It was another busy and exciting week for Belmont Day athletics, with our teams competing hard, showing tremendous improvement, and continuing to represent the Blue and Gold with pride. From thrilling victories and last-minute heroics to hard-fought games against talented opponents, our students showed teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship all week.
On Tuesday, boys’ varsity soccer earned an impressive 8–2 victory over Beaver, showing outstanding chemistry and teamwork all afternoon. Yotam Linder, Gael Cruz Marcos, and Ethan Antipov each scored skillful goals as the Blue and Gold moved the ball effectively, created scoring opportunities, and showed the offensive growth developing throughout the season.
Girls’ varsity soccer traveled to Beaver and battled to a 1–1 tie. With the game tied late in the second half, BDS made an aggressive tactical adjustment, pushing additional players forward in search of a winning goal. That left Alexis Franklin and Emily Wang as the only two defenders for the final five minutes, and both were outstanding. Their communication, positioning, and determination kept Beaver from scoring while letting their teammates press forward. It was a tremendous example of trust, teamwork, and players stepping up when their team needed them most.
Varsity flag football faced a talented Beaver team and fell 19–6 in a competitive game. Woody Evans made a terrific leaping touchdown catch and also made an impact defensively at safety. Sixth grader Koby Hildebrandt continued his impressive season with several excellent flag pulls and some big offensive gains, using his speed and quickness to create opportunities.
JV volleyball also hosted Beaver on Tuesday, falling in two competitive sets, 18–25 and 22–25. Lily Bandar and Cora Stack were particularly strong from the service line, connecting on 78 percent and 75 percent of their serves, respectively. Maitri Bonthapally, Zoe Masozera, Ben Fucci, and Eva Moy Truong also showed strong leadership and enthusiasm, taking an active role in team discussions during timeouts. It was great to see students taking ownership of their learning and helping one another make adjustments throughout the match.
JV flag football traveled to Fessenden and had its own thriller, falling just short, 19–18. Mamadou “Momo” Diarra scored two touchdowns, including an incredible trick play that started near the BDS goal line and went the entire length of the field! Harrison Mak added another impressive touchdown after hauling in a catch and taking it to the end zone, while Sebastian Mora broke free for two big runs. Despite the narrow loss, the team showed plenty of offensive creativity and determination throughout the afternoon.
Boys’ JV soccer traveled to Carroll and fell 5–1, but several players made outstanding individual efforts. Moses Ellner was the team’s MVP, making numerous difficult saves and helping keep the Blue and Gold in the game. Leyth Pan scored the lone BDS goal, while the entire team continued to compete hard and support one another.
Wednesday brought another exciting afternoon, highlighted by the boys’ JV soccer team traveling to Meadowbrook and earning a convincing 7–1 win. Colin Lee wasted no time, scoring for the Blue and Gold in the opening minute. Adam Bechor Neumark followed with an outstanding four-goal performance, including an incredible redirect off a cross from Milo Dowers. Finn Schoenau and Ryder Ko added late goals to complete the scoring. The team played well overall, with strong contributions from the roster and plenty to celebrate.
Field hockey hosted Shore Country Day on Wednesday and delivered one of its strongest performances of the season, despite a 3–1 loss. The game was intense and competitive throughout, with Clara Min scoring the team’s lone goal in the second quarter by positioning herself perfectly at the post and tapping the ball into the net. Sixth grader Molly Walsh remained a tremendous defensive presence, using quick reflexes and determination to break up several dangerous scoring chances and clear the ball to her teammates. Ursula Douglas also had a memorable afternoon, losing one of her baby teeth during the game! Fortunately, no foul play was involved; it was simply time for the tooth to come out. Beyond the final score, the team showed outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork, and resilience in one of its best efforts of the season.
Thursday brought a full slate of competition against Shady Hill, with strong performances across soccer, cross country, and volleyball.
Boys’ varsity soccer earned a 4–3 win over Shady Hill, holding on after allowing two late goals. The Blue and Gold showed resilience in a closely contested match, with Rubin Xiao, Gael Cruz Marcos, Ilyas Kanzi Belghiti, and Ben Street making particularly strong contributions on defense. Their communication, effort, and determination helped BDS secure the win in a hard-fought game.
Cross country also defeated Shady Hill, 23–34, in a race filled with personal accomplishments. The team recorded 11 personal records, along with several additional season-best times. Boya Yun dropped more than three minutes from his season-best time, while Stuart Sun improved by nearly 30 seconds from his last home race. Jacob Jarbeau ran nearly two minutes faster than his season-best time. Emma Katz, Ben Bradshaw, and Simon Bays also set new personal records, while Ashwin Balakrishnan improved by nearly a minute. Amelia Chang ran more than 30 seconds faster than her previous best, Emelia Jin improved by more than 20 seconds, and Malcolm Bays ran nearly two minutes faster than his previous best.
Simon Bays led BDS with a second-place finish, followed by Alana Brown in third, Kevin Zhou in fifth, Raphael Hsia in sixth, and Ben Bradshaw in seventh. The team delivered an outstanding performance and a wonderful demonstration of the progress our runners have made throughout the season.
Varsity volleyball played its best match of the season against Shady Hill, narrowly falling in three sets, 25–23, 20–25, and 8–15. The match featured exciting back-and-forth rallies, with every player contributing strong passes, sets, and attacks. The team’s serve receive continues to improve, and the serving remained a major strength. Kayla Li put together a string of successful serves that Shady Hill couldn’t return, earning several much-needed points for BDS. The front row also showed significant growth, with players becoming more confident swinging at the ball on the third hit. Nick Yu and Elsie Yang each delivered several strong attacks that resulted in points.
JV volleyball also faced Shady Hill and fell in a close three-set match, 1–2. Yiwen Bilien, Caroline Frost, and Eliana Freedman were especially strong contributors, combining for 20 of the team’s recorded points. At the same time, the rest of the team continued to contribute in important ways, creating opportunities to develop an even more balanced scoring rotation as the season continues. The team’s effort and willingness to learn were evident throughout the match.
As we move deeper into October, it has been wonderful to see progress across all our athletics teams. Students are developing their skills, learning to compete, taking on leadership opportunities, and continuing to support one another through both victories and challenges. With plenty of competition still ahead, we are excited to see what the next few weeks bring.
Campus energy has been terrific, and nothing beats seeing our students compete and represent the Blue and Gold with pride.
Go BDS!
– Stephen Marks, director of athletics
