On a warm and clear-skied Friday night, the entire season hung in the balance for the varsity lacrosse team. After a key victory against Nobles, the team faced a dangerous Rivers team who arrived to Danehy Park with a world class goalie and a potent offense. However, the boys from the Hill refused to back down. After Belmont Hill scored the first goal of the game, Rivers answered with two quick ones before Christian O’Neill, as he has done all season, tucked one past the Rivers goalie to tie the game at 2-2.
Belmont Hill took control as they went into the half up 10-3. At that point, the boys in white had confidence and there was no turning back. As Rivers tried to claw back into the game with a goal to make it 12-6 midway through the third quarter, senior long pole Zach Shpilner plunged a dagger into the heart of Rivers with a goal to make it 13-6. Rivers would never recover as Belmont Hill finished off the game with a 15-7 victory. The win was a real statement in the league, as Rivers had recently beaten St. Sebastian’s, who Belmont Hill had fallen to earlier in the season.
Another notable game of the season was against Middlesex, which would be the last time the seniors would put on their navy blue uniforms and trot out onto their beloved home field. The game started out with everything going Middlesex’s way. Belmont Hill could not buy a goal until once again Christian O’Neill got Belmont Hill on the board. After that, it was all Belmont Hill. Stellar defense and a very productive offense led the team past Middlesex and into the final week of the season. Now all that stood in their way of a third consecutive ISL Championship was Brooks and BB&N. Brooks looked like a more than capable team as they lost to a strong Governor’s Academy team by only one goal. However, Belmont Hill had no trouble against the team from North Andover as they rolled to a 16-4 victory.
Now all that was left was BB&N. Belmont Hill played hard the entire game and was able to beat BB&N and capture their third ISL Championship in a row and their fourth in the last five years. A dynasty has been created by the incredible coaching of Tim Sullivan and Chris Butler who have now won five ISL Championships together. Congratulations to the whole lacrosse team on yet another excellent season.
