The names in the box score are different, but the Belmont High School girls soccer team just keeps on winning.
Despite graduating star striker Danica Zicha and 11 other seniors from a season ago, the Marauders (7-1-0) look every bit like an MIAA Division I contender. No. 4 in the Power Rankings as of Friday, Oct. 2, Belmont’s fast start comes with a combination of familiar faces in bigger roles and newcomers coming into their own. In some ways, it’s the same recipe with slightly different ingredients.
“A big part of the reason we’re doing so well is so many individual players taking a lot of accountability,” junior striker Cassie Greiner said. “It’s a very good team environment this year.”
Zicha, who scored a Middlesex League-best 36 goals en route to numerous accolades after returning from a torn ACL, headlined last year’s senior-heavy roster. As a team, the Marauders were the eighth seed in last fall’s tournament. They upset fourth-seeded Needham to advance to the Final Four before falling to eventual state champion Natick.
That big run in the tournament “created belief,” coach Jemmy Cange said, that permeated throughout the program.
“I’m not saying the team is better than last year, but I do believe we have different qualities… plus more experience,” Cange said.
Greiner (12 goals, 19 assists last year) often helped set up Zicha’s tallies. Greiner, a junior and reigning Middlesex League All-Star who plays club for New England Surf, now finds the back of the net more often herself (6 goals, 8 assists) and operates with a new striker partner enjoying a breakout year.
Sophomore Clara Sciandra leads the Marauders with eight goals and an assist. She scored two goals as a freshman and moved up to striker this fall. Sciandra, who plays club for FC Stars, credited Greiner with setting her up before taking any credit herself.
“I knew that the responsibility was going to come,” Sciandra said. “Danica scored a lot of goals, and obviously we were going to need to find our goal scoring elsewhere.”
Senior Madhavi Ramadas, also a league all-star last fall, owns three goals and five assists. Senior goalkeeper Martha Dimas, who also overcame a slew of knee injuries last year, supplies a steady presence in net. In front of her, sophomore Elsa Dubois leads the defense. She also has two goals.
Belmont won its first six games before a 1-0 home loss to undefeated Bishop Feehan, the No. 2-ranked team in MIAA Division 1. Save for a 6-2 season-opening win, Belmont won the next five games by a combined score of 13-0.
The team’s high-pressure style leads to offensive rewards.
“We have a team system, and anybody that we plug into [Zicha’s] position will be able to score,” Cange said. “We can have different people come up and be successful in that system.”
The back half of Belmont’s regular season schedule includes matchups with other strong teams, like Oct. 14 at Winchester (No. 9, Division I) and Oct. 19 at home against undefeated Central Catholic (No. 13, Division I).
“Obviously we know what it’s like from the other side,” Greiner said. “We’re the team they want to beat… It’s helped us a lot in individual confidence.”
