NORTHAMPTON — The Smith Voc girls lacrosse team continued its hot start to its first season at the varsity level, riding an early lead to defeat McCann Tech 13-9 on Tuesday night.
Coming into the contest on a four-game winning streak, the Vikings had the added motivation of searching for redemption against a Hornets squad that handed them their lone loss of the 2026 season.
The first matchup between the two sides ended in a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime loss in the first game of the season.
Right out of the gate on Tuesday, Smith Voc put the pressure on, putting up seven goals through the first quarter of play. After allowing just one of the defensive end, the Vikings immediately held a 7-1 lead after the first 12 minutes of play.
“I think the work that we’ve been putting in with our skills and our teamwork really just shined [on Tuesday],” Smith Voc head coach Ellie Wilson said. “Our focus this year is being relentless, being relentless on attack, being relentless on defense, full field, and it’s proving to be a huge benefit for our games.”
The early lead proved to be a big confidence builder for the Vikings, who stayed level-headed even after the lead shrank prior to halftime.
With a big cushion, the team stuck to the gameplan, relying on what’s given them success throughout the first five games of the season.
Erin Miller played a big role in creating the early lead for Smith Voc, scoring the first two goals of the night. The captain added another in the third quarter for a hat trick, also tallying two assists and five draw controls in the process.
“We totally appreciate having such a skilled player who is selfless,” Wilson said of Miller. “… Not a lot of elite players are. They want that goal. She wants her goals, and she wants her assists, but she thinks about the entire team.”
Despite facing an early deficit, McCann Tech battled back over the course of the second and third quarters to get back within striking distance. Midway through the third, the Vikings’ lead was down to just one goal at 10-9.
Smith Voc tacked on two insurance goals at the end of the third, relying on its defense down the stretch. The backend was up to the challenge, surrendering just one goal in the fourth quarter, holding on for the victory.
“We started out the third quarter and kind of fell apart a little bit,” Wilson said. “We weren’t exactly playing our game. So then we all just took our time, remembered, ‘Focus, slow down and just continue playing our game, don’t play into them.'”
The defensive success paired well with what ended up being the Vikings highest scoring game in the young program’s history, finishing the night with 13 goals.
Six different players found the back of the net for Smith Voc, with Erin Judd putting together a hat trick of her own with goals in the first, second and fourth quarters.
Katelyn Hennessy was another big-time playmaker in the win for the Vikings, scoring twice while adding a pair of assists.
“They’ve built their confidence in their skills,” Wilson said. “And we have quite a few new players who are becoming essential to us. People who played last year and didn’t see a lot of playing time have really worked on their skills, and it’s really showing with their day-to-day efforts.”
With Tuesday’s win, Smith Voc is now on a five-game winning streak, sitting with a 5-1 record on the year. The Vikings will look to build off the momentum on Thursday, April 30, at 4 p.m., back at home to host Monson for the second game of a four-game homestand.
“We’re just really excited with how things are going,” Wilson said.
