Wakefield Beats Belmont to Advance to Quarterfinals

It may have taken three games this season, but the seventh-seeded Wakefield High boys hockey team finally picked up a win over Middlesex League foe Belmont on Wednesday night at Salem State University, and it couldn't have come at a better time. 

The Warriors won 4-1 in the first round of the Div. 1 North sectional to advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face second-seeded Reading (15-6-1) on Saturday in Woburn at 3 p.m. 

Wakefield (10-6-4)  took advantage of two errors by 10th-seeded Belmont (10-7-3) in its defensive zone and added a pair of empty net goals to seal the win. 

With the match knotted at one with less than four minutes remaining in the third period, a clearing pass from the Marauder zone bounced off a Belmont player’s skate and headed back towards the Belmont goal. Forward Kyle Leone took a quick shot that was stopped by Belmont’s ‘tender Jack Egbert but Leone took the rebound and dumped the puck into the back of the net with only 3:38 left in the game. 

“It was a great play by our number 18 (Kyle) Leone. It showed that we were able to overcome a real case of nerves in the (third) period to win it,” said Wakefield head coach Derek Edgerly, whose team had lost and tied with Belmont during the regular season.  

With Belmont’s net empty, two of Wakefield’s starters, defender John Sartell and right wing Adam Giancola, scored in the final minute. 

In a first period that saw the Warriors use their speed to come up with several good scoring opportunities, it appeared that Belmont took the lead through Pat Quinn with 2:51 left in the opening period, but the apparent goal was waved off by a referee who indicated that the puck never completely crossed the goal line. 

It didn’t take Belmont long to take the lead in the second, as a deflected blast from the blueline by defender Mike DiCienzo was redirected into the net after only 1:09. 

But that was the only puck that got by Wakefield’s Joseph Cerulo who head coach Edgerly praised. 

“Joey came up big,” said the coach. “He has a 1.62 goals against which is excellent for anyone in high school.”  

It appeared that Belmont was going to have a good chance to double their lead when Wakefield’s Dan Cardillo was called for interference with four minutes left in the period.  

But while shorthanded, Wakefield tied the game when goal-scorer DiCienzo lost the edge of his skate and fell, allowing forechecker Kevin Doherty to take the puck alone to Egbert, faking a shot then sweeping around the back of the net to stuff in the wrap around with 3:08 left in the second. 

Both teams played the third period “scared like no one wanted to make a mistake,” said Edgerly. But by the second half of the period, it became apparent that Wakefield was not as fast or maneuverable as in the first 30 minutes, while Belmont’s hard working philosophy began paying dividends as they out shot the Warriors 8-3 before Leone’s heroics.  

Next up for Wakefield is yet another league rival in number 2 ranked Reading (15-6-1) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Woburn. The Warriors defeated the Rockets last week 3-1.  

“Believe me, we respect Reading and their coaches but I like how we match up with them. Let’s see how we do Saturday,” said Edgerly.