Sydney Mun says offense is the best defense. Her fellow Belmont High School girls lacrosse senior co-captains believe it’s the other way around.
Either way, Mun is on target in her assessment — the 2026 Marauders boast a collection of established offensive weapons. From future Division I player Niamh Lesnik to Mun, Nora Goulding and more, expect Belmont to pile up the points.
“We’ve played together since middle school, and on a select team, which gave us a lot of experience playing together,” Goulding said. “A lot of the girls play club in the offseason, and that’s helped us work really well together. We communicate really well.”
Belmont went 13-7 in the regular season last year and secured the No. 14 seed in the MIAA Division I tournament. The Marauders beat No. 19 Braintree at home in the first round before falling to No. 3 Lincoln-Sudbury on the road in the Round of 16.
Fourth-year coach Dan O’Brien noted the team’s multi-sport athletes whose primary game is lacrosse. Unlike past teams featuring great athletes who played lacrosse, many of these athletes identify as lacrosse players.
“I think we’re going to be able to do some different things with our IQ and understanding of the game,” O’Brien said. “We have leaders who know the game better and can play at a high level.”
Lesnik and Mun are both reigning Middlesex League All-Stars, Lesnik is a four-year starting midfielder with career marks of 193 goals and 43 assists. She will play Division I college lacrosse at Fairfield University. Mun (53 goals and 18 assists) and Goulding (14 goals, 30 assists) lead the attackers.
Most of senior Fiona Rodriguez-Clark’s teammates on the defensive side graduated, leaving room for three new starters to play alongside her and in front of senior goalkeeper Brooke Whalen.
“We were a little worried about who was going to fill those spots, but it definitely seems like we have some young talent to step up,” Rodriguez-Clark said. “I think we have a lot more offensive minded players this year, so we’re going to be looking to do a lot of learning and teaching at the defensive end.
For Whalen, that means improving communication and seeing the entire field, orchestrating the defense and providing feedback in real time. The team played well in an offseason winter league, much to all of the captains’ delight. Juniors Ruth Siegert and Natalie Merrow, both midfielders, attack Maddie Tisdale and defender Lily Cook will be relied on. Sophomores Reece Bundy, a midfielder, defenders Gabriella Carney and Eva Sen and attack Sienna Choi show promise.
“I was very surprised with the new talent that we have coming up on defense,” Whalen said. “I was also surprised with the way the community is and how everyone is so supportive and uplifting of each other.”
The regular season opened March 31 against Weston High School. Other key games from the 18-game schedule, including 11 home contests:
- April 7 vs. Reading Memorial High School, 6 p.m.
- April 25 @ Notre Dame Academy-Hingham, 11 a.m.
- May 1 vs. Lexington High School, 5:30 p.m.
- May 9 vs. Bedford High School,6 p.m., lacrosse night double-header with boys
- May 15 @ Central Catholic High School, 6 p.m.
Middlesex League matchups with Reading and Lexington are “the barometer,” O’Brien said. This year, look for Belmont to make the first moves.
“We’re going to try to play with a lot of pace and outscore teams,” O’Brien said. “We have a lot of athleticism and some girls who can find the back of the net, so I think we’re going to try and push and play fast.”
