Cape Cod Tech Girls Lacrosse Taking Next Step In Second Official Year

PLEASANT LAKE – One of the Lower Cape’s youngest athletic programs is already further along than it was about 370 days ago, when players took the field for their first game as an official varsity team.

Cape Cod Tech girls lacrosse, now in just its second season, is continuing to build. And already, in year two, the development is notable. In three games so far this season, the Crusaders are averaging approximately eight goals a game. In 2025, that figure was closer to four. 

“Don’t overlook us,” head coach Darin Jacks said.

While last year the day-to-day ambitions might have been more about learning the sport and adding game experience while players got their feet under them as a varsity program, this season’s team is competitive. The goals this year, Jacks said, are to get their score counts up, tighten their defense and win a few more games (they won one last season). 

Ultimately, just like virtually any other team, they’d like to make the state tournament. And because they’re now officially playing in the Mayflower Athletic Conference, they can actually set their sights on the postseason (they played as a provisional member last season and thus were not eligible for the tournament — a typical growing pain in school sports for a brand new program).

“As a young team, we understand that we have to work harder for it, because every team is already established,” Jacks said. “All the building blocks are there. We’ve just got to start building.”

Last Monday, the Crusaders fell 19-11 to Bristol Plymouth in what was their best game of the season yet, according to Jacks. It may have been a defeat, but the game was a “team effort” and “the girls are playing hard,” he said.

Cape Tech took an early lead off a near-instant score by senior Brooke Smith. Bristol Plymouth grabbed a 7-6 lead during the second quarter and gradually grew the deficit from there. It was the first game so far this year, Jacks said, in which the girls had fun. 

“Better passing, better communication,” Jacks said. “We're getting there.”

On Wednesday (after The Chronicle’s deadline), the Crusaders faced Bristol County, whom they beat 11-7 last May for the program’s first-ever win. 

“It was really rewarding, because we had been working all season, and we kept losing and kept losing, but we finally pulled it all together within the last couple of minutes of the game,” Smith said. 

A full season of 12-on-12 games, no matter the result, has clearly made a difference. All of the team’s starters have at least a year of playing time, which inherently wasn’t the case in 2025. The players practiced, developed and improved. Last year’s inaugural group also had no seniors, whereas this year’s team rosters eight, so there’s some additional leadership. 

“Every girl can catch, every girl can pass,” Jacks said. “They know what to do. They know the rules.”

Against Bristol Plymouth, Smith finished with five goals, while senior Madison Baran added four. Sophomore Kayla David scored once, as did freshman Yasmin Palhares for her first career varsity goal.

Smith and Baran, the Crusaders’ captain, will pace the scoring, while other players like David and sophomore Ella Nowak, according to Jacks, have also stepped up. Most of the team are sophomores.

“We have a few really good freshmen that are helping out our team,” Smith said. “We didn't have any seniors last year, so it's all the same girls, plus some really good freshmen that are helping us build the team.”