Trout FG Gives Belmont 17-14 OT Win Over Winchester

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Photo: Belmont High’s kicker Hampton Trout hits the game-winning field goal in overtime to defeat Winchester.

Belmont High’s kicker Hampton Trout just hoped he would get a second opportunity to decide the game with Winchester after his 43-yard attempt sailed wide left as time ran out with the score knotted at 14. And when the Belmont defense stuffed Wilmington on its attempt to score in overtime, Trout got that chance to play hero with a 19-yard attempt.

“Everyone was coming up to me yelling ‘You got this, you got this’ and it getting into my head a little bit. But when I got out there and took my three steps back from where I was going to kick it, I knew it was going in,” said the junior kicker who was having a great night with a pair of touchbacks on kickoffs and punts that twice flew and rolled for more than 50 yards.

And Trout didn’t disappoint, splitting the uprights to defeat the Sachems in the first overtime, 17-14, on Friday, Oct. 5 to put Belmont (3-2, 1-2 in the league) in the driver’s seat for its first trip in the program’s history to the MIAA Division 3 North playoffs.

“While I practice as a wide receiver and quarterback, I stay after practice to work in my kickoffs and punting. And it really made a difference tonight,” said Trout whose exploits earned him the game ball.

The win against Winchester (3-2, 2-1) both a Middlesex Liberty Division and Division 3 North rival, 

“These guys worked so hard that they deserved this win,” said Belmont Head Coach Yann Kumin who was his ecstatic self when Trout’s kick went through the uprights. 

Under the Friday night lights, Belmont’s defense shined as it put the clamps on the high scoring Winchester offense led by DB and co-captain Jared Edwards who slapped away numerous attempts directed at his side while junior Justin Rocha continued his outstanding all-around play. And it was a big night for the big men led by junior defensive lineman Derrick Brown who garnered two-and-a-half sacks and a number of hurries on Winchester QB Tony Fiorentino while marshaling the D-line and putting the clamps on running backs Brendan Curran and Jakob Flores.

“I’m really proud of the defense. I threw the gauntlet down about our defense being physical and doing great work. We felt we were pretty physical against Reading but we gave up too many big plays. Today we only gave up two so we know we have something going on defensively,” said Kumin.

Offensively, Belmont’s vaunted ground game was finding it hard to get a rhythm going, but it only needed a fortunate bounce to get on the scoreboard. 

Junior QB Avery Arno fumbled the ball that hit off the turf and straight into RB Rhaki Joseph’s hands. The senior running back continued the play, sweeping around the left end where Edwards had the key block and into the clear along the sideline for a 49-yard second quarter touchdown.

“The ball bounced up like it’s supposed to. That’s how we drew that one up,”said Kuman, who pointed to the heavens in silent thanks as Joseph scored.

On an unfortunate note, the game was halted for 20 minutes after a Winchester player suffered a severe lower-body injury requiring him to be taken by ambulance for treatment.

Belmont nearly took the one touchdown lead into the half, but an Arno pass into double coverage was picked off at the Belmont 47 with just more than two minutes left. After a 15-yard penalty put the Sachems behind the 8 ball with a fourth down and 12 at the 39 with 16 seconds left, Fiorentino found Matt Romagna with a perfect pass for the touchdown.

After a defensive third quarter, Winchester began its one sustained drive in the game after recovering a Belmont fumble at the 48-yard line. The Sachems were resourceful, converting a pair of third and fours, survived a sack from senior interior linebacker Sam Harris and Brown.

After allowing an 18-yard pass completion on a 4th down and 15 that put the ball on the 10-yard line, the Belmont defense came through forcing a 4th down on the 5. The subsequent field goal attempt by Fiorentino was blocked by Harris.

After taking the ball on the 20, Belmont faced a 3rd and 8 from its own 22, when Aron hit Johnson with a swing pass looking for a short gain. As defenders Johnson exploded through a small opening inside then quick stepped it outside and sailed down right sidelines for a 78-yard touchdown with 7:22 remaining.

