Sports: Juniors Lead Girl Harriers to 3-1; Dreary Tuesday for Boys’ Soccer

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Belmont High School Junior Sophie Klimasmith wants nothing better than to see the Girls’ Cross County team that she’s a member head to a division or even state championship meet at the end of the season.

But Klimasmith’s most immediate athletic challenge comes down to a single number: 20.

The Marauder co-captain is seeking to transverse Belmont’s Clay Pit Pond course in less than 20 minutes.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the 11th grader came close to breaking “20” over the five kilometer (3.1 mile) multi-loop course.

“I set my PR with a 20 [minute] 10 [second time]. So that’s my big goal,” Klimasmith told the Belmontonian after finishing a strong second in the duel meet against Arlington High School which Belmont won, 18-39, by taking five of the first six spots ran on a cool, wet afternoon, perfect weather for running cross country.

The win leaves Belmont with a sterling 3-1 record with only a one point loss to perennial powerhouse Reading Memorial High School its only blemish.

“The team is very strong this year,” said Klimasmith, pointing to its strong junior class leading the way both on the course and within the team. Belmont’s key is co-captain Leah Brams, who has yet to loss a race in the Middlesex League, winning a pair of league crowns and finishing among the top runners in two previous state finals.

“She’s the fast one,” said Klimasmith of Brams, who cruised in Tuesday’s race coming home in 19:35. “She sets a very high standard but that’s good because it’s something to aim for.”

Klimasmith has taken over the role of the consistent strong “second” – the runner who can challenge the opponent’s best and bring home a “low” number (cross country is scored where first place earns “one” point, second “two” points and so on) for the team.

Following behind Klimasmith the entire season has been fellow 11th graders Meredith Hughes (4th in 20:54) and Carly Tymm (5th, 22:23). The surprise this year has been freshman Camilla Carere who usually rounds out Belmont’s top five (6th on Tuesday in 22:30). Snagging 10th and 11th were junior Madison Kells and freshman Seneca Hart (22:55 and 23:01)

“We are building a much stronger core. It would be great if our top ten runners were closer together but we have a few injuries including [sophomore] Elizabeth Stiletto who was very strong last year,” said Klimasmith.

Head coach Brian Dunn said the team “will be challenged by Woburn and Lexington in the regular season but we feel that we will have a much better result in the league championship where we’d like to give Reading a much stronger challenge.”

Klimasmith said cross country is one sport that doesn’t cut anyone who wants to be on the team.

“And that’s nice because you’re not based on how many goals you scored. It’s just your choice to be there. And our team reflects that because the faster runners don’t just hang out together. We feel like a real team,” she said.

Over on the boys’ side, Belmont senior Ari Silverfine is running with the league best this season, which on Tuesday meant staying with Arlington’s Andrew Peterson until the final home stretch as the Marauders were on the long end of a 18-37 defeat to the Spyponders.

Boys’ Soccer falls to pumped up Winchester

Simply put, the visiting Sachems of Winchester outplayed the host Marauders in a mostly one-sided affair on Tuesday night, Sept. 30 at Harris Field.

The 2-0 final score was somewhat deceiving as Winchester had several clear cut goal-scoring opportunities – including hitting the crossbar – denied by Belmont’s senior goalkeeper Peter Berens including a pair of shots from within the goal box.

 

Belmont could never find a rhythm to their offense as Winchester’s speed along the front line and midfield prevented the Marauders from switching the field of play moving forward. Belmont’s defense was under siege for most of the match.

At one point in the second half with his team pressuring the hosts, the Winchester head coach called out “Pour it on, Black.” (referring to the color of the team’s away uniform). And they did.

Belmont High Students Making Strides This Sunday

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It’s October, and the Belmontian Community Service Club at Belmont High School has been planning for Breast Cancer Month.

As a first step, many members are walking in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer this Sunday, Oct. 5, where representatives from the club will be on the stage at the Hatch Shell in recognition of our third-place finish in last year’s High School Challenge. 

If you would like to support the team – and the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research, education, treatment, and patient support – the team would be delighted to accept those donations by going online to the team’s website: 

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/belmonths 

and clicking on “Donate Now” or by sending a check, made out to “American Cancer Society,” to Alice Melnikoff, Belmont High School, 221 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.   

The team will be collecting donations from now until the end of November. In 2013, the team raised $15,000 from all its breast cancer fundraising activities and it is hoping to exceed that figure this year. 

