Get A Head(less) Start To Halloween With Horror House, Masquerade Concert Wed. Night At BHS

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Photo: A couple prepares for a night at Belmont High

Boo! Looking for a little pre-Halloween festivities? There will be two spooky events taking place at Belmont High School to get you ready for All Hallow’s Eve!

The 6th annual Belmont High School House of Horror will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the high school’s cafeteria.

This year there will be a kids section with Halloween oriented crafts and games. There’s a $5 entrance fee for the actual Haunted House but we’d greatly appreciate it if you’d like to donate more than that as the proceeds will go to Samaritians.

Along with the Horror House, the Belmont High School Bands will hold its yearly Masquerade Benefit Concert. You’ll hear the haunting themes of ghosts and goblins mixed in with the music of your favorite superheroes and Disney characters. The band will be dressed in their Halloween-best, and we encourage audience members (young and old) to wear their costumes and help set the mood for the evening.

Admission to the concert is FREE. The concert program will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. – a half hour earlier than usual – to accommodate families with younger children.

Meet and Greet Belmont High’s New Principal On Tuesday, Oct. 22

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Photo: Principal Issac Taylor

The Belmont High School Parents, Teachers Students Organization (PTSO) is hosting a Meet and Greet with Belmont High School’s new principal, Issac Taylor, on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the school’s library. Bring your questions, comments, concerns for Taylor. Hear from the PTSO about our plans for this school year. The monthly BPTSO meeting will be held after the event.

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.

Field Hockey Can’t Get By Watertown (Again) As Team Prepares For Two Critical Matches

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Photo: Emma O’Donovan is fouled by the Watertown goalie resulting in a penalty stroke goal by Emma Donahue for Belmont’s goal.

You could hear the sharp “thud” of the ball struck by Belmont High midfielder Emma Donahue off a penalty corner hit the back of the Watertown net across the entirety of Victory Field. It was just the start Belmont had dreamed of against the perennial Div. 2 state finalists: Five minutes into the game played during a downpour and the Marauders on the front foot in its match with the Raiders.

But rather than a celebration (or disappointment from the Raiders’ perspective), players, officials, coaches and just about everyone just … stopped. The ball had immediately ricocheted out into the field and for that second, it appeared everyone questioned what happened. A goal? Maybe?

When the officials made no indication one way or the other, the Raiders took the ball down the field and the game continued as if the entire sequence had been washed away in the rain. (The officials said they believed the ball had hit the right post.) What should have been the momentum Belmont needed to defeat Watertown for the first time in over a decade was not to be as the Marauders would fall to the Raiders, 3-1, on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

For Belmont Head Coach Jess Smith, the game came down to little advantages that Watertown had over the Marauders.

“I felt like they moved the ball a little bit better than we did today and a better sense of where the next pass should go,” said Smith.

The weather played havoc and resulted in the Raiders’ first goal as Belmont’s all-star defender Meaghan Noone lost her stick during a check which allowed Watertown to outman Belmont in front of the net and allowed for a scoop shot for a goal in close. The Raiders would double its margin off a penalty corner.

Donahue – who is a niece of Watertown’s Hall of Fame Coach Donahue – would get her goal on a penalty stroke after a foul by the Watertown goalie on Belmont’s top scorer Emma O’Donovan to bring Belmont within one, 2-1, four minutes into the second half. And the Marauders were a touch of a stick from knotting up the match a minute later when a screamer squeaked by the Raiders’ goalpost.

But that flurry would the best Belmont could muster as Watertown put nearly everything in its defensive coverage while taking advantage of overlapping the player with the ball.

The final Raider tally came from a penalty corner midway through the half.

Smith said especially in the second half her team wasn’t playing its typical game that relays on moving the ball upfield with medium to short passes and long solo runs. “We were trying to beat the other players with our sticks rather than passing it.”

Belmont would recover nicely the next day, Thursday, Oct. 3 when a rejuvenated Wakefield squad arrived at Harris for a game under the lights. Coming into the tussle on a seven-game winning streak, the Warriors had the first shot on net in the opening minutes.

