Belmont Girls' Field Hockey Reach 13 wins, Now Waiting for Tournament Seed

It was cold (45 degrees) and late (nearly 8 p.m.) as the Belmont High School Girls' Field Hockey team defeated Winchester, 2-1, at the friendly confines of Harris Field on Friday night, Oct. 25.

While the victory closes the Marauders' regular season, it opens the door to the Division 2 North sectionals as Belmont enters the post season at 13-4-1 which would appear to be good enough for at least one home game or a bye in the first round.

But Head Coach Jessie Smith knows not to predict anything when it comes to where Belmont might end up when the playoff schedule is announced by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association sometime late Monday or Tuesday. 

"I've done the calculations before to see where we might be placed and (the MIAA) will come up with something that isn't even close," said Smith, downplaying any anticipation for a home game such as what happened in 2011 when Belmont garnered a pair of Harris Field matches.

What is high up on Smith's agenda is refocusing the team's energy on playing the game.

"I have to get them to be more serious again. They have fallen into "We're really good in practice' type of mentality. We need to come to practice seeing how we can take what we are learning and how to use them in the game. Right now we are going through the motions and that has to change," said Smith, who said the girls should expect "a very serious practice," on Monday and Tuesday "to make my point."

Smith pointed to Friday's match in which despite easily dominating the first half, the team only had one goal, a blast from midfield start senior Kendal Brown from a pass by Beth Young, to show for it.

"They were not putting any emotion in their play," said Smith.

In fact, Belmont was on their back heels for the first ten minutes of the second 30-minute half when Melissa Zavez shot the ball into the Marauders' net from in close to tie up the score.

Yet Belmont began to take command of the midfield and controlling the game in the Winchester end. The breakthrough came with eight minutes remaining as wing Sydney Perkins dribbled the ball down the right side and passed it off to freshman standout Anne Marie Habelow to dodged a defender at the side of the net, swung the ball away from the goalie and while falling drove the ball into the goal for the final 2-1.