Belmont High School boys hockey couldn’t start the 2025-26 season with a blanker slate.
Call it the ultimate “prove it” year.
With a combined 70 goals scored and presumptive starters gone due to graduation and transfers to prep schools, almost every role is up for grabs. Look for the Marauders to maintain their trademark physical style.
“We won’t play any differently,” junior defender Michael Rowan said. “We’ll stick to our system and do the same thing. We have kids who were on the team last year who scored goals, so they’re going to ramp it up for us.”
The top line of Adam Bauer, Leo Packard, and Liam Guilderson provided the majority of the scoring for last year’s Belmont team, which went 16-7-1 and won its opening round game in the MIAA Division 1 tournament.
Bauer (23 goals, 24 assists) graduated and now plays juniors. Packard (22 goals, 22 assists) and Guilderson (25 goals, 26 assists) transferred to prep schools, the Middlesex School and Dexter Southfield, respectively. So too did starting goalie Ethan Bauer, now at Belmont Hill. Plus, eight seniors graduated. Key players Henry Packard and Andy DeTuccio also went prep.
In all, Belmont lost 14 players from last year. Coach Tim Foley said his young team includes plenty of players ready to emerge.
“We’ll be competitive,” Foley said. “We’ll be a hard-working, feisty team, but at the same time, there’ll be a learning curve… we play a system that’s very structured, and there’ll be growing pains for sure. Given what I’ve seen, I don’t see much of a dropoff at all.”
Top returning players are sophomore forwards Thomas Courtney and Gabe Kioumejian, junior winger Peter Fotis, junior defenders John Connolly, Miles Garver and Rowan and senior goalkeeper Quinn Harrington.
“Some of the people that were in the background last year will have a chance to step up and get more playing time,” Foley said. “It should definitely give them more of an opportunity to show what they can do.”
Harrington didn’t play much as a freshman, and saw a bigger role as a sophomore before taking a step back behind Ethan Bauer last year. He looks forward to owning the net in his final season.
“I have to lead by example, show up to practice early and show everyone that I’m committed to the team and want them to be committed around me,” Harrington said. “I’m excited for this year.”
The Marauders opened on the road Dec. 6 at St. John’s Prep, last year’s No. 2 seed in the MIAA Division 1 tournament. It gets tougher. They host reigning state champion Catholic Memorial in their next game on Dec. 11, the program’s first game at the Skip Viglirolo Ice Rink at the Belmont Sports Complex.
A challenging schedule includes a New Year’s Eve matinee hosting Boston College High School, hosting Division 1 state semifinalist Pope Francis High School and league games against Reading Memorial High School (away Jan. 3, home Jan. 31), Division 1 state semi-finalist Arlington (home Jan. 7, away Feb. 4), Division 2 state semifinalist Woburn Memorial High School (home Jan. 10, away Feb. 7) and Winchester High School (home Jan. 17, away Feb. 14).
Underclassmen players will be counted on.
“We’ve also got a ton of young kids who haven’t played varsity yet that are fast and strong,” Rowan said. “I think we should have a good season.”
It’s also the program’s first year in their new home, so goodbye to home games in Watertown.
“It’s so nice having it right next to the school and being able to come over here,” Rowan said. “We have our own locker room. The team bonding’s much different when you have your own locker room, so that part is great.”