Sports: Field Hockey ‘Just Not Happy’ With 3-1 Win Over Winchester

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A minute after walking off the pitch with a 3-1 home victory over a strong Winchester team Monday, Sept. 29, there was a bit of complaining coming from the Belmont High School Field Hockey players.

The grumbling was not about rulings on the field or the actions of the Sachems during the match. The Marauders were grousing about how they had individually performed on Harris Field. They just weren’t playing to a new standard they were setting for themselves.

The complaining left Belmont’s Head Coach Jessica Smith mystified.

“You won the game! That’s all that should matter to you guys,” Smith told her team, currently 6-2-0 for the season with its only two losses to undefeated ranked opposition.

“They dominated the game but they didn’t feel that they did,” Smith told the Belmontonian.

Smith said the players are setting high-performance expectations in every game before them. Part of that comes from a superb performance just two days prior when the Marauders defeated Lexington, 4-2, to secure second place in the league.

“I think they have higher standards for themselves than I have for them, and I love that,” said Smith.

On Monday, Belmont played a strong midfield game led by senior co-captain Suzanne Noone who was tireless running the 70 yards between the attacking and defending striking circles and leading the team with take-away and shots on goal with eight.

“We were connecting a lot more of our passes at Lexington and finishing a lot of our goal chances which we didn’t here,” said Noone.

The Marauders could not have had a more advantageous start with junior forward Kerri Lynch – coming off her hat trick against Lexington – scoring on the first shot of the game at 27:50 off a smart pass from Noone.

Yet despite having several chances inside the circle, “we never seemed to have get the touches on the post where we usually score,” said Smith, who also said a sense of complacency creeped into the overall play “because the players just thought, ‘we’re gonna win’ and that’s what happens when you begin to win a lot.”

Winchester (4-5-0) plugged away for the second part of the first half and scored in close through junior Melissa Zavez.

The visiting Sachems took the game to the Marauders early in the second as the team relied on senior goalkeeper Kate Saylor and the Belmont back line until the offense perked up after five minutes. The Marauders open the field with nice passing and long runs to take control of the match.

Their efforts were reward midway through the second when Noone picked up a rebound off a slapshot from just inside the 15 meter circle to rocket in the goal at 17:50 with an assist going to Olivia Castagno.

“I got a nice hard shot off,” said Noone.

Five minutes later, Belmont finished the scoring with a Beth Young tally at the right post with Kate McCarthy providing the pass.

The Marauders enter their away game Wednesday, Oct. 1 against a strong Wilmington team (4-3-2 with a win against Lexington) with a four-game winning streak.

“I think we’re going to have a very strong rest of the season. The fact that we beat Lexington, one of the best teams in the league, is telling. We certainly are connecting passes so much better than we did last year,” said Noone.

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Sports: Lynch Pins Belmont Field Hockey’s Big Win Over Lexington

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The collective mindset of Belmont High School Field Hockey was on one salient fact as it took the field against host Lexington on a sunny and hot Saturday morning, Sept. 27.

“We knew this was a big game,” said Belmont’s junior forward Kerri Lynch, as Belmont, Lexington and Winchester were in a logjam for second in the Liberty Division of the Middlesex League behind undefeated Reading Memorial High School.

“This could solidify our place going into the playoffs, so, yeah, it was huge,” said Lynch.

And at the end of the hour of play, Belmont left the pitch with a statement victory as the Marauders put in a pair of second-half goals – both part of Lynch’s first career hat trick – to take down the Minutemen, 4-2, to set their place as a top team in the league.

“My team is awesome,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Jessica Smith after the game.

“So far our wins have been against teams that are under .500. But to show that you’re a good team, you have to beat the really good teams and we just proved it,” Smith told the Belmontonian after the game.

Belmont took the lead just four minutes into the game as Lynch hit her first by rounding Lexington’s goalie and doubled the lead midway through the period with a quick shot from forward Kate McCarthy. Despite being tied up, 2-2, early in the second half, the Marauders went out in front with Lynch’s second tally less than three minutes later.

“Everyone on the field touched the balls that led to our goals. They are stringing passes from the back to our forwards,” said Smith.

The victory was a complete team effort as Belmont won most of the individual battles on the field as they took the game to the Minutemen who defeated the Marauders last year in the first round of the Div. 1 playoffs.

