Bittersweet Victory As Injuries Dampen Belmont Girls’ Win Over Watertown On Soccer Night

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Photo: Belmont High School Girls Soccer captains Hannah Glavin and Anna Santos hold the Phoenix Cup after the team won Soccer Night in Belmont vs Watertown

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Jemmy Cange should have been celebrating his team’s 2-0 victory over Watertown as the Marauders defended the Phoenix Cup as winners of Soccer Night In Belmont on Saturday, Sept. 23.

But in the drenching rain, as his team reveled in the win, Cange began tallying the players who didn’t finish the game. Belmont’s most consistent scoring threats, senior captain Lena Marinell – back on the team after more than a year off the pitch due to injury and who scored a hat trick in Belmont’s previous game – and sophomore attacker Danica Zicha were forced to leave the game. In the game’s final minute, a Belmont player was struck by a Watertown clearing shot that required her to be taken off the field.

“It doesn’t look good right now,” Cange said for a quick return of the players. “We will have to wait to really know.”

Belmont held most of the possession and scoring chances in the first half of the match, played under an unceasing drizzle. But the sure hands of Watertown’s senior goalie Sarah Morrissey and the steady performance from senior defender Lily Lambo.

Belmont High School junior Lucy Hynds (No. 25) celebrates scoring her first varsity goal in the Marauders’ 2-0 win over Watertown at Soccer Night In Belmont.

The breakthrough finally came early in the second half from junior Lucy Hynds, who was in the right place at the right time to one-time the corner kick into the upper netting for her initial varsity goal.

“It was really exciting to score my first high school goal,” she said, returning from her own year-long injury.

“We had a lot of opportunities. We were just a little unlucky for a while … but towards the end, it started to get better, and we started to come together,” said Hynds, who was named Soccer Night’s Player of the Match.

Belmont’s senior captain Anna Santos finished the scoring by redirecting a shot from the right side in the match’s final stages.

Belmont upped its record to 4-2. But now, in the heart of the demanding Middlesex League schedule, Cange will need to unpack a new way of scoring.

“No one’s going to replace Nena and the talent that she has. But we have a really good team,” Cange said.

“I told them during the whole season injuries are going to happen, so we have to prepare and everyone has to step up. And today was a good example of that. When Nena and Danica went out, Anna and Lucy came through,” he said.

Hynds said the best approach the team can have going forward is to “just keep the momentum up and get excited for every game.”

Belmont High Fall Sports Wrap: Field Hockey, Girls’ Soccer, Volleyball, X-C

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Photo: Senior Bridget Gray running onto the pitch in Franklin during Belmont High Girls’ Soccer’s first round MIAA Division 1 match against the Panthers

Field Hockey

After an exciting 1-0 win over Arlington in the first round of the MIAA Div. 1 playoff, Belmont High Field Hockey traveled to the cold and windswept hill country west of Worcester to take on fourth-ranked Wachusetts Regional.

But there wasn’t anything sweet in the Sweet 16 match against the Mountaineers. Despite trailing 2-0 at the half, the 13th-ranked Marauders were still in the game as they stepped up their midfield play in the second quarter. But minutes into the third quarter, a Belmont player was hit on the head by a rising, high stick resulting in the injured player being taken off the field via an ambulance. (The player is OK, as she was well enough to attend homecoming later in the week, albeit with three stitches on her forehead.)

A team member recalled,” We were so freaked out that all we wanted to do was pack up and go home.” The final 25 minutes was a proforma affair and the Marauders’ season ended in a 4-0 loss and an 11-6-3 record.

Despite all the drama of the last game, the team finished the season nearly doubling the six wins from 2021 while securing its first tournament victory since 2017. The team will bring back a substantial selection of high-impact players in 2023, said Jess Smith, who completed her 19th year as head coach.

“This team of multi-sport hardworking athletes surpassed how well I thought we’d do this year,” said Smith.

“They were a group of unselfish players who used speed, endurance, will, and aggression to get it done out there. They were led by a fabulous trio of captains [Layne Doherty, Devin Kelleher and Willa Sama] who kept things fun but goal oriented. They went into every game believing they could get it done. Eleven wins in a Middlesex season is phenomenal. I’ll miss this graduation class and I’m pumped for next year,” said Smith.