MVP Candidate Katie Guden

Then Belmont reverted back to the crisp passing, dominating defense squad with senior co-captain Katie Guden showing why she is a candidate for Middlesex League MVP by dominating the pitch. Three goals in the first 13 minutes that included a pair by Guden iwth one an end to end solo rush that ended with a goal from more than 10 meters on the run.

It was a game that role players made their mark on the field including senior Ilana Gut who scored her first goal of the season while Ellie McLaughlin got back on the scoring sheet, joining her fellow sophomore Molly Dacey who tallied a brace.

Belmont won 6-0 for its seventh shut out in 10 games, as goalies Molly Calkin and Kendall Whalen shared the victory.

After a match with Burlington on Monday, Oct. 7, the Marauders will have back-to-back matches with squads at the top of the Middlesex Liberty league table with a trip to Lexington (9-2-1) on Friday, Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. then an early (10 a.m.) morning contest on the Monday Holiday with Winchester (8-2-0) at Harris.

It’s a second meeting with both opponents – Belmont battled the Minutemen to a 1-1 tie and beat the Sachems, 2-1, in a comeback win at Winny – with a league title on the line with a pair of victories securing a banner (or what will hang in the Wenner Field House once the construction is sorted out.)

Phone Threat To Belmont High Result In Increased Police Presence

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Photo: Belmont High School.

A threatening phone call to Belmont High School resulted in an increased police presence at the school on Thursday, Sept. 26.

According to an email to the greater Belmont High community, District Superintendent John Phelan said an unknown person stated “We are coming to get you” to a main office secretary.

“The Belmont Police were immediately informed, and are investigating the call. At no time during this process were our students and staff in danger,” wrote Phelan. As a precaution, officers were posted along with the School Resources Officer at the school throughout the day.

Phelan revealed in the past few days, officials several communities received threats to “shoot up” and plant bombs at their schools. The threats are being investigated by state public safety authorities although Belmont has not receive similar emails.

“Student and staff safety [is] our top priority, and we will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to keep everyone safe,” said Phelan.

Residents, parents, and students with questions can call Phelan at 617-993-5401.

Unbeaten Belmont Field Hockey Enters Top 10 After Week Of Big Wins

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Photo: Katie Guden turns to the attack.

Belmont High Field Hockey has been making news this past week.

After traveling to Winchester a week ago Monday and beating, 2-1, a squad ranked in the state and New England then continuing its unbeaten streak with shutout victories over Reading (3-0), Winchester (6-0) and Arlington (3-0), the Marauders (6-0-1) have secured a place in the rarified air on the Boston Globe’s Top 20 poll coming from outside the rankings to land at number 9.

Not bad for a team that was overlooked when the season began by apparently everyone who follows field hockey in the region.

But it shouldn’t have been that difficult to see the Marauders is a team you ignored at your peril. Belmont returned three Middlesex League All-Stars – co-captains Katie Guden, Emma Donahue and Meaghan Noone, each committed to Division 1 college programs – who have dominated the midfield and defensive ends whether going forward and protecting the net. And in net are a pair of keepers; veteran senior Molly Calkin and junior newbie Kendall Whalen, who have surrendered just single goal each.

The surprise this season has been the youngsters on the team, a quartet of sophomores in Molly Dacey, Ellie McLaughlin, Sajni Sheth-Voss and Mia Mueller who have become mainstays on the first 11 with McLaughlin becoming a scoring threat.

Add to that one of the leading scorers in the league in junior Emma O’Donovan along with juniors Olympia and Sophie Kalavantis and Ally Donahue in midfield roles and a bench in which each player can be slotted seamlessly into several positions on the field. All this gives head coach Jessica Smith a team that will do some damage in the D1North sectionals.

During a Saturday matinee match with Wilmington, O’Donovan scored four times while McLaughlin marshaled a pair while the defense allowed only two shots on goal.

Belmont is already looking towards the annual rivalry match with powerhouse Watertown. Last season, Belmont outplayed the Raiders (12 shots to 3, four times the number of penalty corners) yet came away empty handed losing 2-0.

Volleyball Takes Lessons From Battles With State’s Top Programs

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Photo: Belmont’s Nena Trifunovic breaks through the block of Melrose.