One such match up occurred with 12 minutes remaining in the game with Belmont leading 3-2. A Lexington pass down the Belmont left wing sent a pair of Minutemen towards Belmont goal with senior defender Emma Pejko the last line of defense.

Pejko left the player she was marking to attack the forward baring down on goal. Pejko lowered her stick horizontally to both stop the attack and then, after several seconds of a one-on-one duel down close to the turf, win possession.

“[Pejko] is the smartest player on our team academically and she seems to make the right choices on the field. She cognitively and innately knows what she has to do. That would have been a goal if she had not made that decision,” said Smith, who lavished praise on the back line of Pejko, Lauren Noonan, Molly Thayer and Annemarie Habelow.

“They work very well because they don’t just count on one person and that’s what you need to have a good defense,” Smith told the Belmontonian.

Dominating the midfield was senior stalwart Suzanne Noone who tracked down Lexington’s players attempting to move through the center of the pitch while Habelow, playing a high center defense, was quick to transition the attack with long passes deep in the Minutemen end.

The game’s final goal – which gave Belmont a two-goal cushion with four minutes left in the game – “was just a nice tip that was probably all luck. But they’re always good so we’ll take what we get,” said Lynch.

It’s going to be another tough challenge for the Marauders as they welcome Winchester to Harris Field for a Monday evening game, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m.

 

Sports: Boys’ Soccer Back to Winning Ways with Somerville Victory

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Second half goals from seniors Nick Frigo and Ben Lazenby put Belmont High School Boys’ Soccer team back in the win column as the Marauders defeated Somerville High School, 2-0, in an early morning matinee Saturday, Sept. 28.

Belmont’s goals – coming five minutes apart mid-way in the second half – gave the Marauders the edge in an entertaining contest in which the Highlanders’ quick counter offense was matched with Belmont’s ball control and midfield play.

Frigo – who missed Belmont’s best chance in the first half by kicking an open shot from 15 meters – scored on a soft shot to the near left side of   after a series of passes that found Belmont’s leading scorer alone in front. Lazenby scored on a header from a corner.

The win puts Belmont record at 7-1-0 as the Marauders come off their first loss of the year, a 2-1 defeat to the hands of hosts Lexington on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Next up for the Marauders will be arch-rival Winchester (4-1-1) on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

 

Sports: Belmont Junior Kelsey Breaks School’s Diving Record

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In reality, it was just a matter time before Belmont High School junior Cynthia Kelsey would break the school’s scoring record in the one-meter dive.

Kelsey’s talent was confirmed at last year’s Division 2 State Championships in November 2013 where, although ranked 10th in the field, she pushed eventual winner Hannah Phelan of Walpole High for the entire event to earn second place with 432.05 points, only 5 points from the school’s 11-dive record. 

And that time finally came on Wednesday, Sept. 24 during a duel meet with Stoneham High School where the three-year varsity diver – who goes by Thea – scored a total of 251.55 points over six dives, shattering the 235.70 point total set in 1989 by Laura Reagan in the year she won the state diving title.

Kelsey started the year strong with 210 points in the first meet of the season against Acton-Boxborough and 219 points vs. Melrose.

Kelsey has been a stellar competitor since her first dive at Belmont High as a 9th grader when she quickly broke and then extended the freshman record at 223.75 points in 2012.

Now Kelsey follows in the footsteps of Belmont’s champion Reagan, who would earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy where she graduated in 1994.

 

Sports: Volleyball Races to 6-2 Record as Seniors Lead the Way

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For Belmont High School senior Rosy Fitzgerald, the opening of this volleyball season “doesn’t feel quite real.” 

The tall front-line player and her teammates have been having a bit of a dream season, running off to an impressive 6-2 record, losing only to perennial powerhouse and 2012 state champions Melrose High and in a five-set heartbreaker to Bedford High.

“It’s really exciting,” said Fitzgerald, after the Marauders defeated Arlington in three sets on Monday, Sept. 22.

“Today, they played alright,” said Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture of the match against the Spyponders. “They pulled it together and they got the job done.”

The win puts Belmont on track to hit the magic 10 win mark to make the post-season early, unlike the past few years in which the Marauders needed to go to the final game in 2010 and last year to secure a playoff spot.

“Just because we need four wins doesn’t mean we only want four,” said Couture. “We want a lot more.”

In fact. all Couture wanted to talk about on Monday was the match that past Friday, Sept. 19, in which the Maruaders’ dominated a strong Reading Memorial High team for a straight sets away win.

