By David Klimasmith and Isaac Meretta
Tuesday was a big night for two Belmont sports programs, as field hockey and girls soccer each hosted playoff matches in a doubleheader at Harris Field. While field hockey advanced to the Elite Eight, dominating Lexington in the opener, girls soccer was unable to complete the sweep, falling to Newton North in the nightcap.
Field Hockey Win
A strong defensive performance, in addition to goals from senior captain Elsie Lakin-Schultz and sophomore Amelia Long, proved to be enough for No. 3 Marauders, as they defeated Lexington 2-0.
Lakin-Schultz drew first blood for Belmont, as she fired home a goal from a corner hit as time expired in the first period. The Marauders continued to pile on the pressure in the second quarter, generating chances from Long and senior captain Gigi Mastrangelo, but both were denied by Lexington goalie Gwen Lowrance.
Shortly after halftime, Regan doubled the Marauders’ lead, as she slipped home a shot through traffic. Belmont looked destined to add a third goal, as Mastrangelo found an uncontested opening, but she was stopped by Lowrance.
The real story of the game, however, was the Marauders’ defense. They smothered the Lexington attack, highlighted by strong performances from Lakin-Schultz, junior Mia Smith, and sophomore Kate Townsend, who played a phenomenal game in the midfield, forcing 14 turnovers. Thanks to the standout defense, junior Zoe Bruce collected just two saves, both in the fourth period.
“It was a bit more uncomfortable than we wanted it to be,” said Smith, “but when [Lakin-Schultz] and [Townsend] are playing well, I don’t think there’s a team in the league getting past us.”
Those words will be tested, as the Marauders will advance to take on Winchester in the next round. Belmont has made it to the quarterfinals for three straight years, but has failed to achieve a berth in the Final Four.
Girls Soccer Falls Short
Girls soccer came up just short in its Round of 32 matchup Tuesday night against Newton North, falling 1-0 on a second half goal. The Marauders had plenty of shots on goal, including a couple of missed opportunities in the final minutes. Senior captain Martha Dimas played a solid game in net, allowing the lone goal on a defensive miscommunication a few minutes into the second half.
The Marauders played a strong and competitive game throughout, despite the final score.
“I don’t think we could have done anything better,” head coach Jemmy Cange said. “I think we played a great game. We had chances. We just didn’t capitalize, and then we made one mistake and they capitalized on it.”
Newton North’s one goal was all they needed, despite not having many shots on net throughout the game. For Belmont, junior Cassie Greiner facilitated great chances all night long, but her teammates were unable to find the back of the net.
Belmont will be losing seven seniors to graduation going into next season, including senior captains Martha Dimas, Elisabeth Schreiner, and Madhavi Ramadas. The Marauders battled through injuries all season long, but managed to stay resilient until the final whistle.
“We had a lot of ups and downs this year, a lot of injuries, a lot of people going in and out of the lineup,” Cange said. “But I’m really proud of what the team accomplished.”