But the Sachems came straight back with a perfect pass action which saw Romagna romp 45 yards to the Belmont 5. The Sachems tied the score on a third down and inches plunge by Fiorentino with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Belmont would keep the ball for nearly the remainder of the quarter, mixing runs and passes to Edwards to give Trout his first chance at winning the game. Despite the miss, Kumin had a feeling that his team would take home the win. 

 “I knew our defense wouldn’t make it easy for them to score so we had a chance,” said Kumin.

After last Saturday’s games, Belmont sits in third of the eight playoff places with two games remaining, insuring a home postseason game. Next Saturday, Belmont travels to 4-1 Lexington for a Saturday afternoon Prep School style tussle on the Minuteman’s grass field before ending the scheduled season against Arlington, currently at 1-4.

Belmont Field Hockey Hosts Watertown In Battle Of Top Ten Undefeated Teams Thursday 6 PM

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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.

Third Soccer Night In Belmont Set for Harris Field, Saturday, Sept 29

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Photo: The procession to the field

The Belmont High School Boys and Girls Varsity soccer teams will headline the third annual Soccer Night in Belmont on Saturday, September 29, 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.

Soccer Night in Belmont will feature a doubleheader under the lights at Harris Field against Middlesex League rivals Arlington: a Boys’ game at 4:30 p.m. followed by a Girls’ game at 6:30 p.m. 

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. Arlington 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 Belmont 2nd Soccer and BSA in nurturing the talent that makes up these teams year in and year out,” said event organizer John Carson. 

“We hope to exceed last year’s crowd of more than 1,500, and it will be 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 2nd Soccer team,” said Carson.

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 Belmont 2nd Soccer, Belmont Soccer Association, Belmont Savings Bank, The Rising, Phoenix Landing, with special thanks to Friends of Belmont Soccer (FOBS) and Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis.

Belmont Road Closures During Scharfman 5K On Sunday, Sept. 30

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Photo: I Ran the Dan on Sunday.

As part of the sixth annual running of the Dan Scharfman 5K taking place at 9:30 a.m., Sunday morning, Sept. 30, the following road closings to ensure the safety of the runners and other participants:

  • 6 a.m. – noon: No Parking on East/West side of Concord Avenue between Cottage and Underwood;
  • 6 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: No Parking on Goden Street between School Street and Concord Avenue;
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: School Street closed between Myrtle Street and Philip Road;
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: No exit onto Oakley from Selwyn and Hurd;
  • Between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.: Drivers should be aware of runners on the 5K course (Concord Ave / Orchard Road / Stone Road / School Street / Philip / Elizabeth Road / Jacob / Payson / Oakley / Goden / Concord / Underwood); and
  • Between 10:45 am and 11 a.m.: Concord Ave Westbound will have young runners in the bike lane running against traffic between Underwood and Goden. Cones will separate runners from traffic.

The Foundation for Belmont Education thanks the residents of Belmont and the Belmont Police Department for their support of the Dan Scharfman Memorial Run and appreciates the community’s understanding of the disruption in normal traffic patterns.  

The Scharfman Run takes place from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Belmont High School Track, 221 Concord Ave., and takes a scenic route past the town’s schools, Payson Park Reservoir and Clay Pond. Interested participants can register the day of the race at the Belmont High School Track. 

Proceeds from the Run enable the FBE to fund new programs in the Belmont Public School system and give educators and students the best tools, technology, and training to foster innovation and love of learning. 

In Match Of Unbeatens, Belmont High Field Hockey Sprints Past Winchester, 3-0

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Photo: Puppy pile for Belmont’s second goal with sophomore Emma O’Donovan taking the prize.

In an early season matchup of the creme of the Middlesex League Liberty crop, Belmont High Field Hockey provided Friday afternoon that team speed is dangerous for opponents as the Marauders ran past defending league champions Winchester High, 3-0.

“It’s all the 400s [meter] runs I make them do,” said Belmont Head Coach Jess Smith as her team, ranked 15th in the Boston Globe Top 20 poll, remains undefeated at 4-0-0 while Winchester, ranked 6th in the Globe poll, drops to 2-1-0.

“We knew we were good but to beat someone like [Winchester, which last year made the Division 1 North finals] makes it’s not just talking. The win makes it ‘legit,'” said Smith.