Girls’ Soccer

It’s tough enough for a new coach to take the reins of a successful program, but Belmont High Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Jemmy Cange would have to do it with an injury list that would make a physical therapist rich. Nearly half of the team’s projected starters and other past varsity players sat out the entire season or significant portions of 2022.

Despite an injury cloud that hung over the team, the Belmont Girls’ returned to the playoffs with a 9-9-1 record and a tournament victory. It’s a team with some impressive results in the year – an away 4-0 victory over 12-win Arlington and capturing the title on Soccer Night In Belmont – which will return a solid defense that will join two of the best young attacking forwards in the Middlesex League.

Belmont started the postseason hosting Brockton in a play-in match, coming away with a dominant 3-1 victory with sophomore Anna Santos scoring the brace. The first of her goals came in the opening half when she directed the ball into the net. The second will be Santos’ easiest in high school as the inexperienced Boxer goalie whiffed on a clearing attempt which dribbled to a surprised Santos, who flicked it into the wide-open net. Finally, Gray scored from the corner kick when the goalie bundled her cross into the net.

Ranked 25th in the 32 MIAA Division 1 field, Belmont’s round of 32 match was at 8th-seeded Franklin. The teams were evenly matched in the first 20 minutes, with Belmont having the first shots on the net. But the Panthers would gradually take control before scoring midway through the half on a shot just out of the reach of Belmont’s ‘keeper Yuval Golani. Belmont’s best chance came from star freshman Danica Zicha who, despite tight marking, hit a shot heading for the low left corner that took a superb parry by Franklin’s goalie to keep Belmont off the scoreboard. The shortest player on the pitch, Franklin’s junior striker Anya Zub, would finish off the Marauders with the hat trick to secure the 4-0 win.

“It was tough. With all our injuries, this was going to be hard to pull off, and we just got beat up by a tougher team. But I am so proud of them, the way they kept being positive,” Cange said of the game.

The injuries may not have allowed the Marauders to reach their true potential, but Cange is optimistic about next season’s team.

“We have many sophomores and juniors that have a lot of talent and energy. I’m just hoping in the next year everyone can come back healthy, and let’s shoot for another great season.”

Senior Capt. Bridget Gray said she always wanted to play on the same team as her two older sisters.

“And being on it was even more than I could have ever dreamed of. All these girls are my best friends in the world. I’m so upset right now because we all just want another practice, another game with each other,” she said as the team left the field for the final time.

“We all just loved spending every minute of every day together, and we’re going to miss it a lot.”

Volleyball

Volleyball is a game that involves sending the ball back and forth over a net. And for Belmont High, Volleyball was a season of moving back and forth over the .500 mark as the Marauders attempted to continue participating in the Division 1 tournament since 2017. Unfortunately, renovation delays made it all the more difficult as the team’s home court at the Wenner Field House was unavailable for games and practices for more than a month. However, the Marauders would finally punch its playoff ticket with clutch victories in the season’s final two games – both at home – to finish the season at 9-8.

Once securing a spot in the tournament, the Marauders would find themselves slouching towards Cape Cop during afternoon rush hour traffic to play a first-round contest against perennial powerhouse Barnstable.

“We weren’t all having an ‘on the game’ against Barnstable, which we would’ve needed to win,” said Head Coach Jen Couture, as Belmont lost in straight sets, 25-19, 25-10.

“But we still put up a decent fight,” said the long-time coach. “In the first set, we were down 2-14 after a tremendous serving run by Barnstable. But we shook it off and came all the way back to 19 which made things pretty exciting,” said Couture.

Cross country

Belmont High Sophomore Jared Rife emerged as the team leader of the Boys’ Cross Country, qualifying for the Division 1 state championship by taking 6th – breaking 16 minutes (15:55.8) on the 5K course – in the Division 1B qualifier, the youngest runner of the top 10 finishers of the race. As a result, Rife is the sole Belmont High harrier at the state championships being held on Nov. 19.

The Boys’ team finished the Middlesex League duel meet season at 4-2 while placing 4th in the League meet. Seniors Ronnie Rubinshtein and Jason Kim were consistent 2-3 scorers, while sophomores Mark Chumack, Ian Hettenbach, and Ben Palmer – each scoring in the Middlesex meet – gained varsity experience for a team that next year has the potential of being a junior-fueled juggernaut.