Let’s start with the “bad” news this past week: Belmont High’s volleyball team dropped its first two games this season. The “good” news: It can be competitive with a pair of the top programs in the state, “top” as in squads in the Boston Globe’s Top 20 poll.

After losing to perennial Middlesex League powerhouse Melrose (ranked 8th) 3-1, last Monday, Sept. 16 to drop from the unbeaten, the Marauders spent Friday in Winchester (3rd ranked) where they fought a spirited, but losing battle with the Sachems by an identical, 3-1, score.

“I came in knowing it was going to be a fight against both [teams],” said Jen Couture, Belmont’s head coach. “I was hoping that [the team] would rise to the challenge. And they did because what I saw was some of the best volleyball we’ve played.”

Belmont faced two teams that are some of the best in the state: Melrose was a sectional semifinalist last year and a state finalist in 2017 while Winchester has turned on the afterburners this season having pummeled Barnstable – a state finalist, state semifinalist and state champions in the past three years – 3-1 earlier in the year.

In each of its matches, the Marauders would take a rare set from both squads – only the second time that has happened this season to Winchester, winning 25-22 – while remaining competitive thought the games.

Leading Belmont were co-captains Mindee Lai, Sophia Estok and Nena Trifunovic who stepped up with outstanding service games, “the most consistent we’ve been serving wise this season,” Couture said after the Winchester game.

Belmont’s Katherine Bai (4) at the net vs. Melrose.

Adding to Belmont’s attack is rising star sophomore Katherine Bai who is second to Lai in kills with a kill ratio of 43 percent.

If there was one area that Belmont has some work to do setting up its blocking against opponents with taller frontline attackers. “We keep tweaking the lineup every game to adjust it based on the opponent. It keeps evolving,” Couture said.

Belmont would not leave the week empty handed defeating previously unbeaten Lexington at home on Wednesday in a match that was as exciting as it was close, 3 sets to 2, going to 15-12 in the final set.

After dispatching quickly of the Minutemen in the first set and a more competitive second, Lexington, behind its big hitter Taylor Salerno, took control in the third and fourth sets to extend the game into a final fifth set.

In the decider, Trifunovic produced three winners at the net and Lai’s pinpoint serving gave Belmont an early 6-1 lead. Lexington’s blocking along with Salerno’s playmaking brought the Minutemen back to a 10 all tie. But Belmont would take the next four points – with Estok serving an ace at 12-10 – to secure the win.

“A game like this gives the team a confidence boost,” said Trifunovic. “Lexington was undefeated coming here so now we know that we can play these intense five sets against very good teams.”

“But next time we’ll keep it to three sets,” Trifunovic said.

Boys’ Soccer Remains Unbeaten As Girls’ Go 2-0 For The Week

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Photo:

It was rock’em sock’em soccer at Harris Field on Thursday night, Sept. 142 as Belmont High Boys’ Soccer literally battled it out with Melrose, coming away with a 1-0 victory to keep its record unblemished at 3-0-0.

Senior Jon Brabo scored on a header from a corner by junior Theo Kargere five minutes into the game to give all the Marauders’ needed this night that saw more penalty cards – one for Belmont, two to Melrose – than goals as the chippiness factor increased as the hour got late.

That was in mark contrast to the goal fest ore n the grass in Stoneham on Tuesday, Sept. 11 where the Marauders needed a Barbo hat trick to keep the Spartans at bay, 5-2.

Against Melrose, senior goalkeeper Finbar Rhodes garnered his second shutout of the campaign as he had little to do as Belmont kept the Red Raiders on the back foot for most of the evening event. When Melrose turned to a more physical style, Belmont was able to counter with a more skills-based approach

“I was just telling the guys, sometimes other teams will try to suck you into their style of play, and then you’re trying to work your way out of that. The guys showed a lot of composure; they are really disciplined on their own. They’re saying all the things that I would say anyway, prior to me saying it to them, so they know what’s going on,” said Belmont Head Coach Brian Bisceglia-Kane.

Belmont will see a big step up in competition as the Marauders host undefeated Lexington – ranked 5th in the Boston Globe Top 20 – on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Harris Field at 7:30 p.m.