Senior co-captain and wing Morgan Chase, junior midfield Katie Guden and sophomore forward Emma O’Donovan scored in the first half as the Marauders kept the majority of possession for most of the first 30 minutes.

For Smith, the victory was a combination of her player’s quickness and their commitment to ball movement.

“I think our speed is killer,” she said. “We have athletic kids, we are super aggressive all over the field, and our passing is extremely good,” said Smith. “No one can run faster than a ball so if we can keep passing it up the field that quickly, we’re gonna get into the [scoring] circle faster than their backs.”

The Marauders’ team up-tempo pace showed as it took away passing lanes in the middle of the field. Belmont also took the majority of 50/50 balls as well as stealing the ball on man-to-man clashes with Belmont’s senior forward and co-captain Jordan Lettiere, the prime suspect in many of those heists. 

Along the back line, junior Meaghan Noone effectively shut down Winchester’s right side attacks. Junior Emma Donahue was once again a significant presence in the middle as sophomore Hayley Koenigsberg kept Winchester’s outstanding senior forward Claire Moloney-Kolenberg in check off the left wing in the battle of the great German/Dutch surnames.

“You just have to get psyched up, getting really low to stop their good girl. And I’m thinking about trying to get it back up to the midfielders,” said Noone. 

Quarterbacking the midfield, three-year varsity starter Guden’s stellar stick handling skills allowed Belmont to keep the pressure on Winchester’s midfield and backs.

“My game plan just get it in the [scoring] circle early, play as aggressive as I want to play, and look to pass it because it’s not a one-person game,” said Guden.

Junior Molly Calkins earned the solo shut out in her first varsity start as the Marauders’ goalkeeper.

“I was so nervous when [Smith] said I was going to start, I said ‘Oh no!’ But once we got onto the field, we all just worked together and communicated really well,” said Calkins who stopped four shots.

Smith and the team face a crowded week of games, four in five days, with an away game Tuesday at an excellent Lexington team the highlight. But for now, Smith is reluctant to change anything about the squad.

“We have this great lineup, the players work really well together, they’re confident and their speedy. That’s how we are going to approach every game, with confidence and speed,” she said.

Sports Quick Hits: Volleyball On A Streak; Girls’ Soccer Rebounds; Boys’ Soccer’s First Fall

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Photo: Jane Mahon doing what she does best; control the net.

A brief snapshot of the latest in Belmont High sports.

Volleyball on Record Streak; Mahon Sets Second Career Mark

Belmont High Volleyball is on a record streak at the start to the 2018 season. The Marauders’ 3-0 win over Lexington (25-21, 25-18, 25-22) on Monday, Sept. 17, ups Belmont’s record to 5-0, the best start in the program’s history and ties the longest win streak which occurred in 2014. The squad will host 4-2 (4-1 in the league) Winchester at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Wenner Field House.

Senior co-captain Jane Mahon broke the team’s career blocking record in the Lexington match. This achievement goes along with her team kills career record, both which will increase with 14 games still remaining in the regular season.

Girls’ Soccer Rebounds Against Lexington, 5-0

After Saturday morning’s frustrating defeat to Woburn, losing 3-2 after leading 2-0 at the half, Belmont Girls’ Soccer (3-1-1) took out its frustrations on visiting Lexington, scoring five times against the Minutemen. Senior forward Ella Gagnon continues her hot scoring with a pair of goals and an assist with senior wing Morgan Krause and sophomore Jenna Thomas – scoring in consecutive games – rounding out the goals. Senior goalie Chloe Tingos earned the shutout. Middlesex Liberty leader Winchester (5-0-0), ranked 9th in the Boston Globe’s Top 20 poll, will host the Marauders’ on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m.

First defeat for fast starting Boys’ Soccer

After a smart 4-0 run to start the season, the Belmont Boys’ Soccer team (4-1-0) took a trip to Lexington where its lack of offensive punch – 7 goals in those four games – came back to haunt them falling to the 4-1-0 Minutemen, 3-0, on Monday. Despite the loss, Belmont senior keeper Tomas Griffin was named a Player of the Week in the Globe, noting he “helped the eighth-ranked Marauders (4-1) record shutouts of Middlesex League rivals Stoneham and Woburn.” Another tough scrap to come on Thursday, Sept. 20, when the Boys greet Winchester (4-1-2) to the Harris at 4 p.m.