The Belmont High Girls season finished in 9th in the Middlesex League meet with junior Keira Healey leading the way, followed by two youngsters, 9th graders Alyssa Kresse and Riley Morgan while at the qualifier, juniors Northanna Strautmann and Clara Roth secured points.

The season’s other highlight wasn’t a race or result but the team’s new home course at Rock Meadow Conservation Land. The double figure eight three mile course allows ample viewing opportunities and is an esthetic winner.

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer Under Friday Night Lights Vs Brockton In Play-In Match

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Photo: Belmont High Girls Soccer will be looking for freshman Danica Zicha’s scoring touch to continue in the Div. 1 tournament.

It’ll take one more victory for Belmont High Girls’ Soccer to secure a spot in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 state tournament as the Marauders host Brockton High School under the Friday Night Lights, in a play-in game at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Harris Field.

While Belmont (9-8-1) made the tournament being one of the top 32 power ranking teams – finishing at the 25th spot – schools outside the threshold but with a season record over .500 are provided the opportunity to play themselves into the playoffs. This season, nine schools were eligible including the Boxers which finished their campaign at 10-6-0.

Friday’s game will be the second of a playoff doubleheader set for Harris Field as Belmont’s field hockey team will take on Arlington High which is fielding a co-ed team. That game starts at 4:15 p.m.

Friday’s winner will travel to Franklin to battle the 8th-ranked Panthers (14-3-1) on Monday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. If Belmont wins, Monday’s game will be an extremely rare doubleheader as Belmont High’s Boys Soccer team is scheduled to meet Franklin at 6 p.m., an occasion where both boys and girls teams in the same sport are in tournament action at the same location. What are the odds?

It’s been a truly up and down season for the team and first-year head coach Jemmy Cange who started the year with several players injured including some who have been out for the entire season. And the injury curse continued in the final four games as a pair of varsity standouts went down and will miss the tournament.

Despite the downside of injuries, the team’s highlights include the steady play of midfielders such as Bridget Gray and the discovery of the team’s leading scorer, freshman Danica Zicha. The team is coming off a season finale beating Westford Academy, 3-1, and can recall a 4-0 road shutout of 12-win Arlington and winning silverware – the Phoenix Cup – as champions of Soccer Night In Belmont for inspiration entering the tournament.

A High School Doubleheader Headlights Soccer Night In Belmont On Saturday, Oct. 2

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Photo:

The Belmont High School Boys and Girls Varsity soccer teams will headline a doubleheader of top-notch soccer at the sixth annual Soccer Night in Belmont on Saturday, Oct. 2.

joined at the event by hundreds of younger players from Belmont 2nd Soccer and the Belmont Soccer Association, their coaches, and other members of the Belmont soccer community.

The games, to be played under the lights at Harris Field, will see the Marauders meet Middlesex League rivals Winchester: the Boys game at 4:30 pm followed by a Girls game at 6:30 pm. The teams will vie for the Phoenix Cup and the honor of having their team’s name engraved on it.  

Belmont youth soccer players will participate by parading out with players during the pre-game ceremonies, acting as ball-boys and ball-girls, and competing in mini-games on Harris Field during halftime of both games. Winchester Soccer Club youth soccer players will also participate in the pre-game ceremonies and other activities.

“This event showcases our varsity teams and recognizes the role of the Belmont Soccer Association in nurturing the talent that makes our high school teams year in and year out,” said event organizer John Carson. “We hope for a big crowd for a really fun night that builds bonds between our “little kid” players and “big kid” high school players, virtually all of whom came up through the Belmont youth program. In fact, one great highlight is always that our high school players wear wristbands during the game that match the color of their Belmont youth soccer team.”

Admission to Soccer Night in Belmont is free. Concessions including pizza, hot dogs, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase, provided by Parents of Music Students (POMS) so families can come for the games and feed the kids at the same time.

Soccer Night in Belmont is sponsored by the Belmont Soccer Association, Friends of Belmont Soccer (FOBS), and The Phoenix Landing.

Belmont High Soccer: Last Second Goals Give Boys’, Girls’ Opening Week Lift

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Photo: Belmont High freshman Dana Lehr (second left) celebrates the tying goal she scored in the final two minutes of the match vs Wilmington.

