BELMONT – Head coach Michael Foley was quick to point out that his team doesn’t exactly forget easily. Midfielder Zach Ennis said he was “counting down the days.”
The revenge the Belmont boys’ soccer program was seeking was served Monday when the Raiders – facing the same team that knocked them out of last year’s tournament – dealt Derryfield a 1-0 loss at home to remain unbeaten on the season in Division III.
“They have long memories,” Foley said of his team. “Last year, that could have, would have, should have game against Derryfield stung them. And then we got bounced in the quarterfinals from them so we had a lot driving us coming into the game and that’s always helpful.”
It was another victory in what’s been an impressive string of performances for the Raiders (9-0-1).
In the past two weeks alone, Belmont tied a physical and unbeaten Campbell team, picked up two victories over rival and 2015 D-III champion Gilford, and now has a win over last year’s champions with Monday’s result over the Cougars.
“Experience is key, we have really strong leadership and they’re hungry,” Foley said. “This is as hungry as a group – and I’ve had some very special teams in the past – but these guys just want it.”
“I think we have a really good connection,” added Jake Brown, who scored in the 38th minute off an assist from Brendan Kelley to account for Belmont’s lone goal against Derryfield. “We all kind of grew up playing together and I think that’s benefiting us as a group.”
It also helps to possess one of the best defensive units in the division, which Foley believes Belmont has with Lars Major, Devin Bricknell, Angelo Papadopoulos, Caleb Burke and goalie Jake Deware.
The Raiders have been mighty stingy when it comes to allowing goals, surrendering just two all season over 10 games. Belmont let up single goals to Gilford on Saturday and Campbell on Sept. 19, but have been otherwise flawless with eight shutouts, outscoring opponents, 46-2.
“The two kids in the middle, Major and Burke, between the two of them, they’re as a solid as a pair I think you’ll find in the state. They communicate well and move well,” Foley said. “The two main guys we play outside, Papadopoulos and Bricknell, they’ve just been solid so we’ve been able to limit a lot of quality chances.”
And sometimes that means quiet afternoons for Deware.
“We ask him on a nightly basis to kind of come up with maybe two or three saves,” Foley said. “There are games he might not even touch the ball. Some days it drives him nuts, but he’s come up huge for us in games.”
The few chances Derryfield had were turned back by Deware (three saves) as Belmont executed its game plan to perfection by maintaining possession in the midfield throughout the contest thanks to the savvy play of Ennis, Nate Sottak, Nolan Gagnon, Colby Brown, Lucas Mathieu and Griffin Embree.
Any time the Cougars even threatened offensively, the Raiders were quick to get a touch on the ball, disrupt passing lanes and effectively clear the ball back out to their midfielders.
“I think a big part of it is we control the middle and how we’re able to play out of the back without just kicking it up,” Ennis said. “I think that’s a huge advantage we have that we’ve been able to gain that composure. A lot of teams just kick it out of the back to clear it. We work it out of the back to our center or outside midfielders so that we can get the passing forming.”
Not lacking any confidence with the start to its campaign, Belmont heads to Monadnock on Tuesday before closing out the week at home against Hillsboro-Deering on Thursday.
It’s safe to say the Raiders are feeling pretty good as they chase down the program’s first state title since 1998.
“The feeling is absolutely unbelievable,” Brown said of the red-hot start. “There’s really no way to describe it.”
(Jay McAree can be reached at 369-3371, jmcaree@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JayMcAree.)
Boys’ Soccer
Pembroke 2, Plymouth 1
Key players: Pembroke – Nolan Sykes, Connor Manteau
Highlights: Manteau scored with three minutes left to break the 1-1 tie and propel the Spartans to another victory.
Records: Pembroke 8-1-1; Plymouth 7-4
ConVal 4, Merrimack Valley 1
Coach’s quote: “We need to find a way to come together as a team if we are going to win against top teams” – MV’s Ken Fuller
Records: Merrimack Valley 5-6; ConVal 10-1
Franklin 6, Mount Royal 0
Key players: Franklin – Jacob Weaver (3 G, 2 A), Jadyn Lutz (3 G), Zach Dunham (A), Kyan Graves (keeper)
Highlights: Weaver opened up the game with a goal less than a minute in and the Golden Tornadoes built up a 4-0 lead by halftime.
Coach’s quote: “I’m happy with how they played today, scoring quickly and making smart passes. We still have some work to do overall but the plays are coming together.” – Franklin’s Kevin VanGorden
Records: Franklin 5-5; Mount Royal 2-8
John Stark 6, Kingswood 0
Key players: John Stark – Arden Ulmer (2 A), Aria Ulmer (G), Chelsea Woodsum (G), Liz Downing (2 G), Presley Gaberseck (G), Hannah Marquis (G).
Highlights: Woodsum’s goal came from the far left corner with some amazing spin off the outside left foot to curve the ball around the keeper. Marquis scored on a free kick to the top left corner.
Coach’s quote: “We had an extremely slow start but when girls kept the ball on the ground and played their game everything started coming together.” – John Stark’s Chris Pike
Records: John Stark 7-2-1; Kingswood 1-8-1
John Stark 2, Pembroke 1, OT
Key players: John Stark – Meg Girardet (2 G), Olivia Desainde (A), Skyler Rousseau (A), Kasey Arnold (midfield), Elizabeth Aubin (midfield), Sydnee Pelletier (8 saves)
Highlights: Girardet scored on a corner off a feed from Desainde to give the Generals early 1-0 lead at the half. Both teams battled hard in the second and Pembroke received three consecutive corners at the end of regulation, capitalizing on the final attempt to send the game to overtime. Rousseau sent a strong pass from the right, sending Girardet in on a breakaway to fire home the game-winner with 54 seconds left in the game.
Coach’s quote: “Thrilling program-building win today for our Generals. We could have hung our heads after giving up the lead with zero seconds on the clock, but our girls continued to push and broke through on a great play by the Girardet-Rousseau combo. Meg has been a player on a mission lately and has played great field hockey.” – Stark’s Dennis Pelletier
Records: John Stark 4-6; Pembroke 3-7
Lebanon 4, Hopkinton 2
Key players: Hopkinton – Amelia Thomas (G, A), Chloe Wood (G)
Coach’s quote: “Disappointing loss today. We really need to regroup and get it together as we head towards the end of regular season.” – Hopkinton’s Patty Connolly
Records: Lebanon 9-2; Hopkinton 6-3-1
Concord 1st
Key players: Concord – Evan Makris (37), Colin O’Brien (43), Winsor Bean (44), Matt Burns (45), Matt Hauschild (45)
Highlights: The Tide continued to stay on the winning side with a score of 214, edging Timberlane (225) and Bishop Guertin (232) in the three-team match at Sky Meadow Country Club.
Records: Concord 18-3