Perfect Start Has Belmont Volleyball In Lead In Middlesex League

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Photo: Belmont Junior Libero Sophia Estok readies a serve vs. Woburn.

Four wins in as many matches to start the season has Belmont High Volleyball perched atop of the Middlesex League, reaching that height after defeating an always tough Woburn High squad last Friday, Sept. 14, at the Wenner Field House. 

It was a match to remember as the Marauders battled the Tanners in a closely contested five-setter, yet another close game in the history of the rivalry.

“After losing to them twice last season they were excited to take them on this season,” said Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture.  

The Marauders came out strong winning the first set 25-18, with a 10 point service run by senior Defensive Specialist Leah Babroudi and 4 solo blocks by senior Middle Hitter Audrey Quinn. 

Woburn made adjustments quickly and was able to take the second set 25-22, including an 8 point run of their own. 

In the third Belmont tightened the serves they received, never allowing Woburn’s servers more than 2 serves before siding out. Junior Libero Sophia Estok had an exceptional day passing and was 51 for 52 on serve receive, breaking her own single-match record.  Preventing the Tanners from long service runs allowed the Marauders to take third set 25-15. 

By the fourth set, Woburn’s middle hitters were in a groove, spiking and power tipping with dominance, often at junior setter Mindee Lai. Lai racked up 25 digs, the next closest being Babroudi with 13.  The Tanners took the set 25-19 – led by Woburn’s Tyliah Maldonado-Andre who ended the game with 21 kills – and it was on to the Marauders first fifth set of the season. 

After a quick side out, Lai extended Belmont’s lead to 3-0 before losing the serve. The Marauders managed to side out on the first serve for a full rotation, preventing Woburn from gaining momentum and slowly extended their lead.  Senior Outside Hitter Jane Mahon and junior Opposite Hitter Nena Trifunovic provided 10 and 6 kills respectively to finish off the Tanner. 

Mahon holds the career record for kills and is chasing the career blocks record.  While Jane is the most experienced hitter on the team, we still spread out our offense. 

While Couture points to Mahon – who holds the program’s career record for kills and is nearing the blocks record – as a team leader at the net, “we’ve never been a team who sets the same hitter every ball.  This year we have a lot of different types of hitters who can get the team kills.”

“Every game we begin with our cheer of ‘We play as a team. We win as a team’ and it’s never been more true, said Couture.

“We have the strongest setter and libero the team has ever had and that gives the team a solid foundation to build off of. Lai and Estok have been starters since their freshmen year when they began playing with senior captains Mahon and Babroudi,” said the Belmont coach. 

Having players that have already been through two full seasons together makes a huge difference, she noted. The majority of the starters from last year returned this year and have worked hard in the offseason.

“I think that’s the big reason we’re having such a strong start this year and I’m excited to see how far we can go,” she said.

With Top Teams On The Horizon, Belmont Field Hockey Rolls At Home

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Photo: White after Labor Day? For Belmont High Field Hockey, it’s très chic!

It’s said you shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day. There is one exception; when the Belmont High School Field Hockey team introduced its new all-white home kit during its first two home games in the 2018 season. The sleek unis with Parisian blue lettering and a menacing Marauder (grrrr!) on the upper back is a hit with fans and fashionistas alike. très chic!

Yet, it’s unlikely this year’s sharp outfit had any impact on the play of the girls as Belmont cruised to a pair of victories last week, defeating a strong squad from Stoneham, 6-1, and Woburn, 11-1, to improve to 3-0-0, earning a 17th ranking in the latest Boston Globe Top 20 poll.

“They are showing a lot of great skills, and they’re so positive,” said long-time Head Coach Jess Smith, who said this is likely one of the strongest 10 field player teams she’s put out on the pitch.

Smith said so far in the season, the impressive play – outscoring opponents 25-2 in three games – has not been generated by just one or two players but is an all-around team effort as seen by the scoring chart where the distribution of goals and assists is widespread and deep.