“The girls probably played the best ever with the least errors,” Couture said.

“I feel that the Reading game we were ready at all times and focused,” she said. In the game, back line middle blocker/libero Sam Nelson had 31 digs, many leading to Marauder points.

Fitzgerald said one reason for the success of the team is due to the number of seniors who have played together for the previous two to four years “which gives us a great deal of experience.”

“And everyone cares a lot more about the game and we have a lot more ambition to take the team farther then we have in the past,” she said.

“Now that I have three years of high school and two years of club (Rosy plays for Pumas ) under the belt, I’m feel confident and strong being on this team.

Sports: Herlihy’s Heroics Leads Girls’ Soccer to Shutout Win

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With seven minutes gone in the second half of Belmont High School’s Girls’ Soccer game with Woburn High at Harris Field on Monday, Sept. 22, a Belmont defender shanked an attempted clearance that flew backwards falling at the feet of a Tanner forward with no one between her and Marauder senior goalkeeper Linda Herlihy.

The player took four steps then hit a low, hard shot from 16 meters towards the open right side of the Belmont net. A goal would bring Woburn back from a 2-0 hole and provide a critical lift for the Tanners in the match.

But for the fifth time in the game – and not the last – Herlihy stood up to pressure, lunging to her left to block the drive and preserve the shutout.

“You just have to go for it, honestly,” Herlihy told the Belmontonian about the save. “Part of it’s luck. I just do what I can.”

“[Assistant Head] Coach [Stacie] Marino says you go for it fully or you stay off; you can’t hesitate. So I went full out and it worked,” said Herlihy.

In a career performance, Herlihy stonewalled six open shots, including two breakaway attempts, to earn her fourth clean sheet of the season and propel Belmont to the 2-0 victory over Woburn.

The win gives Belmont a 5-1-0 record, its only loss a 4-1 defeat to host Arlington at the beginning of the three game stretch.

“It was one of my best games but I had a lot of help from everyone else especially our defense. It’s nice since we’re all veterans in the back,” said Herlihy.

“There was a cast of thousands that were stars tonight,” said Paul Graham, Belmont’s longtime head coach.

“It started with [Herlihy], she was spectacular. Then there was the made-up midfield of [freshman] Emma Sass and [senior] Alexandra Dionne who went after the ball and were relentless,” said Graham.

For the second game, the play was particularly physical – Belmont earned a pair of yellow cards for rough actions – in which the opposing coach told Graham the game was won “because you muscled us off the ball.”

Belmont first goal was typical of the match’s hurly-burly nature as senior midfielder Sophia Eisenbach-Smith reached a long pass from Katrina Rokosz just ahead of Woburn goalkeeper Olivia Carbone. Rather than step aside or set up a pass, Eisenbach-Smith slammed the ball off Carbone, and saw it float into the back of the net within the final 7 minutes of the first half. 

Before the half ended, Herlihy would make a spectacular save off a sharp shot from her right as the ball hit the post and stayed out.

Belmont started fast in the second half, pressing Woburn which set up the Marauders’ second goal when Kristin Gay’s kick in the 36th minute was redirected off a Woburn defender past Carbone for an own-goal.

Then it was up to Herlihy to save the points for her team; coming out to stuff a breakaway on the left, parrying away a tight angle shot on the right, the aforementioned spectacular save and finally reaching back to save a certain goal off a shot from a Woburn corner kick in the final minutes. (see photo sequence of the save in the photo gallery below)

“What can you say,” said Graham. “Linda was great.”

 

Belmont High’s Career Night, with Actual Workers, Tonight

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More than 50 recent high school/college graduates will be advising high school seniors and juniors on the actual world of work at Belmont High School’s Real World Career Night tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 23, in the school’s cafeteria from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

BHS senior Tess Hayner has recruit young professionals who graduated from Belmont High and any other public or private high school between 1999 and 2010 to participate in this evening of short, informal talks with the school’s upperclassmen to share stories of their own work experience and discuss possible career paths.

This evening’s schedule is:

  • 6 p.m.: Volunteers arrive in the Belmont High School cafeteria.
  • 6:15 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Session 1 students arrive and get assignments.
  • 6:25 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Welcome and instructions for Session 1.
  • 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Seven minute conversations with a two-minute rotation.
  • 7:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.: Break for Volunteers / Arrival of Session 2 students.
  • 7:45 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.: Welcome and instructions for Session 2.
  • 7:50 p.m. – 8:50 p.m.:  Seven minute conversations with a two-minute rotation.

