Soccer: Girls Seek A Point To Secure Playoff Place, Boys' Are Up and Down

Physical victories over two winning sides in two days has put Belmont High School Girls' Soccer on the cusp of the post-season as Head Coach Paul Graham's team needs one point – basically a tie – in the team's final two games to secure a playoff spot.

But Belmont won't be waltzing into the post-season as their final two games will be against teams the Marauders lost to in road games earlier in the season; Lexington (2-0) and arch-rival Winchester (4-0).

"Oh, it won't be easy," said Graham, who has made the sectional playoffs with Belmont for more than three decades. 

"We have to be at our best. We're getting their, [the team] is better than they were the last time we met them. But it will be tight," said Graham.

After a rough-and-tumble rematch with Medford on Saturday, Oct. 19 – a 2-1 victory that saw six Marauders taken off the pitch due to bumps and bruises – that saw Belmont again reach .500, the Marauders hosted Woburn High School which is having a standout season having made the playoffs last week with eight wins and two ties, one of those victories a 2-1 home win. 

While Belmont had the speed, Woburn were opportunistic as both teams had their chances in the first half as each squad hit the post and missed open nets. Belmont was the first to strike as defender and designated set-play deliver Lucia Guzikowski took a free kick after a controversial ruling from the referee which found Belmont's junior midfielder Lizzie Frick who sent the ball past Tanner goalkeeper Olivia Carbone. 

Woburn came close early in the second half testing Belmont's keeper Linda Herlihy – who had 12 saves in the game – who had to make a diving save early but Belmont struck again, once again after a hard challenge sent a Tanner midfielder to the turf and allowed freshman forward Ava Colasin to streak down the left side and power the ball by Carbone 17 minutes into the half.

And senior captain Gabby Joyal beat the offside trap by the barest of margins to beat the keeper five minutes later and secure the 3-0 win.

Belmont (8-7-3) is back to Harris Field for Lexington on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. and will be away in Winchester on Friday, Oct 25 at 3:45 p.m.

Lots of firsts of Boys' victory over Woburn 

The Belmont High School Boys' Soccer saw quite a number of firsts this past Thursday, Oct. 17, at Harris Field in their 3-0 victory with Arlington High: Trevor Kelly and Danny Rizzo scored their first varsity goals, freshman goalkeeper Marvyn Dorchin won his first home game with a shutout and earlier that day Belmont Head Coach Peter Guellnitz became a dad for the first time when Emmeline Nora Guellnitz – already known as Millie – was born at 1:55 a.m. And adding to his growing goal total was Andrew Strawbridge with the first goal of the game on a strong header. 

But Belmont slipped a bit with a loss Monday, Oct. 21 to one win Woburn High, 1-0. While it was their second loss of the season, it did not drop them out of the lead in the Middlesex League Liberty Division race, staying in front of Lexington.