There’s a phase used in British soccer commentary: “at the death” meaning at the last possible moment of a game. For both of Belmont High soccer teams in their opening week, points were salvaged “at the death” – one for a much needed tie and the other resulting in a ruckus victory.

Freshman rescues Girls’ soccer

Belmont High Girls’ soccer opened its 2021-22 Middlesex League account on Friday, Sept. 10, facing the prospect of a solid effort against visiting Wilmington High go to waste as the Marauders’ trailed late, 1-0, via a deflected shot early in the fourth quarter.

But leave it up to one of the youngest players on the pitch to pull a point out of her hat a la Bullwinkle J Moose as freshman midfielder Dana Lehr deftly slotted a pin-perfect pass from forward Paula Dullaghan from just inside the goal area with two minutes remaining to see the match end as a 1-1 stalemate.

“You can’t loss the first game!” explained Lehr.

Belmont Head Coach Paul Graham praised his center defender Sofia Hospodar as a steadying influence for a young back line taking on a physical opponent.

The Marauders were on the road Tuesday, Sept. 14 visiting Stoneham, a good all-around squad that uses its home ground – a rarely cut grass pitch that tilts at an angle between the goals – to great advantage. The end result was Belmont’s first loss, 2-1, as the Spartan’s speed allowed them to play the long-ball game and keep the Marauders bottled up.

“We were running backwards all game long,” said Graham. “It was so frustrating but they played better then we did.”

While Belmont had its chances, they could only breech the Stoneham goal once through junior Sabrina Salls.

Belmont is in action on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Harris Field against Melrose.

Boys’ grabs a late winner, everyone goes bonkers

After a big opening day 2-0 victory over host Wilmington on Friday, Sept. 10, the Belmont High Boys’ Soccer team hosted Freedom Division foe Stoneham at Harris Field on Tuesday, Sept. 14 and waited until the very last minute to snatch a 2-1 victory from the prospect of a tie.

For first year head coach Niman Kenkre the team’s three win start – Belmont secured a non-league 3-1 victory over Boston Latin which will impact any potential state tournament seeding – “has laid a marker for the season ahead.”

Against Stoneham, Marauder Lucas Alvarez Fernandez took hockey great Wayne Gretzky’s quote – “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take” – to heart when his middling attempt was terribly muffed by the Spartan goalie to give Belmont a 1-0 lead at the half. While Belmont held a slight edge over the Stoneham team – made up of taller and stouter players – in the first half, the Marauders saw themselves on the back boot as the game moved into the later part of the second half.

”We are not at the fitness level as I had hoped. We had players cramping … and others needed to be subbed out,” Kenkre said.

Stoneham’s quickness paid off near the mid point of the half as two quick one-time passes along the goal line left an opening in the front of the Marauder’s net for the tying goal.

Rather than settle for the point at home, Belmont committed to the attack down the wings searching for a clear shot at goal. As the scoreboard clock stopped at the 2 minute mark – when the officials keep the time on the field – Belmont’s Anthony Durkin drifted in-between three Spartan defenders at the top of the penalty box where Alvarez Fernandez found the forward with a pass from the left. A few steps to find a clear view and Durkin’s blast found the back of the net with little time left to play. The resulting bonkers celebration on and off the field – including an attempted pitch invasion (?!) from Marauder supporters – will be seen by the participants as obviously over the top for an early season league match on a Tuesday night.

“I can’t say enough about [Anthony],” said Kenkre. “He’s our star, he’s our senior leader. He came back from cramps and when he went back in, he suggested that he be put up as a striker. And I did that and it resulted in a brilliant goal. He was brilliant all game.”

Belmont is on the road Saturday, Sept. 18 to play Melrose.

Soccer Night In Belmont Returns Nov 7, Nov 11

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Photo: Belmont girls in action

The Belmont High School Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity soccer teams will headline the 5th annual Soccer Night in Belmont matches on Saturday, Nov. 7 (Girls’) and Wednesday, Nov. 11 (Boys’), both games vs. Arlington High. A modified version event is planned this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the teams will still vie for the Phoenix Cup and the honor of having their team’s name engraved on it.

Normally, the varsity players are joined at the event by hundreds of younger players from the Belmont Soccer Association, their coaches, and thousands of other members of the Belmont soccer community.  This year, fans will not be permitted to enter Harris Field, but the community can watch live thanks to the Belmont Media Center on one of these Comcast channels: 8, 9, or 96 or Verizon channels: 28, 29, 30 or 2130. In addition, you can watch the live stream via www.belmontmedia.org.

