BELMONT, Mass. – Belmont Hill defeated Dexter Southfield by a score of 6-2 on Friday night at the Jordan Athletic Center on the campus of the former.
Six different goal-scorers found the back of the net for the Sextants. Right wing Ronan O’Donnell (Fairfield, Conn.), left wing Danny Markham (Winchester, Mass.), right wing Dane Carter (Concord, Mass.), defenseman Lenny Greenberg, center Brock Cummings, and left wing Jake McManus (Winthrop, Mass.) tallied goals for Belmont Hill in the contest.
Belmont Hill will be the No. 6 seed in the upcoming NEPSAC Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament and travel to Milton Academy for a first-round matchup. It is the second straight year Brian Phinney’s team has qualified for the Elite 8.
Center Cullen Emery (Reading, Mass.) and left wing Brayden Naumann scored for Dexter Southfield, a team that earned the No. 3 seed in the NEPSAC Martin/Earl Large School Tournament.
Danny Donato’s Dexter program has been used to making the Elite 8 in recent years but will have to settle for trying to win the Large School this year.
SMALL SCHOOL TOURNAMENT: Previewing all eight teams in the tournament
Here are the standout performers from the game.
Lenny Greenberg
Belmont Hill, 3/7/05, D, right shot, 6-0/175
NCAA: Sacred Heart
Greenberg is a talented offensive defenseman, but he showed he can be the total package on Friday night. On at least four occasions, his tight gaps and good stick allowed him to defend the rush with poke checks. He did a good job of getting shots through, including on a second-chance opportunity for a power play goal. Greenberg showed off his shiftiness when he eluded a Dexter Southfield forechecker, which resulted in him drawing a penalty. He’s a quarterback out there, whether it’s on the power play or in all situations. He directs traffic and shows leadership and hockey sense for a first-year junior.
Keagin Wilson
Belmont Hill, 10/12/06, G, catches left, 5-10/146
Wilson has exceeded expectations after coming over from Hingham High School. He’s gotten a little bigger and has played well in a rotation with freshman JJ Thibodeau (Newton, Mass.). He made a kick save on a five-on-three power play bid that was notable. Wilson stopped 29 of 31 shots he faced and came up with a handful of quality saves, especially on a couple of Dexter Southfield power plays.
ELITE 8 TOURNAMENT: A team-by-team breakdown of the big dance
Andrew Waugh
Belmont Hill, 3/31/06, C, right shot, 5-10/175
Waugh didn’t find the score sheet Friday night, but he’s had a solid sophomore season after spending last year on the junior varsity. From Norwell, Mass., Waugh’s compete level is high. He hunts pucks, wins battles, and doesn’t shy away from physical contact. He almost came away with a goal on a redirection that hit the post in the first period.
Patrick Woods
Belmont Hill, 7/5/07, LW, right shot, 6-1/170
Woods plays his off wing on Waugh’s line and has consistently been a noticeable presence throughout the season. From Charlestown, Mass., he skates well, competes and makes some plays. He’s around the puck when he’s out there and makes the most of his ice time. Woods has been below the radar throughout the years, whether it be with the Islanders Hockey Club or Junior Eagles. But, he might end up being a better prospect than a number of teammates who have gotten more ink over the years.
Danny Markham
Belmont Hill, 5/13/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/165
Markham is one of a handful of seniors on this Belmont Hill team who sometimes fall under the radar, due to the more high-end talent that has come through Phinney’s roster the past two seasons. He had a goal and an assist in the game Friday. He scored a power play goal to give Belmont Hill a 2-0 lead. He found a soft spot at the back door and tapped in a cross-crease feed from linemate Brock Cummings. His assist came on the fifth goal. He took a hard shot on net and Cummings scooped home the rebound.
LARGE SCHOOL TOURNAMENT: Which team will emerge as champion?Â
Belmont Hill lines
Markham - Cummings - O’Donnell
McManus - Daignault - Carter
Woods - Waugh - Tavares
Sullivan - Lee - Schmidek
Doolan - Biotti
Verville - Greenberg
Duffy
Wilson
Dexter Southfield lines
Butte - Emery - Minchello
Naumann - Morgan - Porter
Sutherland - Dwan - Hurton
Condon - Assad - Leetch
Frechette - Lanza
Keohane - Nickulas
Abrecht
Dalessio
