Photo: Belmont’s Danica Zicha (No. 10 on right) taking down the pitch against Natick.

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer has played against every type of team this season: fast, physical, defensive-minded, and go-for-broke attack football. And for the vast majority of those games, the Marauders were able to come away with the victory.

At the semi-finals of the MIAA Division 1 state championships on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Woburn, Belmont met a completely different sort of opponant in Natick High’s Redhawks: one that was deadly clinical.

In a match settled in the first half, the Redhawks took advantage of their chances to bury three goals past junior Belmont keeper Martha Dimas in the first 40 minutes to ultimately take a 5-0 victory over Belmont. Natick won the state championships on Saturday, defeating Franklin, 4-2, as it took its third title in four years.

“All credit goes to Natick. They have a great team,” said Belmont Head Coach Jemmy Cange, whose team ends the season with 17 victories (17-3-2). “I’m proud of the girls. They did a hell of a job all year long. And today, we got beat by a better team, which is fair,” he said.

Not that Belmont was completely overwhelmed in the game, with twice as many corners while keeping about half of the possession thorough out the contest. Belmont senior center forward Danica Zucha, with 36 goals this season before she heads to Connecticut College in the fall, continued her on-field leadership despite being tightly covered throughout the game. Juniot midfielders Madhavi Ramadas and Zoe Merion were the equals of the physical Natick players. The difference was Natick’s play in the Marauders’ final third which decided the game.

Natick’s first tally resulted on a quick start of a free kick to the left of Belmont’s goal. Senior Lydia Proia found her twin sister, Nicole, who sprinted towards Dimas. As Belmont’s defense collapsed on her, they left sophomore Kerry Sheriff alone at the 10 meter penalty spot where Nicole found her with an on target pass. It was 1-0 Natick with 21 minutes remaining in the half.

Belmont came closest to knoting up the match a few minutes later when Zicha found first year wing Clara Sciandra open 15 yards in front of the net. Her grass cutter shot forced Redhawk senior goalkeepr Katie McMahon to make a falling-away save that kept Natick lead secure.

Natick’s second eight minutes later was a thing of beauty: picking up the ball 15 yards from goal, Sheriff sidestepped a pair of Marauders then one-timed a shot over a stranded Dimas that dipped gently into the net.

Belmont attemped a way back – its best opportunity a header off a corner from Ramadas – but with two minutes remaining in the half, a spot-on pass from Nicole Proia found senior Abby McCauley in acres of space on the right side. The shot snuck just inside the right post, giving Natick at three goal lead and effectively ending the match.

To its credit, Belmont continued to battle through the half, coming close to ending the shutout via senior Farrah Harris who rocketed a shot inside 10 yards that McMahon deflected out with her body. Harris was also involved in a melee in the Redhawks’ box with a dozen players seeking to head the ball everywhich way with Harris having the best chance that required a goal line stop.

But a pair of goals at the death was just the exclamation mark of a good team finishing off an opponant.

Belmont witnessed the final game for senior forwards Zicha and Nora Goulding, a quintet of defenders – Ashley Waters, Harris, Maya Bernback, Sarah Le Tonqueze, and Grace MacDonald – a trio from the midfield including Madison Dubois, Erin Estrada Donahue, and Neil Taylor.

“And I’m very happy for the seniors. We have a lot of great seniors, a great leader [Zicha] on that team. I’m so happy with the season, aside the way this game ended,” said Cange. “We’re gonna build on this season. There’s only one way to go with these players,” he said pointing skyward.