The girls will take to the Harris Field to take on the Spy Ponders Saturday afternoon, Nov. 7 at 4 .p.m. The boys will face their Middlesex League rivals at 9 a.m. on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“This event showcases our varsity teams and recognizes the role of Belmont Youth Soccer in nurturing the talent that makes up these teams year in and year out,” said event organizer and founder John Carson. “Despite the pandemic, we can all tune in to support our varsity teams on live television.”

In addition to the trophy, the Players of the Match will be awarded following each game, with each player receiving a new pair of cleats thanks to Puma, a longtime Soccer Night in Belmont supporter.

Soccer Night in Belmont is sponsored by the Belmont Soccer Association, Belmont Boosters, Parents of Music Students (POMS), Phoenix Landing, and Friends of Belmont Soccer (FOBS), with special thanks Belmont High Athletic Director Jim Davis.

Soccer: Girls’ Hang On For 3-2 Win In Season Opener; Boys’ Looking For Offense In Shutout Loss

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Photo: Belmont High’s Katelyn Sawyer (9) and Grace Kane (3) in action against Lexington

Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer squads got their respective seasons underway this past weekend.

Girls’: Belmont Hangs On To Secure Opener Victory

The Belmont High Marauders showed what a senior laden team can do best as it took maximum advantage of the opportunities given them to take home a 3-2 opening day victory against the host Lexington High Minutemen.

“I’m happy with the results because we lost twice of them last year. So that was a big one for us,” said of Belmont’s long time head coach Paul Graham.

The senior strike partnership of Kiki Christofori and Jenna Thomas joined sophomore midfielder Kiley Meringer with goals in the inaugural game of the shortened 10-game season.

Christofori scored midway though the first quarter off a hard shot that hit the Minuteman goalie’s shoulder and bounced in. Meringer lofted a floater that caught the goalie off her line and settled in at the 7:30 mark of the second quarter. Thomas slotted a shot that snuck into the net five minutes into the third to give Belmont a 3-0 lead.

It turned out that each goal was needed as the Minutemen grew stronger – they hit the crossbar twice in the game – as the game progressed led by its talented junior forward Kirsty Carnan who was a handful for the Marauders backline, a group that won Graham’s praise.

“I have to say my four defenders really played well, Graham said describing the workrate of sophomore Sabrina Spalls, senior Grace Kane – who moved from the midfield – and returning stalwarts junior Ally Landers and senior Ashley Green.

“You know they were very very strong, they’re tough to beat up,” said Graham who acknowledged senior Rachel November was a standout controlling the middle of the field.

Senior Abbie Moran kept a clean sheet in the first two quarters with a fine stop of a Carnan shot on her near side post. Junior Bridget Martin was busy for the entire second half giving up a Carnan goal in the final minute of the game to cut the margin of victory to one.

Belmont will host Lexington this Saturday, Oct. 11 at Harris Field at 4 p.m.

Boys’ Lacked Punch On The O Side Of The Ball Falling 2-0

While it was perfect fall weather to play a game – sunny in the upper 60s – it was a frustrating game for the Belmont High Boys Soccer as a lack of offense punch left the Marauders empty handed on the scoresheet falling to Lexington High Minutemen, 2-0, in the home and season opener on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Harris Field.

While Belmont’s midfielders and defenders kept the Minutemen at bay for the first two quarters, the Marauders – under new head coach Jean M Carlone Laforgue – couldn’t find the right combination of passes that would spring their forwards for clear shots.

Senior midfielder Ali Noorouzi had Belmont best chance when, in the second quarter, he ran onto a probing pass to the right of goal but couldn’t lift the ball over the on rushing goalie.

Noorouzi was Belmont’s Man of the Match whose work rate allowed the Marauders to hold the majority of possession in the first half. Senior center back Lars Gustav Bauerle controlled the turf in front of junior goalie Damon Reyes. Up front, senior forward Will Kivalatitu was the most threatening to the Minutemen backline.

Lexington where able to end the stalemate at 14:20 in the third through senior Lynn Jueppner from junior Eric Edmonds on a nice build up on the left wing. The same combination hit in the fourth as Jueppner got the brace from a strike in close between a pair of Belmont defenders at 14:26 in the fourth.