Against a much improved undefeated Stoneham team (coming to Harris at 2-0-1 with an eye-catching 2-2 tie against Lexington on its resume), Belmont wasted little time getting on the board, as quicksilver center forward Marissa Cecca dented the backboard of the Spartan’s goal just 30 seconds into the game. 

“I saw Katie [Guden] in the circle and called for it. I had a tight angle so I had to flip it by the keeper,” said Cecca.

Stoneham, led by senior midfield Paige Jordan, showed a growing level of talent over the past three years but Belmont’s midfield trio of senior co-captain Mia Kaldenbough, junior Katie Devitt and its leader junior Katie Guden frustrated the Spartan’s with their speed and stick handling skills as they quickly transitioned to Belmont’s front line headed by leading scorer senior co-captain Jordan Lettiere and her fellow co-captain four-year starter Morgan Chase. 

Stoneham kept the deficit to one goal until the final 100 seconds of the first half when sub-Cleo Theodoropulos scored from Lettiere with 1:39 remaining that was followed by Lettiere’s unassisted score with 47 seconds left. Chase, junior central defender Emma Donahue, and sub sophomore forward Emma O’Donovan scored in the second half. 

If there have been concerns they lie with penalty corners – a lot taken but a lack of results – and having its young goalkeepers –Molly Calkins and Morgan Moroney – get in-game action. 

“We were nervous [at the start of the season] because we lost a lot of talented players. But we have been really good because we communicate very well and watch out for each other. We’re all committed to winning,” said Cecca.

While the Marauders has feasted on the Middlesex League so far, Belmont’s 11 will be tested against the two strongest squads in the division. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, Belmont travels to Lexington whose 2-1-1 record doesn’t tell its overall strength. Led by senior goalkeeper Abbie Ortyl who verbally committed to Merrimack College, the Minutemen is looking to break the five-year lock Belmont and Winchester have held on the top spot for the Liberty Division championship. 

On the first day of summer, Friday, Sept. 21, Belmont hosts 2017 league champions, and #2 ranked Winchester to Harris Field. The Sachems, which squeaked by Lexington, 1-0, last Friday, will seek to avenge Belmont’s 1-1 tie at Winchester last season, the only blemish on the Sachems’ 17-0-1 undefeated regular season. 

Belmont High Football Upsets Top 20 Milton In Season Opener, 31-28 [VIDEO]

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Photo: Senior running back Rhaki Joseph gained 117 yards in Belmont’s upset victory against Milton.

The student section stormed onto the field after the post-game handshakes were completed to begin a raucous celebration for a Friday Night victory that was both well deserved and long awaited for the Belmont High Marauders.

There are those pundits who will roll their eyes hearing that a football team and its supporters had “gone crazy” after winning the first game of the season. There are an entire league and divisional schedules remaining in addition to the Thanksgiving Day game, they will say. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves!” 

The experts can say that all they want, just not to a team and coaching staff that demonstrated on last Friday Night the potential to take on top-notch competition … and come away on top. And it happened in Belmont against an opponent in Milton High School seen by many observers as heading to an early-December Super Bowl appearance. 

Three touchdown passes by junior QB Avery Arno in his first varsity start and a four-down defensive stance inside its own 10-yard line with less than a minute to play highlighted Belmont High School football’s exciting 31-28 victory over 19th-ranked ‘Cats in the season opener, Sept. 7. It was the first time a Marauder team defeated a top-20 team in … just about forever. 

In a game which Belmont came from behind three times, the Marauders’ held its composure and took back momentum each time to score and take the lead, including for the final time with less than 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Arno found WR Zach Hubbard in the end zone followed by an Avery (Aron) to Avery (Gartland) two-point conversion.  

It was a big night for Arno (11-22 for 117 yards with a single pick) and the Marauders backfield. Senior running backs Rhaki Joseph (117 yards) and Kilian O’Connell (65 yards) allowed Belmont to vary its offense with the pass and on the ground. Joseph’s touchdown in the second half saw the back sidestep the first wave of defenders, rounded the corner and outsprint three Wildcats 26 yards to paydirt. 

Receivers Hubbard (two TDs) and Jared Edwards (catching Aron’s first varsity pass for a 26-yard touchdown in the first four minutes) were able to stretch the Wildcat defensive backs almost at will. 

