By Jesse Steinmetz, Belmont Voice correspondent
With just 58 seconds left in the third period, the top-seeded Hingham Harborwomen scored to secure a 2-1 win over Belmont in the Division 1 quarterfinals on Wednesday night at Stoneham Arena.
“This takes nothing away from what the season was and what these girls accomplished,” said Belmont Coach Brendan Kelleher. “We gave that team everything they could handle. That goal was within the last minute of the game and that was the difference maker… They’re gonna walk out with their heads high, as they should.”
Hingham sophomore Callie Crean scored the game-winning goal with assists from sophomore Hannah Lasch and senior Caroline Doherty.
“Our goal was just to get as many shots as possible,” said Crean. “We know we’re a group of goal scorers so that’s all we needed to do today.”
Scoring on Belmont is not an easy task. The Marauder’s junior goaltender, Jil Costa, earned 10 shutouts this season and a 95.3% save percentage, letting in less than one goal per game. She picked up two shutouts in the first two games of the tournament.
“The Belmont goalie played phenomenal so we just tried to get more shots,” said Hingham Coach Courtney Turner. “I think we knew the goalie was gonna be really good so it was just getting people and pucks in the net.”
Belmont Junior Mackenzie Clarke scored the game’s first goal with an assist from eighth-grader Amelia Long less than three minutes into the first period. In the second period, Hingham answered when senior Caroline Doherty scored, tying the game at 1-1.
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The loss caps off an impressive season for the Marauders. The team went 15-1-4 during the regular season, losing only to Waltham in February. Belmont secured the No. 8 seed in a 33-team bracket for the Division 1 state tournament, and beat Arlington Catholic in the first round and took down Reading on Monday.
Alexcia Fici worked down low to get this shot at the Hingham High net. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
The traditional handshake line was the final act of a great season for the Marauders. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
Belmont High and Hingham High had their last face-off of the game. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
Kate Townsend’s backchecking forced this Hingham forward to cough up the puck. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
Mackenzie Clarke, who scored Belmont’s goal early in the first, was a consistent force for Belmont. Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
Jil Costa doing what she does–stop pucks. The Marauder goalie made 37 saves in a close loss to Hingham. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
Alexcia Fici running the breakout. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice) 
In a tight-checking playoff game, Sydney Mun finds a little open ice. (Rachel Zhong/Belmont Voice)
Kelleher, who just wrapped up his second season as head coach, said they will have a strong team going forward. Unlike last year, when the team graduated eight seniors, including top scorer Molly Driscoll, most players return next year. There are four eighth graders on the roster — as well as five freshmen-juniors players and just one senior.
Still, it’s a bittersweet moment for senior captain Sadie Taylor. “It’s pretty tough right now, I won’t lie.”
Taylor is going to Cornell University, where she plans to play club hockey.
“We’ve had a really impressive year. I mean a lot of people went into this season saying it was a rebuilding year but we proved them wrong for sure. I mean, coming out number 8 seed and making it to the Elite 8 is nothing to be ashamed of,” she said.