The remainder of the game saw Belmont attempting to find a way around a Lexington team packing the middle with little to show for their attempts.

Belmont visits Lexington at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Belmont Playing Modified Soccer, Field Hockey, XC This Fall; Volleyball, Swim, Football Move To ‘Floating’ Season

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Photo: There will be a fall sports season at Belmont High School.

There will be Belmont High student/athletes playing this fall at Harris Field and on the links this fall as the athletic directors of the Middlesex League have approved their schools playing boys and girls soccer, field hockey, boys golf and boys and girls cross country, according to Belmont Schools Superintendent John Phelan who announced the decision at Wednesday, Sept. 2 School Committee marathon meeting.

But volleyball and swimming will be moving with football and competitive cheer to the newly created “floating” season that starts during the final weeks of February and ending in April.

School superintendents and athletic directors that represent Middlesex League schools approved a league-wide response to move forward with a fall season. It has been reported that Belmont will compete twice against teams in the league’s Liberty Division – Arlington, Winchester, Reading, Lexington, and Woburn – which will end for this year the annual competition against cross border rivals Watertown.

The decision by the Middlesex League comes as other athletic conferences such as the Mayflower and South Coast leagues on the South Shore and the nearby Northeastern Conference have canceled their fall schedule and moved it to the floating season, with the hope that the modifications would be suspended with changes in the severity of COVID-19.

While Belmont will be playing this fall, some of the sports will look quite different. Field hockey will now be played seven-against-seven – under normal conditions, there are 11 on each team – while penalty corners which are an important part of the game have been banned.

Soccer will see corner kicks and sideline throw-ins ended, reduced to free kicks that can not be sent into the goalie’s area. Defensive walls that help goalies to protect against free kicks have been suspended. But the most significant ban will be the end of heading the ball.

Cross country will likely be a timed event where each participant starts a certain length of time – usually 30 seconds – from the next runner.

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer Upsets Masco, 1-0; Heads To Beverly For Quarters Clash

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Photo: Belmont High’s Kiki Christofori (#22, center) after scoring the only goal of the game vs. Masco.

On a cold Nov. 5, 2016, Marina Karalis, a freshman who was called up from the JV just weeks before, scored the winning penalty kick to give Belmont High Girls’ soccer an upset playoff victory over hosts Winchester.

Fast forward four years almost to the day, Karalis – now one of only a handful of seniors on a youthful team – came through once again as she assisted in a Kiki Christofori goal with just over 12 minutes to play to upset Masconomet Regional (the 7th seed with an 11-4-4 record), 1-0, to move on to the Division 2 North Sectional quarterfinals against second-seed Beverly High.

Belmont (the 10th seed at 9-7-2) will meet the Panthers (2nd ranked at 15-2-1) at Beverly High on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.

“It’s so weird to think that I’m the senior on the team and not being yelled at [by seniors],” said a smiling Karalis after the game. “I remember having [seniors] as role models and now having to be that person. So I’m so proud of everyone working their butts off the whole game and glad that such hard work paid off.”

For Belmont Head Coach Paul Graham, Karalis’ leadership and play in the center of the field provided to be the difference in the game’s outcome.

“Marina was a general out there. It was tough because the field (Masco plays on an uneven grass pitch with a distinct slope) because the ball wasn’t coming to her true but she still dominated the entire midfield,” he said.

Belmont’s goal came from a quick turn of play as Karalis sent a deft pass to Christofori to the right of Masco’s netminder.

“I think somebody was kind of on the right side of me. It was in the heat of the moment that I took the shot and it went through the goalies’ legs,” said Christofori.

The match was a back and forth affair for nearly the entire game in which shots on goal were few as both teams appeared to struggle in the high grass pitch.

“It was like playing in the mud,” said Graham.

While Masco’s quickness was its main threat, it was countered by the outstanding play from Belmont’s backline of junior Ashley Green, senior Olivia Zarzycki and junior Katelyn Sawyer – that limited Masco to a mere three shots on goal for the game.

“[Green] was the boss back there, yelling and screaming and having everyone covered. And the rotation between her and [Sawyer] was unbelievable. Katelyn played her best game of the year today and it’s her birthday.”

Looking forward to the tourney, Graham believes the up and down season has made the current lineup resilient to whatever is thrown at them.

