Lee, Woburn boys spoil Belmont’s ‘celebration’
WALTHAM — The event was called “Celebration of Belmont hockey at Bentley,” a boys’ and girls’ doubleheader between Belmont and Woburn. The “celebration” between Middlesex League foes was staged Saturday afternoon at Bentley Arena. Skip Viglirolo Rink, Belmont’s longtime home arena, located right next to the high school, is being demolished to make way for a new state-of-the-art rink that will be part of a $23 million upgrade in athletic facilities.
The Woburn boys’ team, however, spoiled the party.
The No. 12 Tanners had plenty to celebrate, as junior forward Jack Lee netted a hat trick in a 5-2 Middlesex League Liberty win.
Lee, on a potent first line alongside senior captain Jack McEleney and senior Matt Mahoney, struck twice on the power play and scored in each period for the Tanners (6-1-0).
“Today, he played a total game,” said Woburn boys’ coach Jim Duran. “He was in the corners, he was good on defense. He had a really good game tonight.”
“That whole line, they’re like pests. They keep going and going, they work hard. They’re so unselfish, too — that’s the big thing for the first line.”
McEleney added a power-play tally and junior Finn Murphy slotted a wrist shot into the top left corner, putting an exclamation point on the scoring.
Leadership shined through, as the Tanners played composed, finding teammates and maintaining time and space against a physical Marauders group.
“The chemistry is definitely huge for us,” said Lee. “I think the best thing about our team is that off the ice, we’re all best friends — we hang out all the time. That carries over to the ice and that’s where most of our success comes from.”
The season has been a series of adjustments for the youthful Marauders (3-5-1), playing their “home” games at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown.
Prior to the girls’ game, state Senator Will Brownsberger and state Representative David Rogers dropped the ceremonial puck with coaches and captains of the Belmont teams. Brownsberger and Rogers were instrumental in raising the funds necessary to get ice time for the Marauders at Ryan Arena. Previously, there was no such hurdle, as the town of Belmont owned and operated Viglirolo Rink.
This season, home games don’t have quite the same feel.
“I think it’s a great advantage, especially a rink like the Skip was,” said Belmont boys’ coach Tim Foley. “It’s right next to our school, kids walked over for practice at 3 o’clock. We had that home locker room, kids could leave their equipment there. You feel like a part of the team — it’s almost like automatic bonding. We hope to have that back again in a couple of years.
“A lot of other teams have to do what we’re doing now and we’re seeing what that advantage has been, for the last nine years that I’ve been here anyway.”
The new rink has a targeted completion date of March 2025. The $23 million project will be close to campus with an outlet to the tennis courts and football stadium. The rink will feature offices and locker rooms in the hockey portion of the facility.
Fans from both towns filled the Bentley stands. Belmont youth programs played between periods. The rink was teeming with fans wearing maroon jerseys and “Belmont Hockey” jackets, T-shirts, and sweat shirts.
Known as a hockey town, the Belmont community’s love for the sport was on full display.
“It was a unique game because it was a celebration of Belmont hockey,” Foley said.
In the girls’ game, Woburn and the Belmont/Watertown co-op skated to a fiercely competitive 0-0 tie. Freshman defenseman Juliana Ferragamo was everywhere for the Tanners (4-2-2), neutralizing threats and creating offense up the ice. Sophomore goaltender Jil Costa played admirably for the Marauders (6-0-2), tracking pucks well through traffic and maintaining crisp angles.