Girls’ Soccer take two

After being shutout and shutdown in the season opener to Wilmington, Belmont High Girls’ Soccer are beginning to righting the ship with a pair of solid victories this past week.

On Thursday, Sept. 13, junior forward Kiki Christofori – who is better known for her two-point baskets – struck for a second-half brace as the Marauders defeated Melrose, 2-0. Christofori first strike was from nearly 20 meters from goal into the top of the goal with a second powered past the goalie.

Earlier in the week, Belmont got a late scare from a tough and talented Stoneham High team – a 13 win sectional semifinalist last year – to sneak out of Harris Field with a 5-3 win. Sabrina Salls scored a brace including the final goal – a blast from more than 15 meters out – to give Belmont some breathing space after the Spartans scored twice in a seven-minute stretch late in the match to cut Belmont’s lead to 4-3.

Ally Landry wound up the night with three points: a goal – an unassisted strike with five minutes left in the first half to give Belmont a 2-1 margin after 40 minutes – and two assists. Marina Karalis scored the game-winner with 15 minutes remaining in the match while Jenna Thomas opened the scoring and closed it with a goal and an assist.

Long-time Belmont Head Coach Paul Graham said while the two late Stoneham goals were a result of not clearing the ball quickly or efficiently, Belmont score three of their goals off of set plays, either corners or free kicks.

The Marauders travel to Lexington on Wednesday before celebrating Soccer Night in Belmont on Saturday against a familiar foe, 3rd ranked Winchester.

Unbeaten Belmont Field Hockey ‘Keepers Stand Tall In Tie With Ranked Lexington

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Photo: (from left) Belmont’s Sajni Sheth-Voss, Emma Donahue, Kendall Whalen, Katie Guden and Meaghan Noone defending a penalty corner in Belmont’s 1-1 draw with Lexington.

With time running down in Saturday’s matinee against Lexington, Belmont High Field Hockey junior goalie Kendall Whalen was taken by surprise when what appeared to be a routine long clearing ball by a Minuteman defender turned out to be anything but ordinary.

Just before the ball was hit, a Lexington forward had drifted behind the Marauders’ defense. She took the clearance and had a clean breakaway with only Whalen between her and a go-ahead goal.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my god. It’s tied and I have to save this’,” Whalen said after the game.

Belmont’s Molly Dacey out battles a Lexington defender for the ball.

While only in her third game ever as a field hockey goalie, Whalen has a great deal of experience in net having come off an impressive 2019 lacrosse season keeping goal for Belmont, and one of the main reasons the Marauders nail down its first playoff appearance in seven years.

“[Lacrosse] really helped to understand where I need to be positioned and when to step up or when to hold back,” said Whalen.

So when the Minuteman player fired a low shot just to her left, Whalen had already reacted and got a boot on the ball to steer it wide of the net.

“I went for it, cut off her angle which rushed her shot which I cleared,” said Whalen who along with senior goalie Molly Calkin secured Belmont’s 1-1 “kiss your cousin” tie with the Minutemen (2-1-1) ranked 8th in the Boston Globe Top 20.

Belmont’s midfielder Mia Mueller.

The goaltending pairing – each plays a half in the games – has worked well for each, said Calkin a returning varsity player who stopped three inclose scoring changes with a new aggressive style.

“During practice, Kendall challenges me to play well and do stuff that I hadn’t done last year,” she said. “I think last year, I kind of lacked confidence that I should have had. This year, I’m taking a different approach and claim what’s mine in front of the net.”

Saturday’s game saw Belmont (2-0-1) never quite shifting its play into top gear as it showed against Stoneham and Melrose. For Belmont Head Coach Jessica Smith, the blame can be laid at the feet of the schedulers.

“Saturday games seems to take us all out of our routine. They don’t go to school, do their homework and prepare the same way. It’s like they’re not as focused as they are during the week,” said Smith.

After falling behind 1-0 on the first shot on Belmont’s net this season five minutes into the game, the Marauders slowly regained control of the offense thorugh the midfield led by senior co-captains Katie Guden and Emma Donahue while fellow senior Meaghan Noone who acted like a Hoover along the backline.

Belmont’s Katie Guden (14) shots towards Emma O’Donovan who redirected the ball into the net for the Marauders’ goal.

