Two balls dropped over the top of the defense in the second half volleyed by midfielder Brody Ennis and forward Kyle Waldron to power Belmont to a win and stay undefeated for the season.
The 2-1 away win at Winnisquam on Monday afternoon improved Belmont’s record to 4-0 with a very big game against Hopkinton ahead.
The Hawks remained tied for first with Belmont at four wins after an 8-0 romp against Inter-Lakes on Monday, and the result of this early tie-breaker could have big consequences for both teams’ playoff pictures.
Belmont head coach Mike Foley is aware of the defensive challenge ahead for his team, and although he did not reveal specifics about his game plan, he said they will have to be more precise and focused than they were against Winnisquam.
“We can’t give up mistakes. A good team is going to bury mistakes,” Foley said. “So staying compact, staying together as a team just simply means at the end of the day, collectively as a group, you gotta work harder than you’ve worked so far this season.”
For Winnisquam, Belmont’s comeback was deflating, but the team showed promise and improvement that it can carry forward.
Winnisquam struck first after junior Noah Bassett was left wide open on the back post to knock a header into the goal in the first half. Belmont had not found its rhythm and had allowed multiple shots on target early.
Senior forward Xavier Mondesir got a few good looks on goal with skillful dribbles in the first half, but was narrowly closed down by Belmont’s defenders to keep the scoreline tight.
After a disappointing half where the Red Raiders struggled with possession and could not connect on crosses, they switched their mindset for the second half.
After the break and a switching of sides that saw Belmont facing the sunset, the mood of the game changed.
“Really, we just needed to hustle, more just one of fifty-fifty balls, because we were playing sloppy, not really beating to what we really should have done,” Ennis said about the first half.
Both teams got chippier, and Belmont’s began winning more battles and getting free kicks. Then, a cutting Brody Ennis hit a powerful volley inside the box to energize his team.
The Raiders sent more bodies up top and looked for feet in the box. They widened their formation and began to switch side-to-side more to draw out the defense. Soon after, Waldron scored with a left-footed volley on a breakaway.
“That gave us the edge and just be able to play defense and settle down and just hold it,” Waldron said.
Belmont will try to carry its second-half momentum into its home game on Friday against the Division III defending champion Hawks.
Winnisquam will look to bounce back and regain confidence after its 2-2 start to the season. Head Coach Thomas Osmer was pleased with the chances his team created and the goal, but recognized some mistakes on defense that could have kept the game within their grasp.
“We talked about how to find the way to reorganize,” Osmer said. “I thought it was a great game. We knew Belmont was going to be good. They’re always good.”
