Photo: Belmont High junior forward Maddie Pennock (left) scores her second goal as Belmont defeated Lowell, 9-2, in the first round of the 2026 MIAA Div. 1 Field Hockey state tournament

Belmont High School sent out a clear statement to future opposition in the state field hockey playoffs: It’s here to play.

With six Marauders scoring while dominating the pitch offensively and on defense, Belmont swamped Lowell High, 9-2, in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 Field Hockey tournament held on Harris Field Thursday, Nov. 5.

“I thought that everybody showed up to play today and we did a number of things well on the field. So that was great to see,” said Belmont’s long-serving Head Coach Jess Smith, as she watched this year’s edition improve to 17-1-1.

Next up for the the 3rd-seed is a familar opponant in Lexington High which defeated Shrewsbury, 1-0. A return battle of Middlesex Liberty League foes – the visiting Marauders beat the Minutemen, 4-0, on Oct. 2 – will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m.

The Belmont/Lexington match will be the front end of a playoff doubleheader with the Belmont taking on Newton North in a first round contest of the MIAA Division 1 Girls Soccer tournament. The second game starts at 6:30 p.m.

Every team has an X factor they must face during a game, and for Belmont it was an XY factor in Lowell co-captain Tony Ford, who was recently named the co-Merrimack Valley Division 2 Player of the Year. A three-year starter, Ford was clearly the dominate Red Raider player anywhere on the field which Belmont had to pay attention to.

But from the very start, Belmont demonstrated why it was a top five in the Division 1 power rankings for the entire season, scoring twice in the first five minutes of the match, the first by defender Lucie Lakin-Schultz off a penalty corner and the second a 15-meter blast by Lucie’s big sister, senior co-captain Elsie Lakin-Schultz.

Lowell’s Ford showed how quick he could swing momentum by taking his team’s offense onto himself weaving past four defenders and scoring past Belmont goalie Zoe Bruce to reduce the Marauders lead to one, 2-1, three minutes into the second quarter.

But that goal was a spark for the Marauders as it would answer with four of their own in the next 10 minutes: An carbon copy of the first goal as Lakin-Schultz (Lucie) redirected a feed from Lakin-Schultz (Elsie); junior forward Kendall Regan nudging it over the goal line; first year forward Reagan Moulis’ 10-meter shot going five hole past the goalie; and finishing with junior forward Maddie Pennock sweeping a pass from fellow junior Mia Smith into the net. And Belmont would spend the five minute half time with a deserved 6-1 advantage.

Belmont would continue its contol of the game as the Marauder’s defense backline of senior Nina Sheth-Voss, junior Roisin Reavey, Cookie Mahoney and the two Lakin-Schultzs never allowed the Red Raiders any opportunities to sustain an attack. Pennock would earn her brace from a pass by first year forward Grace Brodigan, and sophomore forward Amelia Long scored from out front as she was being dumped onto the pitch.

Ford was looking as he would have the final say with an outstanding solo goal after a 70 meter run, striking a bullet while in full stride after putting the ball between his legs. Lowell’s second was the most goals giving up by the Maraders this season. But Elise Lakin-Schultz wasn’t having Lowell have the last word in the scoring sheet. The captain called for the ball, rounded Ford before slotting the ball into the corner, while giving the Lowell captain a look as Belmont ended the game 9-2.

Despite having handled the Minutemen early in the year, Smith is not looking past Lexington in the Sweet 16.

“I think you know I’m nervous going into that game. We have to bring our best game to beat Lexington. We’ve have this Middlesex target on our back and you know their going after us. And they have some really good, strong athletes and they’ve well coached. We have to bring our A game,” said Smith.