“We’re a tough out. We’ve played everyone tough this year be it Winchester (a 1-1 tie at home), Arlington, anyone. I honestly don’t think anyone really wants to play us because no one knows who we really are,” said Graham.

Asked what was the best part of winning the game, Karalis answered with the bravado of someone who doesn’t want the season to end.

“We’re practicing tomorrow.”

Boys’, Girls’ Soccer In Final Sprint For Preseason Placement

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Photo: Belmont High defender Micheal Ciano (#5) vs. Reading.

With records hovering in the .500 range – usually the minimum requirement for entry for postseason play – both Belmont High soccer teams in the final two weeks of the season need to grab as many points before them.

Boys’ Seeking Scoring Punch, Found It Against Wakefield

Belmont High Boys’ Soccer Head Coach Brian Bisceglia-Kane knows exactly what his Marauders need to do to win games: Get that first goal.

“We’re still trying on working to start strong because every game that we’ve scored first we went on to win and when we don’t, we don’t win,” said Bisceglia-Kane as his team stands at 5-4-1 with the strength of the Middlesex League schedule waiting for the Marauders in the final six games of the season.

Not just scoring first but scoring has been a large millstone hanging around the team’s neck. Since a 3-0 defeat to Winchester on Soccer Night in Belmont and before its game with Wakefield, the Marauders scored a single goal in four games that included a pair of 1-0 defeats with a grand total of eight goals in the season.

“I always tell the guys though that the best teams that we play and the worst, as long as we are competing hard, it will be razor thin who’ll come out on top. We play in a highly competitive league where the margin from top to bottom is almost nothing,” he said, noting while last year state finalist Arlington outplayed Belmont earlier in the season, “we beat them 1-0. It’s just that close.”

Bisceglia-Kane said while he continues to tweak the lineup up front, he doesn’t see much weakness with his back line – led by Micheal Ciano and Noah Meyer Herron – or the midfield which he said is moving the ball well with combination passing and solo runs. It’s just finding the net that remains an issue.

“We continue to put ourselves in a good position [to score], it’s just getting more chances in front of the goal,” he said.

On Monday, Oct. 7 against Wakefield, the goal drought came to an end as Sr. Jon Brabo scored the hat trick with midfield stalwart Will Hoerle adding a single tally as the Marauders took it to a winning Warrior team, 4-0 at Harris Field.

Scoring first just past midway through the first half by Brabo unassisted, the Marauders would score 13 minutes into the second from Hoerle via Ali Noorouzi before putting the game to bed with a pair from Brabo a minute apart with 14 minutes left with the final score assisted by Gabe Ditommaso. Senior goalkeep Finbar Rhodes picked up his fourth clean sheet of the season.

It will be a hard row to hoe over the next week for the Marauders as they play three consecutive games on the road; first off to a struggling Burlington squad before meeting a pair of undefeated teams, Lexington and Winchester.

“I really think we have a good chance at the playoffs. This team has been really enjoyable to coach because they really put everything on the line.

Girls’ Soccer Seeking Consistency As Postseason Looms

It’s been a topsy turvy series of games for Belmont High Girls’ Soccer. After being outplayed by Arlington (2-0 loss), the Marauders squeaked by a rebuilding Woburn team, 1-0, before crushing Watertown, 7-0. So it would appear trip to a Newton North for a match on grass on a sunny, autumnal Saturday afternoon against a one-win squad would be just what Belmont would need to pad its record.

Au Contraire! Belmont would walk off the pitch after a lackluster effort carrying a 1-0 loss back to Belmont. The Marauders’ long time Head Coach Paul Graham was at a loss for words on what had just happened.

Belmont High’s Kiki Christofori (#22) vs. Newton North

“I just don’t know,” he said.

So what chances did the Marauders have traveling to take on a rejuvenated Wakefield team that had not lost a home game in the season? How about a 2-1 victory thanks to a brace by jr. forward Kiki Christofori to push Belmont’s record to 6-4-1 with six matches remaining.

The Belmont Girls’ have an easier task to making the playoffs as they face a number of teams with weak records (Burlington) and which it has already beaten earlier (Reading and Woburn). The team will be relying on senior midfield general Marina Karalis and sophomore goalie Bridgette Martin to steady the team and provide the necessary leadership on the field.