Boys' Hockey: Belmont Out of the Fog With First League Win in Two Seasons

A true hat-trick by starting sophomore right wing Brian Garrett and a solid game between the pipes by freshman goaltender Cal Christofori saw a two-year draught come to an end as the Belmont High School Boys' Ice Hockey team turned back visiting Lexington High School, 5-1, for the team's first Middlesex League victory since the 2011-12 season.

In a match played mostly in a fog – rain and outside temperatures in the mid-50s proved the perfect mix to produce soupy conditions on the ice surface – Belmont exploded for four goals after being tied by the Minutemen midway through the first period.

And it was Garrett – who finished the game with five points – who brought his "A" game to the rink scoring three consecutive goals in each period beginning with a tip of an Evan Biette shot at 6:10 in the first, just over a minute after Lexington tied the score at 1-1 by junior Thomas McLaughlin. Belmont opened the scoring seconds before from Marauders' leading scorer junior co-captain Joe Paolillo. 

His second goal at 2:52 in the second came front a centering pass from line mate Paolillo in which he reached the puck to beat junior goalie Tommy Agne and three defenders. 

Garrett's third goal, on a rush in the first 20 seconds of the final stanza, knocked the wind out the Minutemen who did not put up the concerted effort they had in the first two periods. And what ever hopes they had for a comeback was ended less than two minutes later when sophomore David Bailey scored on a nifty wrap around. 

While at times the Marauders took a "bend but not break" approach on defense in the first half of the game, the ever improving defensive corp – led by starting pair senior co-captain Nick Vetrano and freshman Adam Cronin – began pushing the Minutemen into their own zone. 

And the win was sealed by the strong play from Christofori who made a number of point blank saves, the best a glove save midway through the third off of junior co-captain defender Brendan Shaw who shot from 20 feet in the slot.