Members of the Belmont High School field hockey team talk about reversing the multi-year “Elite Eight Curse.”
To even have a chance to change their fortunes, the Marauders need a pair of wins to kick off the MIAA Division I Tournament. The No. 3 Marauders got the first win to start what they hope is a long postseason run Thursday evening, knocking off No. 30 Lowell 9-2 at Harris Field.
“We don’t take any game for granted,” coach Jess Smith said. “In a field hockey game, anything can happen. We came out here knowing we had to put the ball in the net, and we did that right away.”
The Marauders (17-1-1) scored twice within the first five minutes—both on penalty corners—to stake an early advantage against the Red Raiders (10-4-2), then added a four-goal second-quarter flurry to take an insurmountable lead.
Belmont controlled possession from the start, scoring less than two minutes in on the Marauders’ first corner attempt. Freshman Lucie Lakin-Schultz tipped in her sister Elsie’s shot, which ricocheted into the back of the cage.
Two minutes later, the Marauders added another corner goal on an Elsie Lakin-Schultz shot blast from the top of the circle.
“In the tournament, that was one of our big goals, to try and get a goal in the first five minutes,” she said. “We accomplished that today, which I was really proud of.”
Lowell sliced the deficit in half on an Anthony Smith tally early in the second quarter, but the Marauders responded with a quartet of goals before halftime.
“We don’t like getting scored against,” said Lakin-Schultz, who also tallied two assists. “It’s clear we shove it back in their faces. I don’t know how to say it kindly, but yeah, we don’t like getting scored on.”
Lucie Lakin-Schultz again scored less than a minute after Lowell’s tally, and junior Kendall Regan outmuscled a scrum in front of the cage to score. Freshman Reagan Moulis followed with another score with a hard-hit shot in short order. Junior Maddie Pennock added a tally a few minutes later, and another late in the third quarter.
Classmate Amelia Long and Elsie Lakin-Schultz scored in the fourth quarter.
Once the lead widened, Smith extended the rotation to give players who don’t always get significant minutes some time.
Up next for Belmont, No. 14 Lexington in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Belmont beat Lexington 4-0 on Oct. 2.
“They’re a good, athletic team,” Elsie Lakin-Schultz said. “They’ll come out firing, but I think we can match them.”
