Belmont High School boys lacrosse has never won a Round of 32 game in the MIAA Division I postseason tournament, but the 2026 group believes they possess the talent needed to make program history.
With all but two starters returning from a team that snuck into the postseason last year, high hopes abound for the Marauders.
“I think we’ve got a good mix of kids that have been playing together for a while and kids that are up and coming,” said senior attack and captain Eli Akins, who finished with 29 goals and 18 assists last year. “It’s only going to go up with this group, and as the season goes on, we’re only going to get better.”
In terms of talent and depth, the Marauders are on the rise. A massive, 20-plus member freshman class brought the program’s number of participants to a record 51. After barely fielding a junior varsity team last spring, the program now boasts two subvarsity squads.
On a chilly third day of tryouts, coach Josh Streit explained how the program “adjusts the goalposts” to define success. The program’s head coach since 2013 and a social studies teacher at Belmont High School since 2008, Streit’s overarching goals are a top-20 finish in the Division I MIAA Power Rankings and a playoff win.
It starts with keeping each player on the varsity and subvarsity squads motivated. Then, three scrimmages before the regular season opener, which marks the start of the road to the postseason.
“This year we’re measuring our success by what we’re able to execute on the field procedurally,” Streit said. “The outcomes will come. If we’re able to play the way we envision this program playing, we’re going to have a very successful team.”
Belmont qualified for the MIAA Division I Tournament last year with a 5-13 record, falling as the No. 28 seed to No. 5 Acton-Boxborough in the first round. Senior attack Declan Doherty, a Middlesex League All-Star last year with 50 goals and 13 assists, returns as the team’s top player. All six offensive starters are back from a year ago, including Akins, a John Carroll University commit, and juniors Brooks Leary and Will Jackmin.
The coach and the team’s two captains singled out Jackmin and his powerful shot and Leary’s prowess around the net as early-season takeaways.
“We feel really great about the offense because we lost no starters,” said Doherty, who wrapped up his Marauders football career in the fall. “Working hard in practice every day will lead us to success.”
Returning defensive starters include seniors Tomas Adrian, whom both Akins and Doherty cited as a difference-maker and Alexander Hoffman, as well as classmate and goalkeeper Garen Sandler. Look for more seniors to make bigger impacts; defensive midfielders David Maia and James Lemieux, offensive midfielder Jasper Rettig, and attackman Alden Faroni. The only unknown is who will take the majority of face-offs.
The regular season’s opening face-off will be at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31 vs. Waltham High School. Other games to watch include:
- April 11 at Reading Memorial High School, 11 a.m.
- April 13 vs. Arlington High School, 6 p.m.
- April 15 at Wakefield Memorial High School, 4:15 p.m.
- May 1 at Lexington High School, 4:30 p.m.
- May 4 vs. Winchester High School, 6 p.m.
- May 9 vs. Bedford High School, 4 p.m., lacrosse night double-header with girls
Eclipsing the .500 mark and a Round of 32 tournament win mark the long-term goals. Getting there requires attention to detail in each practice and game along the way. As Akins said, “you can’t get 100% better in a day, but you can get 5% better in a week.”
“Sky’s the limit for this team,” said Akins, who helped the boys basketball team to a turnaround season. “I think we have the ceiling capability of being a top-five offense in the Middlesex League, and I believe that with everything I have.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Garen Sandler’s name.
