Belmont High School girls lacrosse is a program on the rise. Two straight trips to the MIAA Division 1 tournament and a markedly higher seed put the Marauders in the conversation as a top program in the Middlesex League and statewide.
This spring, a group of experienced midfielders and defenders looks to mesh with a new goalie and attackers to keep the momentum. Led by junior star midfielder Niamh Lesnik, who recently committed to Division I Fairfield and reigning All-Conference selections seniors Keira Healy and Charlotte Mayall, the Marauders look to remain in tournament contention and knock off some premier foes along the way.
“I’m very excited for the season,” Healy said. “We’ve been playing together in winter leagues and I think we’re in a really good place. Obviously, we graduated a lot of seniors who were an important part of our team last year, but I think we do have a lot of underclassmen who are ready to step up.”
Attackers Tess Desantis and Carly Gaziano graduated, leaving Charlotte Mayall as the lone returning starter on the offensive end. Goalie Brooke Whalen, a junior, replaces graduated Julia Herlihy. Charlotte Mayall remains confident her team has what it takes to compete with strong league foes like Reading and Winchester.
“In our league this year, we’re definitely contending to win,” she said. “Definitely taking it one game at a time, practicing together and creating a good community.”
The Marauders qualified for the MIAA Division 1 tournament the past two years, as the 27 seed in 2023, and last year rose to the 13 seed with a 14-6 regular season record. They fell to Peabody in the Round of 32.
Lesnik, Healey, Charlotte Mayall and her twin sister, Tyler Mayall, and senior Anna Santos are all team captains.
Lesnik led the team in scoring, compiling 86 goals and 17 assists. Charlotte Mayall posted 32 goals and 17 assists, and Santos had 9 goals and 10 assists.
Juniors Sydney Mun and Noura Goulding will replace Desantis and Gaziano at attack. Junior Fiona Rodriguez-Clark is an experienced defender. Sophomore Natalie Merrow will handle draw controls and a trio of sophomores — Ruth Seigert, Lily Cook and Maddie Tisdale — show promise.
Coach Dan O’Brien sees his team competing in the top half of Division I. Key matchups include the season opener at Andover Friday, at Reading April 11, vs. Burlington April 30, at North Andover May 7, vs. reigning Division 1 state champion Central Catholic May 15 and vs. Winchester May 21.
“We added a few tougher games to the schedule in non-league, so that might help us in the power rankings,” O’Brien said. “We also have some games that will be 50-50 in terms of wins and losses.”
Healy, a four-year varsity player and defender, will anchor a veteran-laden defense alongside Tyler Mayall.
“I think the strength of our team is that we’re so tight knit,” Tyler Mayall said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other. We have a strong lineup and a strong bench, and everyone having full confidence in each other is really important.”
Similar to O’Brien’s first two seasons, the team’s on-field goals remain qualifying for the state tournament and capturing a league title, but the process is sometimes just as fun as the results. O’Brien called practices and games “the best two and a half hours” of his day.
“I hope we just continue to grow as a program,” O’Brien said. “We’ve made good strides … but really, it’s to build up the culture of Belmont girls lacrosse.”
