Photo: Belmont’s Kendall Regan slots in her second goal as Avery Ranold who assists watches in its 5-1 victory in the opening round of the 2025 MIAA Division 1 playoffs.

It was all treats on Halloween Friday as forwards sophomore Kendall Regan and junior Gigi Mastrangelo each scored a brace to go along with senior co-captain Mackenzie Clarke (1 goal, 1 assist) netting her 93rd career goal to see 6th-ranked Belmont comfortably set aside 27th-seed Newton North, 5-1, in a first-round match in the MIAA Division 1 tournament contested in gusty conditions on the Harris Field pitch.

The Marauders (16-3-0) advance to the Sweet 16 to host 22nd-ranked Wachusett Regional (8-9-2) on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. for a rematch of a contentious contest in the 2022 tourney in which a Belmont player left the field in an ambulance after being hit by an errant stick. (Note: she was OK). Wachusett will be looking for consecutive upsets after upending 11th-seed Natick, 1-0, in overtime.

After finishing the regular season with two narrow 1-0 decisions and a pair of losses to Top-10 tournament teams – Winchester (5th in Div. 1) and Dover-Sherburn (3rd in Div. 3) – the Marauders returned to its midseason form against the Tigers, highlighted by stellar passing from the back with co-captains senior Niamh Lesnik and junior Elsie Lakin-Schultz (1 assist) bookending first-year defensive standout Kate Townsend with senior Caroline French as sweeper fronting sophomore keeper Zoe Bruce.

“I think we’re moving the ball much better. We’re not trying to do it all with just one person,” said Belmont’s long-time Head Coach Jess Smith about the marked improvement in her team’s play. “The passing tonight was phenomenal. Each goal was pass, pass, pass, than a pass in, and a quick shot on the net. We were working on that at practice and we have been working on communicating and both things made the difference.”

Clarke, Belmont’s all time scoring leader (92 goals, 73 assists for 165 points), was a controlling factor in the midfield working with sophomore Mia Smith, Natalie Merrow, Nina Sheth-Voss and Nora Dolan (2 assists). Forwards Roisin Reavey (1 assist), Amelia Long and 12-player Avery Ranold (1 assist) were inside the shooting circle. The most threatening of the Marauders attack were wings Regan on the tricky left side and Mastrangelo down the right.

With most of the first quarter possession and playing inside the Newton North side of the pitch, the only question was if Belmont could end its late season scoring deficit. That occurred when Regan would redirect a pass laying at the goalies boot into the net midway through the first 15 minutes. Later in the quarter, Mastrangelo doubled the lead with a shot from five yards out. Belmont would continue its domination and up its lead to three as Regan took a baseline pass from Ranold to easily slot the ball into the back of the net to put her into double digits for goals scored this season.

The Tigers would have its most prolong possession in the third quarter yet Belmont would secure a four goal advantage via Clarke who fired her trademark reverse bullet into the right side of the net with five and a half minutes remaining in the quarter.

Newton North would score from a fluky play as a shot from Tiger’s Alexis Blanchfield deflected high into the air and floated over Bruce before bouncing just inside the box. But Mastrangelo would have the final word with her second tally late in the final quarter.

“This game we had a lot more energy in the [attacking] circle,” said Mastrangelo, who scored her 16th and 17th goals of the season, only trailing Clarke’s 26. [See Mastrangelo’s second goal here]

“This is the start we wanted for the playoffs,” said Smith.

Tuesday will mark the second time the Marauders and the Mountaineers will meet in the Sweet 16, with Wachusett sweeping aside Belmont, 4-0, in 2022.

“We have some tough history up there on a very cold, windy night, on the night that the override didn’t pass. And one of my players came off the field in an ambulance so it’s a revenge game, for sure,” said Smith. “I don’t know how many of the same kids are there [for Wachusett] but I was there and so was Mackenzie.”