Sports: Field Hockey’s Noone Commits to Holy Cross; Keene State’s Habelow Honored

Photo: Senior Suzanne Noone, with Marauders’ Head Coach Jessica Smith.

Accolades for a pair of former Belmont High School Field Hockey players in the past two weeks.

Senior co-captain Suzanne Noone who finished a stellar three-year varsity career in the Marauders midfield signed a letter of intent on Friday, Nov. 14 to play field hockey with Div. 1 Holy Cross in Worcester beginning in 2015.

The two-time team MVP scored 22 goals and 39 assists as a Marauder while being named a two-time first team All-Middlesex League. She will join her sister, sophomore Catherine, on the Crusader team that plays in the Patriot League.

“I’ll really excited to play with my sister at Holy Cross where my father played baseball,” said Noone.

“But I’ll have to get into shape in the spring and summer for college field hockey so I’ll be working out a lot,” said Noone.

“Suzanne has the ability to play in the midfield or on the forward line. Her presence on the field and passing game continue to improve. A very hard worker off the ball,” said Holy Cross Head Coach Zowie Tucker.

Noone is well aquatinted with another student-athlete who signed with Holy Cross. Watertown’s all-star Emily Loprete – who never lost a game in her high school career – not only played against Noone on the pitch but was a teammate last year and this coming season on the combined Watertown/Belmont high school ice hockey team which will be a strong contender for the state Div. 2 title.

On the college side of the ledger, Keene State College senior defender Melissa Habelow was selection to the 2014 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association Division III New England West Region First Team.

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Habelow was named to the LEC All-Conference First Team this season and selected to the Second Team in 2013.

“I think her offseason training really helped her this year,” said Owls’ Head Coach Amy Watson. “She came back ready to play and I think that made a world of difference. This was by far Melissa’s strongest season as she was key for us on both the offensive and defensive end.”

Habelow anchored the top defensive unit in the conference, ranking first with eight shutouts and in goals against average of 1.15. Habelow also contributed on the offensive side as a specialist on penalty corners, registering nine goals, including four game-winners and five assists for 23 points and ranked tied for third in the LEC with seven defensive saves.

The Owls finished the year 19-5, which included a 15-game win streak, an undefeated LEC season, a second consecutive LEC Championship and NCAA berth.

Both Noone and Habelow played for Belmont High’s current Head Coach Jessica Smith.