Belmont broke through with just under five minutes remaining in the opening half on a sweet combination of passes as sophomore Mia Mueller pushed the ball to Guden who sent a rocket towards junior Emma O’Donovan stationed in front of the goalie. O’Donovan redirected the airborne ball into the open left side of the net, scoring her fifth goal of the young season.

Belmont had its chances throughout the game including when a long strike outside the attacking circle hit the post and ricocheted towards a streaking O’Donovan who was just beaten out to the ball by the goalie. And it appeared that Belmont had scored a potential game winner with about six minutes remaining but an official did not allow play to continue after a minor infraction which the rules state but rather forced a restart nullifying what should have been O’Donovan’s second.

Ellie McLaughlin (16) and Emma O’Donovan bottle up Lexington all-star Katie Devine.

Belmont midfielders did a great job of bottling up Lexington’s star junior Katie Devine to prevent the league all-star from sending shots into the attacking zone while each of Belmont’s four sophomores – Molly Dacey, Ellie McLaughlin, Sajni Sheth-Voss and Mueller – played significant minutes with solid results.

“I’ll take a tie after the team played so poorly,” said Smith.

Belmont 2, Melrose 0

Earlier in the week, Belmont opened its home account with a solid 2-0 victory over Melrose on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

The scoring breakthrough came late in the first half off a penalty corner as McLaughlin gathered a rebound to the left of the goal and send a pass that snuck by to the right post where Noone stuffed the ball in. And fellow senior forward Nuritza Diarbakerly scored her first varsity goal with a tap in along the right post late in the second half.

Meaghan. Noone (22) scores the opening goal against Melrose.

“We definitely needed another goal so we had to be more confident because we didn’t want this to end in a tie,” said Diarbakerly.

Belmont will be on the road Tuesday, Sept. 17, against the current Middlesex League leaders Winchester (4-0-0) ranked 6th by the Globe before hosting Reading on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Harris Field.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Pile Driving At High School Starts Tuesday, Aug. 20

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Photo: Pile driving set to start on Tuesday.

Get ready, Belmont. Beginning early next week, the neighbors living near the Belmont Middle and High School construction site will soon be listening to 10 hours a day of “the rockinest, rock-steady beat” of pile driving madness.

That’s the word from Skanska, the project’s general contractor, which announced the long awaited installation of the underpinnings of the new school’s foundation at the Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The foundation will require a few hundred piles (essentially poles) to transfer the large building loads to the earth farther down from the surface.

According to Project Manager Mike Morrison, the pile driving team will be onsite by Friday, Aug. 16 with the actual installation of the first of the 80 foot piles beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

And the pounding will be a constant for residents and students for the next months. The steady beat of the drill pounding away on the site will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition, due to state regulations on the transportation of extremely long piles on highways, residents can expect deliveries traveling on town streets from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Just how long will the steady beat of piles being driven deep into the soil? Morrison would only say the work will continue “through the fall” with no specific end date.

And it will be loud. According to data from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the noise produced when the anvil strikes the strike plate on the pile can generate noise as much as 135 dB, which is somewhere between jackhammer and a jet engine. Even 200 feet from the source, the noise can reach 68 dB.

For some, the vibration and noise can be too much. On the website SeeClickFix.com, the pile driving conducted at the former Lane & Games bowling alley off of Route 2 in North Cambridge a year ago brought a torrid of complaints from Arlington and Cambridge residents.

“Like you, we’re pretty annoyed by hearing it start up every morning in the distance, like the Excedrin headache from @#$%,” wrote David S.

The work will begin close to the school than move outward towards Harris Field and the intersection of Concord Avenue and Goden Street. Prior to the work starting, owners of 43 of approximately 76 residential structures signed up to have the exterior of their properties examined.

John Phelan, Belmont Schools Superintendent, said he and Isaac Taylor, the High School’s new principal, will be on site when the pile driving begins to monitor the noise level. But he doesn’t believe the noise or vibration will affect learning as students are adept at attending classes with up to seven MBTA commuter trains rumble adjacent to the school.

Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin said residents will be provided a heads up on the start of the job via the police department’s “reverse 911” system.