her best game this season, tracked down numerous Red Raider runners and clogging down passing lanes.

Belmont finally showed its best in the final half of the second, first nearly scoring off four perfectly executed middle-of -the-pitch passes before an infraction was called. The Marauders doubled its lead by a solo effort from Habelow who passes three Red Raiders before hitting a 15 meter backhand slap shot by the Wakefield goalie.

Sawyer got her final two goals, with assists from Habelow and Kate McCarthy, before senior midfielder Suzanne Noone finished the scoring by weaving through defense before firing a shot into the back of the net.

Smith also pointed out Julia Chase for her outstanding play along the wings – “She should have had five assets. What a great game.”

Next up for Belmont is taking on league leader Reading (who beat the Marauders, 4-0, earlier in the season) who comes to Harris Field at 3:30 p.m.

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