Sports: Girls’ Soccer, Field Hockey Back to Their Winning Ways

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After stumbles to solid teams in league play, Belmont High School’s Girls’ Soccer and Field Hockey got back on the right foot winning their latest contests against tough completion.

McCarthy’s hat trick paces Field Hockey over Arlington

All Kate McCarthy needs to do is keep her stick to the ground and the ball will find its way into the back of the field hockey goal.

“Having your stick down is really important when you’re a forward,” said the junior forward after scoring her first career hat trick in the final 10 minutes of Friday night’s game, Sept. 19, as the Marauders took the measure of Arlington High, 5-0, at Harris Field.

“I’ve scored before but it was good today,” she said.

“Today she showed me that she can touch the ball in front of the net and you need that in field hockey. A hat trick is spectacular, especially in field hockey,” said Belmont Head Coach Jessica Smith

It’s either feast or famine for Belmont (3-2); each of its victories have been via the shutout as the team scored at least five goals; each loss has been 4-0 affairs (although both were to a ranked team.)

After a disappointing loss earlier in the week to 11th-ranked Reading Memorial High School – “Don’t ask,” said Smith – Belmont needed a strong game to get back on their winning ways.

And a pair of veteran varsity players put Belmont out front and kept them there.

Senior midfield stalwart Susanna Noone put the Marauders’ in the lead in a game Belmont had most of the best chances when she scored seven minutes from the end of the first half with an unassisted bullet.

Her fellow senior goalkeeper Kate Saylor kept the SpyPonders at bay when she stopped three breakaways and several shots from the side of the goal.

“If she had let one go in, this is a much different game. It’s great to have a senior back there,” Smith said of Saylor.

For pure field hockey playing pleasure, sophomore standout Annemarie Habelow apparently heard Smith yelling that the team still had 30 seconds to score. She then dribbled by two Arlington midfielders, lost the ball, got it back, took a few steps inside the scoring zone then rocketed a shot passed the goalie with 13 second left in the half.

“Both (Noone and Habelow) are really distributing the ball better and not taking it all on themselves which makes them better players and everyone around them better,” said Smith.

With the game in the balance as Arlington began pushing players forward, McCarthy was in the right place – the right side of the net – and pounced on a loose ball and knocked it in at the 10 minute mark. It didn’t take long for the second – just 64 seconds – and the third came with 4 minutes left to complete her first career hat trick.

McCarthy acknowledged her teammates for getting the ball to her.

“There was really good passing in the midfield. They do a good job getting the ball to the goal,” said McCarthy.

Rough and tumble Saturday matinee as Girls’ Soccer gets by Medford

Harris Field resembled a rodeo arena Saturday afternoon,  as players from Belmont and Medford high school girls’ soccer teams kept falling to the ground as if thrown off a nasty buckin’ bronc. 

While the teams were playing soccer, it was on the physical side as each team challenged for the ball to gain even the slightest advantage.

In the end, Belmont’s tall midfield co-captain senior Lizzie Frick scored the brace to lead the Marauders by the visitors, 3-1, in the matinee.

“We were shaky today; our first touches were not good,” said Paul Graham, Belmont’s head coach after the game.

Frick scored her first goal before most in the crowd got to their seats, ripping in the shot by Medford’s goalkeeper Mary Donnelly after only 130 seconds.

It looked like it could be a run away as sophomore forward Julia Cella slotted in a rebound of a shot from Sophia Eisenbach-Smith that eluded Donnelly at the 34 minute mark in the first.

But Medford has improved as a team since last playing Belmont a year ago, using the speed of their wingers to sneak away for two clear breakaways only to be stopped by great positioning from Belmont senior goalkeeper Linda Herlihy.

But the Mustangs broke through on a wonderful dipping goal by Korey O’Rourke that beat Herlihy at the 26 minute mark.

Frick took her second goal in the 9th minute before the half after a Medford foul 25 meters from goal. Set piece specialist Katrina Rokosz lofted the ball into the box where Frick headed the ball past an on-rushing Donnelly.

The second half was as physical as Belmont has seen this year with knocks handed out for the rough but mostly fair “rough and tumble.” Yet the Marauders controlled the midfield and were not threatened in the final 40 minutes.