And while he had an extra point and field goal attempt blocked, junior kicker Hampton Trout hit a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter that provided the margin of the victory. 

It was the Marauder defense, much maligned over the years, that determined the game’s outcome with the defensive line and linebackers (coached by Chris Sywetz) holding Milton’s running offense in check by not surrendering a run of more than 15 yards. It was a game where the Marauders forced the Wildcats to convert third and fourth downs while forcing a lost fumble (recovered by sophomore FB/LB Ryan Santoro in an impressive debut) and a big-time fourth-quarter interception by junior veteran defensive back Justin Rocha which resulted in Belmont scoring the final touchdown. 

But it would be the final four plays by Milton with 125 seconds remaining that demonstrated within Belmont’s defense a maturity and attitude found in winning programs. Milton’s highly touted quarterback and leader Luke McMenamin drove his team to the Belmont 10. The Marauder front seven bent a little but did not break on the first two running plays. On third down, quick pressure caused a fumble pushing back the ‘Cats to the 7. 

Rather than kick a short field goal, the Milton coaching staff saw fit to gamble on fourth down against the Marauders. McMenamin felt he had a teammate open on the far left of the end zone but the presence of a Belmont defender caused a throw that was sailed out of bounds. Cue the students. 

On Friday comes the test of feeding off success as the Marauders travel on the MassPike to take on the Framingham High Falcons, the second non-Middlesex League team will play in consecutive years. It was a tough loss at home, 20-14, for the Marauders, one filled with mistakes and missed opportunities.

But the Marauders are not thinking about the past. They have seen what the future can hold.

Belmont High Field Hockey Firing On All Cylinders At Wilmington In Season Opener

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Photo: Belmont’s Jordan Lettiere scoring the first goal of the season in Belmont’s 8-0 win over Wilmington.

Belmont High Head Coach Jess Smith was nervous before the season-opening game at Wilmington on Saturday, Sept. 7.

“Are we really ready for this game?” worried Smith, remembering Belmont’s close 1-0 home victory against the Wildcats a year earlier. 

While Smith fretted as coaches will, her players spent the final moments during stick inspection discussing … llamas. “They’re sooo cute! But really nasty in person,” commented a player who got to see the South American pack animal up close during a recent school trip to Machu Picchu. 

“Do you believe them?” said Smith of her charges as they headed out onto the pitch. But being anxious is just Smith’s natural state before a match, be it against tough foes like Watertown or a weaker opponent during the season.

A little over an hour later, Smith was able to set her worries aside (at least until the next game) as her Marauders came out and dominated the host Wildcats, 8-0, to open the team’s 2018 account with a victory.

“I’ll take it,” said a pleased Smith, now in her 13th year coaching the team. “The team was an offensive machine today,” she said.

And why wouldn’t Smith be pleased? Her Marauders controlled all aspects of the game. On defense, Belmont shut down the Wildcat attack by clogging the passing lanes and using their collective speed – Smith credits three weeks of running 400-meter laps on the Harris Field track – to limit to just a handful of the times Wilmington crossed the midfield line. Led by juniors Katie Guden at center mid and Emma Donahue, center back, Belmont was able to quickly transition to offense.

“I was impressed how the defense and the midfield worked together to bring the ball into the [striking circle],” said Smith.

Offensively, Belmont used a combination of solid passing and slick, quick solo runs – by speedster Marissa Cecca, Guden and senior forward and co-captain Morgan Chase – to counter Wilmington packing 11 players between the ball and their goal. It took all of four minutes for the team to get on the scoreboard when senior forward and co-captain Jordan Lettiere beat the Wildcat goalie by her left pad to give Belmont the lead they’d keep.

Belmont would score three more in the first and four in the final 30 minutes with Guden bagging the hat trick, with Chase and Donahue putting in a pair, each scored in close and from just inside the striking circle (Chase’s long-distance goal came from a penalty corner passed to her by defender Meaghan Noone which can be seen on the video). Morgan Moroney and Molly Calkins each played a half in net and shared the shutout. 

Next up for Belmont is the home opener at Harris Field against Stoneham on Wednesday at 4 p.m. then the Marauders host Woburn at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14.