Belmont girls ice hockey defender Martha Dimas saw a loose puck and jetted towards it. With her stick at the ready, the junior ripped a top-left shot that sailed past the Brookline High School goalie.
After missing a year and a half of hockey due to multiple right knee injuries, Dimas recently returned to the lineup and scored her first goal as the Marauders (6-4-2) eye a return to the MIAA Division 1 tournament.
“I was waiting for that moment,” Dimas said. “That’s when I got emotional… I don’t even know what was going through my mind. I was just happy.”
Dimas tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus during a late regular-season soccer game against Middlesex League foe Winchester in the fall of 2024. With just under three minutes to play in an intense matchup, Dimas, a goalkeeper, went for a save. Her knee collapsed. She felt a pop.
“I knew what it was right away,” Dimas said.
Initially given a 9 to 12 month post-surgery recovery timeframe, Dimas completed physical therapy with diligence. She saw two different providers and was cleared in time for soccer this fall. She re-tore her meniscus during girls soccer’s MIAA Tournament round of 16 win. Another surgery removed 30% of her meniscus, but Dimas again beat the expected recovery timeline.
“It wasn’t easy, but I always thought to myself, ‘Why stop now?’ You’ve come so far,” Dimas said. “Sitting on the sidelines was one of the most devastating parts because it was like my life was happening without me.”
Teammates like senior hockey forward Sydney Mun and senior soccer striker Danica Zicha, who also overcame a torn ACL, helped Dimas stay positive. Mun said Dimas remained a big part of the hockey team despite not playing last season because of her participation in all of the social and off-ice activities.
“Having her back on the ice is even better,” Mun said. “We’ve missed her and have all been waiting for her.”
That wait is over.
Dimas skated for about two weeks without any contact while yearning for real game play. Cleared for full-on hockey on Dec. 22, Dimas’s first game back ended in a 2-2 tie against reigning Division 1 state champion Hingham. Coach Brendan Kelleher cried when announcing Dimas during the pre-game starting lineups in the locker room.
“The whole locker room erupted,” Kelleher said. “That just springs volumes to what Martha brings.”
Skating out during the official introductions over the public address system marked another milestone. Potting her first goal a few games later completed the comeback arc.
Dimas brings a varied skillset to the ice. She’s a physical presence with a hard shot. A defender by trade, Dimas plays a key role down low on the power play unit.
Watching last year from the bench helped Dimas evolve as a leader. The team’s younger players, of which there are many, look up to her.
“She brings a lot to the rink every day,” Kelleher said. “She can talk and everyone will listen. She has the respect of her teammates, and she can also just go out on the ice and show it with her style of play.”
Formerly a three-sport athlete, Dimas decided to stop playing lacrosse due to its impact on her knee. Hockey doesn’t hurt too much. Soccer is bearable. Does she worry about another injury?
“My knee is never going to be the same again, but you’ve got to deal with what you’ve got,” Dimas said. “You always have that in the back of your head. You can’t play scared, or else it will happen.”
Ranked No. 16 in the most recent Power Rankings, Belmont looks poised for another postseason run. Dimas looks forward to playing an on-ice role.
“I want to have a good, deep run in the playoffs,” Dimas said. “We’re missing a few players, but I think we have people who can substitute for them. If we really want to and really work hard, we’ll do it.”
