Belmont Hill Soccer Recap

As the fall season unfolds, the Belmont Hill soccer team boasts an impressive record of seven wins, one loss, and two draws in league play, with an overall record of nine wins, two losses, and two draws. Jack Bartlett ’26, a frequent scorer, currently ranks sixth in the league with nine goals, while Adonai Samuel ’26 has emerged as a key distributor with six assists. Under the guidance of Coach Montoya, Coach Bracken, and Coach Holland, the team has navigated the transition from last year well, despite losing several major contributors. Center midfielders like Max Cristiano ’28 and Emmerson Walker ’25 have stepped up seamlessly. This year’s squad has welcomed fresh talent, which has significantly bolstered their performance. Coach Bracken noted that in recent games, the team has displayed strong passing and chemistry across the field, and exceptional defense from the backline. Players like Beckett Britt-Webb ’27, Sam Lawrance ’26, Will Umscheid ’25, and Colby Rice ’26 have been instrumental, allowing only eight goals in 14 games, with Harry Lavoie ’27 providing class support in goal. The team has faced tougher competition in Class A games though, where they hold a record of 3-2-1. While this record is commendable, it doesn’t fully reflect their overall success. Coach Bracken explained that Class A matches feature some of the league’s best teams because of the larger size of the student body at these schools, making losses and draws more understandable. NEPSACS remains a top priority for the team, as captain Umscheid ’25 told us, “Qualifying for the NEPSAC tournament is always a big priority each year and that comes with finding success in the ISL and in our non-league matches.” For the team to thrive in future Class A games, Coach Bracken stressed the need for trust and adaptability saying, “We have talented players, and so we need to trust one another in order to control the game no matter the opposition’s playing style.” With the goal of progression in mind as the team has shown recently, NEPSACS still seems like an extremely feasible destination, and The Panel wishes coaches Montoya, Bracken, Holland, and the soccer team the best of luck in all endeavors left this season.