The saves made by six Belmont Youth Hockey goalies this month mean more than simply stopping the opposition’s goal-scoring opportunities.
Ronan Briggs, Owen Hennessy, Henry Brown, Henry Hemond, Micheala Rebolo and Elinor Dorn make up team Saves for a Cure as part of the October Saves Goalie Challenge. Their work between the pipes directly benefits cancer research and patient care services.
Belmont also fielded a team in last year’s challenge.
Briggs, a seventh-grader at Belmont Middle School, started netminding in kindergarten. He wears the name of his uncle, Rob, on his jersey in memory of Rob’s battle with cancer. Briggs also honors his Papa, Aunt Carolyn, and great-uncles who beat cancer.
“It takes a team to beat this disease, and I hope people in Belmont will join our Saves For a Cure fundraising team by making a small donation,” Briggs said.
Brown, a fifth-grader at Chenery Middle School, started playing goalie last year. He always liked the gear, and after donning the pads, decided it was his thing. Brown now plays for two teams.
He wants to raise money to help cure cancer because “a lot of family members and friends’ families have been affected by cancer and I’m supporting them.”
Hennessy, who plays hockey for Belmont but is a Medford resident, got the goalie bug from watching an older cousin play. He’s making saves in honor of his uncle who beat esophageal cancer, and in memory of his grandfather who passed away from sarcoma.
Hemond is a seventh-grader at Chenery Middle School. He’s participating to honor his grandparents and a family friend who beat cancer.
Rebolo is an eighth-grader at Belmont Middle School. She tried goalie a few years ago and stuck with it, enjoying learning from other goalies. She’s making saves in honor of multiple family members.
Dorn is a junior at Belmont High School. She got her first taste of goalie on a more random basis when her Belmont Youth Hockey team took turns at the position. She switched to it full-time as a middle schooler.
“I am honoring everyone I know who has been impacted by cancer, from close family friends like my mom’s friend Ruthie, who had breast cancer and now has a sister battling Stage 4 cancer, to my grandmother, who had uterine cancer and her late brother, my great-uncle, who sadly passed away from complications associated with leukemia last fall,” Dorn said. “Cancer impacts so many people’s lives, so it is important to me to be able to do something to help make a difference in fighting this disease.”
The October Goalie Saves Challenge began in 2014. The all-volunteer, Sterling, Virginia-based organization invites goalkeepers of all ages and abilities from Canada and the United States to participate.