Full Steam Ahead: Belmont Hill Runs Through Nobles, 17-8

Belmont Hill was the train, and Nobles was stuck on the tracks. From the opening whistle, everything went Belmont Hill's way on Wednesday. At the faceoff X, [player_tooltip player_id='20925' first='Eli' last='Friedman'] set the tone with a dominant performance, winning 16 of 21 draws and turning it into a make-it-take-it affair.   On offense, Belmont Hill picked apart Nobles' zone defense with sharp ball movement—using skip passes to generate open looks and burying outside shots with confidence. Eventually, the pressure forced Nobles to abandon the zone and switch to man-to-man.   Defensively, Belmont Hill was just as impressive. They shut down a talented Nobles attack—built around high-end scorers and constant two-man actions—by playing physical on-ball defense, rotating smartly off-ball, and getting top-tier play between the pipes.   The result was a commanding 17–8 victory that highlighted Belmont Hill's dominance on both ends of the field. Here are five standouts from their win over Nobles.    Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Butler was a major force in Belmont Hill's win over Nobles. Despite facing a Nobles offense loaded with firepower-full of skilled shooters and top-tier talent, Butler racked up 14 saves and anchored the defense with poise. He's not just a shot-stopper either; Butler is a legitimate athlete. One of his signature moments came at the end of the third quarter. After making a clutch save on a stepdown shot from [player_tooltip player_id='14530' first='Colin' last='Kenney'], Butler scooped up his own rebound, threw a slick fake, and sprinted past the midline-beating two persistent attackmen along the way. He capped it off with a pinpoint outlet pass that set up a transition goal, stretching Belmont Hill's lead to 10.     Verville put on a shooting clinic in Belmont Hill's win over Nobles, finishing with five goals and showcasing why he's one of the most dangerous scorers around. With Nobles spending much of the game in a zone defense and frequently penalized, the conditions were perfect for Verville to go to work. He got things started early with a beautifully executed seal play designed just for him, ripping a high shot to the far corner. From there, he continued to torch the defense from all over the field. Verville's ability to shoot from multiple angles, combined with his powerful wrists, allows him to place the ball anywhere he wants-even under pressure. One of his most impressive goals came on his fourth of the day. Catching the ball on the right wing, he calmly dropped his hands and delayed his release just enough to freeze the goalie, before snapping it into the high near-side corner with pinpoint precision. It was a goal that summed up his blend of skill, poise, and scoring instinct.     Marobella drew one of the toughest assignments of the day for Belmont Hill, guarding [player_tooltip player_id='45365' first='Tuck' last='Gilbane'], a five-star UVA commit in the Class of 2026. The uncommitted defender rose to the challenge—and then some. Gilbane was held to just one goal, which came in the final minute of the game and not with Marobella as the primary matchup. Marobella was excellent both on and off the ball. On the ball, he moved his feet well, stayed glued to Gilbane's hands, and never gave him room to operate. Nobles challenged him repeatedly in two-man actions, but Marobella was unfazed, navigating picks and slips with poise and discipline. Off the ball, he was just as reliable. He played with sound fundamentals, constantly scanning and turning his head to maintain awareness. Even with Nobles running frequent off-ball two-man actions, Marobella stayed composed and in position. For any programs still searching for a 2026 defender or LSM, Marobella would be a high-upside, late-cycle steal.     Evans had himself a day, finishing with eight points (4G, 4A) in Belmont Hill's dominant win over Nobles. The Brown commit shined in nearly every facet of the game. He scored by attacking up the hashes against Nobles' man-to-man defense and showed impressive control and poise handling the ball inside their zone. The bulk of his production came from operating up top, where he carried the ball against both the zone and man-down units. Evans showcased elite vision, consistently identifying and exploiting soft spots in the defense. One of the most impressive sequences of the day came during a man-up possession, when he delivered back-to-back no-look skip passes to [player_tooltip player_id='120363' first='Topher' last='Batchelder'] sneaking behind the pipe. The first one didn't result in a goal—Batchelder couldn't finish the quick stick—but just 20 seconds later, Evans hit him with a nearly identical pass. This time, Batchelder buried it despite being hit from behind, drawing another penalty in the process. Evans not only filled the stat sheet, but he also orchestrated Belmont Hill's offense with maturity and creativity beyond his years.     The Notre Dame commit accounted for half of Nobles' goals, finishing with four in the loss to Belmont Hill. Even on a day when little went right for Nobles, [player_tooltip player_id='14530' first='Colin' last='Kenney'] still found ways to showcase his scoring prowess. From distance, he launches absolute missiles—usually from an overhand or three-quarters release point. In tight, he's fearless, often increasing his shooting angle and absorbing contact to finish. His highlight of the day came at the end of the first quarter. Starting with a left-handed dodge down the right alley, Kenney gave a subtle bounce to draw his defender out, then split back to his right hand, elevated through contact, and buried the shot while taking a hit from the sliding X defender. Kenney continues to prove that he can score in a variety of ways and against high-level competition, no matter the circumstances.

Belmont Hill was the train, and Nobles was stuck on the tracks. From the opening whistle, everything went Belmont Hill's way on Wednesday. At the faceoff X, Eli Friedman Eli Friedman 5'10" | 175 lbs | FO | Right Hand Belmont Hill School | 2025 MA set the tone with a dominant performance, winning 16 of 21 draws and turning it into a make-it-take-it affair.